The University Medical Center is leading the way in the extension of health care benefits to same sex domestic partners and their legal dependents. The new policy, which will be implemented on Jan. 1, 1995, will extend eligibility for medical, prescription, dental, vision, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance to the previously excluded employees and their families. Legal dependents of same sex domestic partners will also be eligible for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's dependent tuition assistance program. This extension of eligibility for benefits was announced in September during the Medical Center's open enrollment period, during which changes in policy may be made. The Medical Center's change in eligibility requirements followed a similar move by the University last spring during its open enrollment period. Coordinator of the Program for the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community at Penn Robert Schoenberg has been a leading lobbyist for the extension of benefits to same sex domestic partners at the University. "We lobbied for three years," he said. "It was on the table for probably 15 years." HUP Medical Technologist David Acker, working with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Lambda Alliance (HUPLA), a group of gay, lesbian, and bisexual employees of the hospital, lobbied consistently for the extension of benefits for more than two years. Acker came back from the March on Washington in the fall of 1992 and began to lobby for the benefits. "I was really fed up that I was basically being compensated less than a heterosexual co-worker," Acker said. "In terms of benefits, my married hospital co-worker gets benefits for his spouse and I don't get benefits for my spouse." Acker claims that three reasons account for the success of attempts to reform health care benefits for Medical Center employees. "One, I formed [HUPLA] and we pressured for it," he said. "It took somebody to complain. "Two, without the commitment at the University level, I'm not sure that all of the complaining in the world would have helped," he added. Thirdly, Acker attributes much of the impetus of the movement to Dennis Colling, associate vice president of organizational effectiveness and human resources for the University Health Services. "Fortunately, [Colling] really believed in this," Acker said. HUP is one of the first hospitals in the country to extend benefits to same sex domestic partners and their dependents, he added. Other hospitals are quickly following suit. Locally, Thomas Jefferson University will also be extending benefits to same sex domestic partners starting Jan. 1. Acker said two factors are pressuring other institutions to adopt more inclusive policies. "One is the market to get talent that happens to be gay," he said. "They are going to have to be competitive with other hospitals." The second is coming from employee groups, he said. Acker said he is looking forward to the enactment of the new policy next year. "I'm very pleased with the hospital," he said. "I think that they are putting their money where their words are."
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