Larimer commission
OKs same-sex benefits
The county votes to
provide coverage for gay partners
and joins a program
for residents to get prescription discounts.
By Monte Whaley, from
the Web, March 29, 2008
Larimer County this week expanded
health care programs for residents and employees — including insurance benefits
for same-sex partners.
Larimer is the first county on the Front Range and the largest in the state to
extend insurance to gay couples, said Wynette Reed, the county's director of
human resources.
"Everyone deserves to have health insurance," Reed said.
County commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to offer the same health-insurance
program to employees in a same-sex relationship as the county does to those in a
committed heterosexual relationship or traditional marriage.
They also agreed to join a program that offers discount prices on medications
not covered by insurance.
To qualify for health benefits, an employee would have to sign a notarized
affidavit stating he or she is living in a committed relationship. Those
in a common-law marriage follow the same procedure, Reed said.
Reed told the commissioners that the county needed to offer a same-sex benefit
package to stay competitive with the private sector.
"As the labor market shrinks, we have to be able to compete against companies
offering these benefits to prospective employees," she said.
Dave Morante, vice president of people services for McWhinney — a developer in
Loveland — told the commissioners that the company's same-sex benefits package
is good for recruiting.
"It helps us show that we provide a workplace that is accepting for lots of
different types of people," he said.
Larimer will begin enrolling employees July 1.
Commissioner Glenn Gibson voted against the proposal, saying the state has not
legalized domestic partnerships, Reed said. Gibson couldn't be reached for
comment.
The drug-discount card program, sponsored by the National Association of
Counties, will result in an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price
of commonly prescribed drugs.
The county is ordering 70,000 cards printed in English as well as 10,000 cards
in Spanish, Reed said. Douglas County also participates in the effort,
which has yielded positive results, Reed said.
"It's a benefit we could offer citizens to deal with the high costs of
prescriptions that are not covered by insurance," she said.
The free cards will be available by June.
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