Will making Gay Marriage legal RAISE/LOWER health care costs?
By goldeneagle
@goldeneagle (6745)
United States
July 1, 2009 1:59pm CST
I was just sitting here thinking about random stuff, and I had this off-the-wall thought. I don't know what made me think of this, but I figured this would make a good topic for discussion. Making gay marriage legal would mean that gay people would be able to add their "life partners" to their employer provided health/dental insurance as their spouse. Would this cause the cost of insurance premiums to increase or decrease, or would there be no effect on the cost of insurance at all? Also, would this cause an increase/decrease in health care costs in general?
Now, I haven't really given this any thought at all. I just decided to post it here and let you guys hash it out while I am at work tonight. It should be interesting to log on and read the results tonight when I get home. Happy posting...
5 people like this
7 responses
@Barbietre (1438)
• United States
2 Jul 09
In many companies there are already provisions for people/partner you live with, so I see no differnce and in fact see a more permanent partner as a good thing.
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
1 Jul 09
It has nothing to do with insurance cost. Per insurance, they are able to add living partner to insurance already and it has nothing to do with legalizing marriage or not...
Insurance cost is not related to marriage, you can add any living partner to Insurance.
1 person likes this
@Rakhi6c (299)
• India
2 Jul 09
Thats a good thought .Though there is a news that gay marriages would be made legal in india this year so we need to see all legal obligation that hapen after , with most of them settling their issues in courts and more of historic decsions coming up and soo on..lol
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
2 Jul 09
You can add anyone to your medical insurance, your friend, your spouse, your children, grand children. What the same gender marriage may do is to make certain diseases more acceptable and other conditions not. So you might get greater coverage of AIDS and HIV but then maybe some cancers caused by being out in the sun too long or strokes or heart disease and diabetes caused by a person not eating right and eating junk food may see their coverage lowered.
As long as a person can add his best friend to his health coverage as long as he does not specify that his friend may be in the same bed as he, it would be all right and nothing will change.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Jul 09
I would think it would either do nothing to the premiums or if anything perhaps lower them. By being able to add their partner to their policy, they would be paying more in insurance premiums. I doubt it would do anything to increase other peoples premiums. The more people insured should mean lower premiums. right?
@OConnell87 (1042)
•
1 Jul 09
never thought about the finacial side of gay marriages, the only thing that annoys me is that it isn't legal everywhere how stupid, was straight marriage ever made legal?????????
1 person likes this
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
2 Jul 09
I really don't see that it would make any difference. I am a straight female and am all for gay marriages and health insurance for any couple together. Since we all pay premiums for health insurance, I feel it should be offered to anyone and everyone. Everybody needs coverage no matter what their sexuality. Good discussion.
