Austin Extends COBRA to Partners of City Employees
November 3, 2009 12:51PM
Samir Luther
Austin, Texas has become the first U.S. city or county government (of which HRC is aware) to extend COBRA-like benefits to partners of employees.
Yesterday, Austin City Manager Marc Ott announced that COBRA-like benefits will be available to same-sex partners of employees. The city has provided health insurance to partners of employees since 2006, but had not extended COBRA-equivalent benefits. Austin City Council Member Spelman raised the issue with Ott when a partner of Spelman’s former employee couldn’t access COBRA benefits after the employee passed away.
COBRA benefits provide limited health insurance benefits continuation for family members of employees – for example, when employees lose health insurance coverage, lose or leave their jobs, pass away or divorce. While the majority of Fortune 500 companies provide health insurance benefits to same-sex partners of employees, 43% offer COBRA-like benefits for partners of employees.
The HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index requires employers to extend COBRA-like benefits to obtain a 100% rating (see Criterion 3b).
Does your city or county extend COBRA-like benefits to same-sex partners of its employees? Help us update our database.
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