01/06/2010
Domestic partner law leads to change in GMAs
We notified you last month about new Washington State legislation (SB 5688) that requires health plans to extend to registered same-sex domestic partners and opposite-sex couples (as long as one is at least 62 years old) the same coverage they extend to legal spouses. This law went into effect on Dec. 3, 2009.
We have recently updated the GMAs for our EmbarkSM, VantageSM, MotivateSM and Asuris HSA Healthplan 2.0SM products to reflect that new law. The original form had required that the agent or employer check a box if the plan covered a domestic partner. Because we now cover registered and non-registered domestic partners, we have removed this box.
Groups with 100 or more enrolled employees were notified that they could opt to limit domestic partner coverage to state-registered domestic partners and choose not to extend COBRA eligibility for domestic partners. Groups that want to limit or opt out of coverage have a form they can use to communicate those choices. The deadline to return that form is Jan. 8.
If you have any questions, please talk to your Asuris Sales contact.
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