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July 18, 1997
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org

03-11

Episcopal Church may offer insurance benefits to domestic partners

By David Skidmore

PHILADELPHIA (July 18, 1997)   The Episcopal Church may begin offering health insurance benefits to domestic partners of clergy and church employees.

By a three-vote margin this afternoon, the bishops concurred with deputies in approving a resolution (C024) authorizing the churchs insurer, the Episcopal Church Clergy and Employees Medical Trust, to include domestic partners in its coverage. The plan is permissive but not mandatory.

The vote came after the bishops narrowly defeated a substitute motion from retired Bishop Gordon Charlton of the Diocese of Texas that would have suspended action on extending coverage until the convention agreed on a definition of the term "domestic partners." His chief objection was the lack of any language indicating that domestic partners meant persons living in a committed relationship.

Following defeat of his substitute, Charlton noted the decision still left unresolved who can be covered in the insurance plan.  Domestic partners and committed relationships are not synonymous terms, he noted. 

Charlton also took exception to the tone of the debate, which he felt had violated the bishops pledge to avoid personal attacks. Two bishops who spoke in opposition to his motion, he said, "questioned my motives. I hope that wont happen again."

Among those opposing Charltons substitute was Bishop Cabell Tennis of the Diocese of Delaware, who said his diocese has extended benefits to domestic partners and not encountered any confusion over who is covered. Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which is the carrier for Delawares plan, understands domestic partners to be persons living in a committed relationship. Other insurance carriers, he noted, take a similar stand.

Bishop Richard Shimpfky of the Diocese of El Camino Real (California) said the issue is not about definitions. "This is about medical coverage for households that are equal to households living in the covenant of marriage," he said. 

Other bishops pointed out that insurance carriers were unlikely to yield to a church bodys definition of terms under which insurance can be provided.

Proposed by the Diocese of El Camino Real, the resolution followed a request by that diocese to include domestic partners in its medical insurance coverage from the churchs medical insurance plan. The church agency declined to provide the coverage until authorized by General Convention to do so.

During debate yesterday in the House of Deputies, Kim Byham of the Diocese of Newark reminded deputies of previous votes on similar issues, saying, "Three years ago we did call on governments and businesses to extend coverage of this sort to domestic partners, and were simply saying that we should practice what we preach." 

The Anglican Church of Canada approved a similar resolution at its Council of General Synod last year.

 David Skidmore is communications director of the Diocese of Chicago. The Rev. Jan Nunley contributed to this report.