Reprint from the Capital Gazette

Domestic partner coverage expanded

by Maniko Barthelemy
Staff Writer

Oct. 16, 2003

Greenbelt made history Monday by becoming the first municipality in Prince George's County to offer equal health insurance coverage to domestic partners of city workers.

The benefit allows the domestic partners to be covered at the same rate as married couples. The decision is the result of a two-year struggle between the city and employee Chris Cherry. Cherry works at the city's recreation department and has tried to get health coverage for his partner at the same rate that his married co-workers have for their spouses.

The City Council and Mayor Judith Davis unanimously voted to support the measure, which takes effect immediately. The benefit extends to domestic partners involved in same sex relationships or heterosexual relationships.

"I am so proud that the city is leading the way in the county on this issue," Cherry said. "Greenbelt has a long progressive history and this was just a question of basic fairness."

Under the city's new guidelines, a domestic partner is defined as an employee's unmarried partner, whether of the same or opposite sex.

Under an HMO plan, a city employee with a spouse pays $46.98 per month for coverage and the city paid the remaining $523.25 with the total cost of insurance coverage coming to $570.23. The city pays close to 85 percent of the coverage for a city worker and spouse. With city employees seeking insurance coverage for domestic partners the cost was different. The city paid $232.55 for the employee whom then in turn picked up $337.68 per month for his or her domestic partner. Cherry considered the city's insurance contribution for married spouses unfair. He said there is no discrepancy in pay for gay workers so there should not be any when it comes to insurance benefits.

It is the issue of fairness that led the council and Davis to approve the measure.

"We have good employees and they deserve to have decent benefits," Councilman Rodney Roberts said. "In the long run, it's going to help the city and that's most important."

Davis said the idea of Greenbelt taking the lead on the issue is nothing new.

Anyone wishing to obtain the coverage should be prepared to prove existence of their domestic relationship and length of their relationship. Submission of documents such as a joint mortgage or lease on a place of residence or an agreement establishing a joint bank or credit card account are some of the documents the city will accept.

"Greenbelt has been or tried to be very inclusive and we want to attract qualified and skilled employees," she said. "This is just one way we can say to them that they are valuable and treated fairly in Greenbelt."