Pa. grants domestic-partner benefits

Pennsylvania state employees in same-sex relationships will now be able to obtain the same medical benefits for their partners as heterosexual married employees.

The Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund, a non-governmental agency that oversees the state benefits programs, will offer medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and hearing-aid benefits to the same- and opposite-sex domestic partners of all PEBTF-eligible employees, which amounts to about 81,000 individuals.

The approximately 60,000 retired state employees eligible for the Retired Employees Health Program will also be able to extend their benefits to domestic partners.

The policy change additionally allows children of domestic partners to be included on benefits plans.

Chuck Ardo, press secretary for Gov. Ed Rendell, expressed the governor’s approval of the new policy.

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It's a start.