Aug 16 2013
By early September, gay spouses of military members will get full benefits, including health care coverage. The Department of Defense said the benefits will be retroactive to the Supreme Court decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act in June.
The New York Times: Gay Spouses Of Members Of Military Get Benefits
Under the plan, spousal and family benefits -- including health care coverage, housing allowances and survivor benefits -- will be available to all legally married military spouses. The same-sex spouses of service members and civilian Defense Department employees can claim the entitlements retroactively, starting with the date of the decision (Huetteman, 8/14).
Politico: DOD: Benefits For Same-Sex Couples Available By Sept. 3
Enrollments in DoD's health care coverage, as well as requests for housing benefits or separation allowances, are retroactive to the Supreme Court's June ruling that struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the announcement said. "For those members married after June 26, 2013, entitlements begin at the date of marriage" (Ewing, 8/14).
The Associated Press: Same-Sex Spouses Of US Military Members Eligible For Identical Health-Care, Housing, Other Benefits
Same-sex spouses of U.S. military members will be eligible for the same health care, housing and other benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses starting Sept. 3, the Defense Department said Wednesday. The decision follows the Supreme Court's ruling in June that struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, which had been used to deny married gay couples such benefits (8/14).
And Fox News reports that nontraditional families may soon see changes to their household health coverage --
Fox News: Health Coverage For The Extended Family, Coming Soon?
The trend of multiple generations living under one roof is changing the idea of the traditional family household, but the health insurance industry hasn't been keeping up with the new living situation. The economic environment has forced many families to live together, often with adult children taking care of their live-in elderly parents in addition to their children's needs (Fuscaldo, 8/14).
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 This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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