Health Policy may cover Gay Partners
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http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9010982
Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson will pitch an insurance policy today that could extend health coverage to gay and lesbian employees and their partners.The Democrat, who has championed a more progressive benefits policy since taking office, will urge her colleagues to widen the county's coverage to include any "adult designee" who lives with an employee and is financially interdependent.
Her model: Salt Lake City. Utah's capital approved a similar policy two years ago.
While the policy could have a profound impact on the county's gay and lesbian staffers, the benefits aren't tied to sexual orientation - a detail that could make the change more palatable to Republicans, who scuttled Wilson's first attempt to create a domestic-partners program.
Under Salt Lake City's broader adult-designee policy, 78 percent of participants are not gay.
"This is a reasonable and fair way to get more people covered," Wilson said Monday.
The Democrat will present her health policy proposal today during the County Council's 1 p.m. work session. Republicans hold a 5-4 edge on the council.
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