Friday’s Asshat of the Day

Today’s award doesn’t go to an individual, but to a Federal government agency and one of it’s contractors.

Today we honor the US Office of Personnel Management and Aetna Insurance. Aetna is one of the companies that provide health benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). And as Think Progress points out today, a Federal employee can now get health insurance for their pets, but not for their same-sex partner.

The insurance is a handsome perk for those who can afford it, but what’s illuminating about the ad is that while federal employees can buy pet insurance “in these challenging economic times,” LGBT workers are still prohibited from purchasing policies for their partners or spouses by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — a federal law which denies federal benefits to legally married same sex couples.

Open Season is approaching, and all of the health carriers in the FEHBP do mega-advertising to get Feds to switch to their plan. Aetna figures that they can get a few more customers by adding pet insurance. Now, I know how important this can be, as my partner and I spent over $1200 last month on vet bills for the dog and cats. But this just sticks in my craw. I have over 25 years in the the Feds, yet I cannot cover my partner with my HB plan and I cannot leave him a survivor annuity unless I’m willing to pay 3 times what a heterosexual employee would have to pay to set up the same annuity for their spouse.

The recent decision by the Justice Department to appeal Gill v Office of Personnel Management is wrong. This is the decision handed down in July.

If Congress won’t get off its ass and repeal DOMA and DADT, then let the courts do it. If Eisenhower would have waited for Congress to act on desegregation issues, we’d still have “separate but equal” schools. And the President surely would not be African-American.

For basically rubbing this inequality in the faces of gay and lesbian Federal employees, OPM and Aetna are our Asshats of the Day.