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)