WI city extends health insurance coverage to domestic partners

Last week, the Kenosha City Council approved a resolution that extends healthcare benefits to domestic partners of city employees, reports Kenosha News.

In 2009, state measures allowed same sex couples to register as domestic partners through their local county clerk, explains the newspaper. The council's recent decision places Kenosha on the list of regions that offer public worker's domestic partners and their children the benefits city employee spouses receive.  Milwaukee, Appleton and Racine already have such measures in place.

Alderman Chris Schwartz, who proposed the resolution, told councilmembers he had been approached by police and firefighter unions about the topic.

"We wanted to make this effective as soon as possible," Schwartz said.

The measure passed with a 15-0 vote. Steve Stanczak, Kenosha's human resources director, announced the fiscal impact would be equivalent to less than 1 percent of current medical spending according to KenoWi.

Meanwhile, officials are unsure how many workers currently on a single plan will switch to a family plan.

Several state employees praised the measure at a council meeting. Nicole Kopp, who has worked for the city's police department for 13 years, expressed her happiness about being able to place her partner Stacy on her insurance plane.

"We may look a little different, but all we want is the same things that other families do," Kopp said.