WHAT BENEFITS DO S.F. LICENSES PROVIDE? From the San Francisco Chronicle

When Kory O'Rourke called her car insurance company and asked that her spouse be added to her plan, the representative on the other end of the phone "didn't blink" -- even when it became clear that O'Rourke meant her same-sex partner, whom she had just married in San Francisco.

"Oh, congratulations," the representative at the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies said. "I'm going to issue you a $78 credit, so you guys be sure to go out and have a nice dinner on us."

O'Rourke was thrilled -- but it turns out the exchange should never have taken place. In changing O'Rourke's coverage, the representative apparently violated company policy. Progressive is not officially recognizing marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples, although it is investigating whether to change its policy, said spokesperson Todd Morgano.

Confusion and discrepancy are all too common, as gay newlyweds have returned home from San Francisco and other wedding-positive cities and started to demand a few of the benefits that come with marriage. The federal government has compiled a list of 1,049 rights and responsibilities contingent on marriage -- from survivor's rights to Social Security benefits. Many gay couples have begun with simple steps: asking their employers and insurers to offer them the same health care and car insurance coverage extended to married heterosexuals. The results have been decidedly mixed. ...

In the legal chaos the same-sex marriages have produced, some major health and car insurance companies have taken positions as follows: Kaiser Permanente, the health care provider, and AAA of Northern California, which provides auto insurance, are recognizing same-sex spouses and will continue to do so unless the state Supreme Court rules that the licenses are invalid, spokespeople said.

But State Farm Insurance, which offers car, home, health insurance, is taking the opposite [tack]-- the company is waiting for the court ruling this summer before changing its spousal policies, according to spokesperson Bill Sirola.

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posted by Eve at 11:20 AM | link

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