[Vision2020] And Now for Something Completely Different

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (January 20 2006) Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, Florida) -

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------

 

Article published Jan 20, 2006

UF requirement for partner benefits: You must have sex

 

University of Florida employees have to pledge that they're having sex with
their domestic partners before qualifying for benefits under a new health
care plan at the university.

 

The partners of homosexual and heterosexual employees are eligible for
coverage under UF's plan, which will take effect in February. The enrollment
process began this month, and some employees have expressed concern about an
affidavit that requires a pledge of sexual activity.

 

Fielding questions about the pledge at a Faculty Senate meeting Thursday,
UF's vice president of human resources said he's heard concerns about the
affidavit, though overall feedback about the plan has been positive.

 

"I would say 95 percent of the affidavit is fine," Kyle Cavanaugh said in an
interview after the meeting.

 

In addition to declaring joint financial obligations, prospective enrollees
must "have been in a non-platonic relationship for the preceding 12 months,"
according to the affidavit.

 

Marylou Behnke, a UF senator, told Cavanaugh she found the requirement
"offensive."

 

As a member of the Senate, representing faculty in UF's College of Medicine,
Behnke said she was compelled to learn more about UF's plan. She said she
was taken aback to find that employees would be required to swear to prior
sexual activity, a standard not applied to married couples covered by UF's
primary health care plan.

 

"Are you going to police it?" Behnke asked Cavanaugh.

 

Cavanaugh said he had no plans to personally enforce the sex pledge. The
"non-platonic" clause is "increasingly standard" in domestic partnership
plans, Cavanaugh said. The clause is one of several methods used to legally
ensure that an employer is only obligated to cover employees in a committed
relationship, not longtime roommates.

 

Shands HealthCare, which began offering domestic partnership benefits this
month, also requires that employees declare a "non-platonic" relationship.
Shands is an affiliate of UF, supporting the university's education and
research efforts, but it is a private nonprofit entity with an independent
health care plan. Like UF, Shands chose to offer domestic partnership
benefits in order to stay competitive, said Kim Rose, Shands spokeswoman.
Rose said she did not know whether Shands' Board of Directors, which
approved the plan, was influenced by UF's decision to offer domestic
benefits.

 

Concerns about the "non-platonic" clause may lead UF to change the language
of the affidavit, Cavanaugh said.

 

"I would anticipate we would take a hard look at trying to modify it," he
said.

 

Any modifications to the plan won't likely be made in the first enrollment
cycle, which ends Jan. 30, Cavanaugh said. But by October, when employees
enroll for benefits again, there may be changes to the affidavit, he said.

 

Between five and 10 people have enrolled in the plan already, Cavanaugh
said, and more than 100 have attended orientations to learn about the
benefits. UF officials anticipate that as many as 120 people will enroll in
the plan, which will cost the university about $1 million a year.

 

Confidentiality is promised to UF employees enrolled in any health care
plan, but Behnke said she had concerns about whether the affidavit might
lead to discrimination if it ended up in the wrong hands. Pledging an active
homosexual relationship, as the affidavit requires for gay couples, could
potentially bar an individual from participation in organizations like the
Boy Scouts or the military, Behnke said.

 

Kim Tanzer, chair of the Faculty Senate, said she could understand why some
faculty might view the affidavit as invasive.

 

"I can see (Behnke's) point," she said. "If you ask married folks if they're
in a platonic relationship, that's a personal question."

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------

 

I can almost imagine the scenario.

 

-----

 

UF Employee:  I would like to register myself and my spouse for the UF
Health Program.

 

UF Administrator:  That is nice to hear.  But first we must determine if you
and you spouse qualify.  Do you and your spouse have sex?

 

UF Employee:  Yes we do, quite regularly in fact.

 

UF Administrator:  I am not certain that we can merely take your word for
it.  Would you happen to have a video or maybe just a few photos?

 

-----

 

Take care, Moscow.

 

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

 

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20060120/1d52377d/attachment-0001.htm