Marriage Amendment Raises Concerns about Health Benefits

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Chrisy Pearee is worried about just how Amendment 2, often referrred to as Florida's Marriage Amendment, will impact health benefits in her domestic partnership.

On Tuesday, voters approved the amendment, which defines a marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman.

Pearee, who is in a domestic relationship with her boyfriend of the past 10 years, says she's been down this road before in Wisconsin.

"When it did pass I had been eligible for his insurance before, not afterwards. His employer told me I could not, I was no longer eligible," said Pearee, who moved to Florida last year.

Pastor Tom Messer with Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville was involved in Amendment 2, that started with petition drive.

"There's never been any discussion at all on trying to limit anybody's domestic partnership rights," said Messer who said 66 of Florida's 67 counties supported the amendment.

In Florida it's estimated there are more than 400,000 unmarried people in domestic partnerships.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida opposed the amendment saying it would have a major impact on its ability to provide benefits for domestic partners.

Pearee she doesn't know what to expect, but fears the worst.

"Whether the hospital will allow us to be there for each other...if anything does happen. We are very worried, we don't know where this leaves us," said Pearee.

Two other states, California and Arizona, passed similar marriage amendments on Tuesday. In Florida the amendment passed with nearly 62% of the vote.

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