Today, most of the companies extend their health coverage plans to include employee’s partner and children as well. Although, most healthcare employee plans exclude non-married couples such as gay and lesbian partners. Traditionally, only married couples opt for joint insurance plans. However, Domestic Partner Health Insurance (DPHI) offers insurance to non-married partners of an insurer. The insurance plan is thus a boon for people, who are gay and lesbians. The plan extends health insurance policies to include gay and lesbian partners. In fact, DPHI is gaining its ground in most countries with vast majority of people supporting its cause.
DPHI is useful for those people, who live together and are not married. The plan is a blessing in disguise for people, who believe in live-in relationships, sharing of residence and financial responsibilities. The plan does not differentiate between sexes and covers partners of opposite as well as same sex. Further, the plan does not ask for any proof such as a marriage certificate, as self-testimony is enough to get the plan.
Clubbing your partner in the plan and extending its coverage onto him/her, helps in reaping benefits of small premiums. Thus, you can save money instead of buying two separate insurance plans. Most universities and educational institutes recognized by government/state provide DPHI plans to their students. Under this program, any student can register his/her partner along with dependant children to extend the cover of insurance plan. Such plans are available to those students, who register for full-time courses. The plan shares similar benefits as that of traditional plans. In addition, it provides extended flexibility by dissolving the eligibility norm to allow you to choose your partners even if you are not married to them.
However, there are certain eligibility rules that you must satisfy before availing the plan. Following are some of the eligibility norms:
- Mutual & Exclusive: The partners who are sharing the plan must share an exclusive and mutual commitment with each other. Further, they cannot legally marry after taking the plan. The plan is applicable till the time both partners are mutually in relationship without marrying with each other. After marriage, the plan may turn null. Further, the plan is applicable only if you are in an exclusive relationship with your partner. Thus, marriage is out of question, as the plan excludes married couples.
- Indefinitely Yours: The plan is applicable until both the partners remain domestic partners. There is no maximum period limit for you to be in a relationship with your partner. In fact, the period must be infinite. Thus, the plan holds true for those domestic partners, who decide to remain in the partnership for infinite time.
- No blood relationship: The plan is applicable to only those people who do not share blood relationships. The plan cannot be shared between siblings. Thus, domestic partners in blood relations cannot avail this plan.
- Age limit: Both domestic partners need to be greater than 18 years of age. Only people above 18 years can avail the DPHI plans.
- Share Same Apartment: Both domestic partners, who share same apartment may avail the DPHI plan. For this, the partners may require to provide proof of paid electricity and other utility bills.