Family Spotlight:
Robyn and Dori
Last year, after more than 23 years together, Robyn and Dori of Silver Spring Maryland enjoyed a commitment ceremony on a beautiful Maui beach and then were legally married in picturesque Montreal. Like most couples, Robyn and Dori have shared their lives together, including many trials and tribulations. They have toured exotic ports of call and grieved the loss of loved ones.
Unlike most couples, Robyn and Dori are denied access to employer-based benefits. Despite the fact that Robyn has been a dedicated faculty member at the University of Maryland for over 20 years, her spouse is denied access to domestic partner benefits, including health insurance coverage and tuition remission. Dori, a self-employed massage therapist, has to rely instead on a costly and inadequate individual plan. The unnecessary expense presents a undue burden on the couple.
Dori has also recently struggled through a major health crisis and several major surgeries, which have left her unable to resume full-time work. Although she has limited disability insurance, it barely covers her health insurance premium. For almost 6 months, Dori has been unable to contribute financially to the household she shares with Robyn. The loss of income and additional health care expenses have jeopardized their household stability.
Robyn and Dori’s experience isn’t unusual. Many large employers, like the University of Maryland, fail to provide fair access to benefits for all of their employees. If they did, more couples like Robyn and Dori could improve the quality of their lives, protect themselves during a health crisis.
“The fact is that because these benefits are denied to me as a university employee, I am not receiving equal pay for equal work,” says Robyn. “My partner should be afforded the benefits that are given to my heterosexual married colleagues.” Robyn cites many cases where the lack of domestic partner benefits has had a tragic impact on families. In many situations, the families were unable to remain intact after a major medical incident. Studies show that unmarried couples are twice as likely to be uninsured as married couples.
“Particularly upon my retirement from the university, Dori should also be able to receive all of the benefits that other spouses receive,” Robyn adds.
For the sake of other couples like them, Robyn and Dori hope that the new administration will do for state employees what Howard County, Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and many other local jurisdictions have done -- provide domestic partner benefits to increase the number of insured Marylanders and improve lives.
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