title: Moderate Effects of Same-Sex Legislation on Dependent Employer-Based Insurance Coverage Among Sexual Minorities.
abstract: A difference-in-difference approach was used to compare the effects of same-sex domestic partnership, civil union, and marriage policies on same- and different-sex partners who could have benefitted from their partners' employer-based insurance (EBI) coverage. Same-sex partners had 78% lower odds (Marginal Effect = -21%) of having EBI compared with different-sex partners, adjusting for socioeconomic and health-related factors. Same-sex partners living in states that recognized same-sex marriage or domestic partnership had 89% greater odds of having EBI compared with those in states that did not recognize same-sex unions (ME = 5%). The impact of same-sex legislation on increasing take-up of dependent EBI coverage among lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals was modest, and domestic partnership legislation was equally as effective as same-sex marriage in increasing same-sex partner EBI coverage. Extending dependent EBI coverage to same-sex partners can mitigate gaps in coverage for a segment of the lesbians, gay men, and bisexual population but will not eliminate them.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA ltran32@ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Linda Diem
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: LGBT; disparities; employer-based insurance; health coverage; same-sex policies; sexual minorities