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New
Insurance Website Can Help Same-Sex Couples Make The Right
Choice

New
Insurance Website Can Help Same-Sex Couples Make The Right
Choice

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) unveiled a new section of their award-winning insurance education website that includes helpful tips and advice for domestic partners on June 3. The advice couldn't come at a better time. With same-sex marriages now taking place on both coasts, couples are searching for answers to auto, home, health, and life insurance questions that have, until now, been hard to find. "NAIC is recognizing the tremendous diversity of life situations in every community," Michael McRaith told me. As the Director of Insurance for the state of Illinois and an out gay man, McRaith is getting used to fielding certain kinds of insurance questions. "I frequently have conversations with my friends about insurance issues that affect their relationships." The new information available on the website (www.insureUonline.org) is there to help answer questions and quell fears for same-sex couples across the nation. Unfortunately for couples in domestic partnerships outside of Massachusetts and California, marriage is not (yet) an option. The NAIC's research reveals that of the approximately 770,000 domestic partnerships in the US, 49% have no formal documentation providing evidence of their relationship. The sharing of such insurance policies as home and auto is one way to make sure that everyone is protected in the event of an accident or loss. McRaith stressed the importance of being educated about insurance options. "As consumers, we spend a lot of time trying to decide what car to buy, what house to buy, instead of educating ourselves about the insurance we're paying," he said. "You need to be an aggressive, informed consumer." Good advice, especially for those who are a bit faint-of-heart (like myself) when it comes to discussion of policies and deductibles. There's nothing to fear, however. McRaith explained that the simple question the website tries to answer for "people who love and care for each other" is "how do we protect the property of that relationship?" McRaith is the first to admit that the needs of same-sex couples are "a little bit different right now" from those of straight married couples when it comes to matters like children and inheritance. While he's optimistic about marriage equality, he stressed that "in the meantime, we need to know how to protect ourselves through insurance." The new section of the Insure U website can not only help couples in domestic partnerships make the right choices about their insurance--it can help them save a little money, too! The website provides tips and tricks that some insurance companies have up their sleeves, like a discount offered by some auto insurers for domestic partners who are in a long-term, committed relationship. The website even offers an online quiz to test your insurance knowledge and to make sure you're protecting yourself and your family in the best ways possible (complete with a printable diploma)! (Hannah Clay Wareham, The Advocate)

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