U.S. Dept. Of Health: Some U.S. Health Insurances Must Cover Same-Sex Couples By 2015

This past Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ health care blog published a post by Matthew Heinz MD — Director of Provider & LGBT Outreach — stating that by 2015 any insurance companies offering coverage to opposite-sex spouses must also do the same for same-sex spouses:

Today, we are clarifying that, starting next year, if an insurance company offers coverage to opposite-sex spouses, it cannot choose to deny that coverage to same-sex spouses. In other words, insurance companies will not be permitted to discriminate against married same-sex couples when offering coverage. This will further enhance access to health care for all Americans, including those with same-sex spouses.

This will undoubtedly clear up cases like the ones in which Blue Cross and Anthem denied coverage for same-sex couples under the ambiguous provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Although according to HuffPo Gay Voices, this only applies to “Qualified Health Plans… that meet the minimum standards of the Affordable Care Act and are certified by the state or federal exchange where it is purchased.”