Domestic Partner Benefits April 19, 2011

1. Domestic Partner Benefits April 19, 2011

2. Presentation Outline • Background • Domestic Partner Benefits Program • Actions Requested

3. Presentation Outline • Background • Domestic Partner Benefits Program • Actions Requested

4. Background Domestic Partner Benefits: • Benefits that an employer voluntarily chooses to offer to an employee’s unmarried partner • These benefits may be insurance related or employment related

5. Background • 18 Public Employers responded to a recent survey • 9 currently offer Domestic Partner Benefits • Majority offer Medical, Dental, Vision, Spouse Life, Dependent Life, COBRA-equivalent coverage, and Bereavement Leave

6. Background Local Comparators • City of Orlando, since 2009 • 9 employees • 3 are retirees • Medical, Dental, Vision, COBRA • Bereavement for DP and Spouse-equivalent family members

7. Background 8,756 employees are benefits eligible • BCC • Comptroller • Tax Collector • Supervisor of Elections • Housing Finance Authority • OBT Development Board • Metroplan Orlando • Property Appraiser • Lynx • Clerk of Courts • Research and Development • I-Ride Trolley 8,310 Covered Employees & Retirees Total Plan Members 16,131

8. Background Anticipated Costs • Majority of employers experience a financial impact of less then 1% of total benefits cost • Coverage of domestic partners is no more expensive than for spouses • Enrollment has been found to be low, 1% for domestic partners and 1% for dependents of partners

9. Background Anticipated Costs • Incremental premium paid by County for spousal or domestic partner coverage - $4,754 • Claims are dependent on medical plan utilization

10. Presentation Outline • Background • Domestic Partner Benefits Program • Actions Requested

11. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Benefits Available: • Medical • Dental • Vision • Life Insurance • Life Insurance for Child(ren) • COBRA-equivalent coverage • Bereavement Leave

12. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Available to: • Employees and Retirees For coverage of: • Same-Sex Domestic Partners • Children of the Same-Sex Domestic Partner

13. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Other Benefits: • Domestic Violence Leave • Employee Assistance Program

14. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Orange County Definition of a Same-Sex Domestic Partner: • Committed, serious, long-term relationship and intend to remain so indefinitely • Are of the same sex, 18 years of age, mentally competent • Are not married or legally separated to/from anyone else, or in a domestic partnership with any other person

15. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Orange County Definition of a Same-Sex Domestic Partner: • Are not related by blood to a degree of closeness that would prohibit legal marriage • Have shared the same primary residence for at least six consecutive months • Consider each other to be a member of immediate family • Are jointly responsible for each others financial welfare

16. Domestic Partner Benefits Program Recognizing a Domestic Partner: • Orange County Declaration of Domestic Partnership • Two forms of financial interdependence evidence, one reflecting joint responsibility for no less than six months prior Termination of Domestic Partnership: • Orange County Statement of Domestic Partnership Termination

17. Presentation Outline • Background • Proposal • Actions Requested

18. Actions Requested • Approval of the attached Domestic Partner Benefits Program and Guidelines to extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners of employees and retirees on the County’s health plan as outlined in the Domestic Partner Benefits Program and Guidelines, effective January 1, 2012.

19. Actions Requested • Approval to revise Orange County BCC Policy 308.1, Bereavement Leave, to include provision for eligible same-sex domestic partners effective January 1, 2012.

20. Domestic Partner Benefits April 19, 2011