That goes for the larger funding issue caused by the Legislature's failure to fully fund the expected increased costs in health insurance. Lawmakers approved only about half of what will be necessary. The experience in other jurisdictions that have extended domestic partner benefits is that fewer people sign up than expected. If that trend continues in this case, far fewer than the Mercer estimate of 1 percent will participate. In fact, Fox said, the cost for domestic partners has actually been less than for spouses.
Utilization is no greater.
It means costs and participation are expected to be much less than what the PEBB and its actuary estimate. The union's position on domestic partnership benefits was determined by the members through their elected delegates to the union's last biennial state convention in October 1998. It only needed 50 percent plus one vote to pass. Under this mandate, the union filed a tort claim in December 1999 and prepared a possible lawsuit. At the same time, it asked the PEBB to extend the benefits.