Gay and Lesbian Connection

There was an interesting article in the Orlando Sentinel today about the fact that the gay partner of a gay person who loses his or her job is not entitled to COBRA protection regardless of whether or not the state they live in accepts gay marriage or civil unions.  I always thought of the federal COBRA program as a health-care safety net for all American families if the breadwinner lost his or her job.  But apparently that doesn’t apply to gay couples.

Basically COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) provides for a laid-off or terminated employee, and his or her family, to still obtain health insurance at group rates for up to 18 months, which gives the terminated employee a fairly long time to get a new job and new health insurance through their new employer. 

Unfortunately, thanks to DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act),  the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex unions, which eliminates gay couples from COBRA. While COBRA excludes unmarried heterosexual couples, the provision is more onerous on gays because they don’t have the option of getting married.

Despite the growing number of companies and local governments that have extended domestic partner benefits to gay couples, the federal government continues to discriminate against gays and lesbians through DOMA.

With all the talk about a new health care system, is it possible that the administration can fix this discriminatory practice especially now when unemployment approaches 10 % .  Or will we have to wait years until DOMA is repealed?  Hope this is on somebody’s radar in Washington D.C.

 

 

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