County Extends Health Benefits to Employees’ Domestic Partners

Meeting behind closed doors and without any public discussion, a divided Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to extend health insurance benefits to domestic partners of county employees.

The 4-1 decision made in executive session and announced afterward will allow gay, lesbian and unmarried heterosexual partners of full-time county employees the same health insurance options as married partners.

The employee and the county will each pay part of the cost. The county’s share is projected at $600,000 to $800,000 in its first full year depending on the number of unmarried employees who use the health benefits for their partners.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky made the motion to direct county officials to initiate all steps necessary to offer health coverage to domestic partners.

The city of Los Angeles has had such a policy for several years and some major employers, including the Walt Disney Co., have announced similar programs.

But Board Chairman Mike Antonovich said through a spokesman that it is wrong to extend benefits to gay or unmarried heterosexual partners of county employees when that coverage will cost the financially troubled county up to $800,000 a year.