Unmarried Same-Sex Couples Lose Health Benefits in Mass.
Health benefits for unmarried gay and lesbian couples are being dropped by many large employers in Massachusetts.
The companies say they're making the changes in the name of fairness. Seven months ago, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. The businesses say that if gays and lesbians can now be legally married, then they should no longer be entitled to special health benefits not available to unmarried, opposite-sex couples.
"We're saying if you're a same-sex domestic partner, you now have the same option heterosexuals have, so we have to apply the same rules to you," Larry Emerson, vice president of human resources for Baystate Health System, told the Boston Globe.
Other large employers that are dropping or phasing out health benefits for unmarried same-sex couples include Raytheon Co., Northeastern University, Emerson College, and IBM Corp.
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