Honda's infertility problem

As if automakers didn’t have enough hot-button issues to deal with (fuel economy and global warming, for example), Honda can add another to the list: gay and lesbian rights.

The American Fertility Assn. this week accused the automaker’s Alabama division of denying insurance coverage to same-sex domestic partners seeking so-called third-party fertility treatments (artificial insemination involving sperm or egg banks, surrogate motherhood, etc.) while providing coverage for opposite-sex domestic partners.

It seems the issue came up when Alabama Fertility Specialists in Birmingham looked into insurance coverage for one of their patients seeking artificial insemination, who works at Honda’s Lincoln, Ala., manufacturing plant and is in a same-sex domestic partnership.

Dr. Michael Steinkampf, founder of the fertility clinic, was quoted in a news release from the fertility association as being “a little disappointed” by the automaker’s stance. (Honda’s U.S. manufacturing facilities are set up as semi-independent operating companies, and policies such as employee benefit plans can vary among plants.)

Honda, however, issued a statement saying the insurance plan covering the 4,500 workers at the Alabama plant doesn’t pay for third-party fertility treatments for any domestic partner couples, regardless of gender.

“The plan includes domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples” in other areas of coverage, the automaker said.

The initial — and, according to Honda, flawed — reading of the plant’s policy drew praise from Donald Wildmon, the Mississippi moralist who gained a measure of notoriety in the 1980s for attacking movies, music (Madonna, anyone?) and TV shows he deemed offensive.

Toward the end of a press release criticizing the California Supreme Court’s ruling this week that prohibits doctors from discriminating against gays and lesbians, Wildmon urged members of his American Family Assn. to contact Honda, “thanking them for taking a logical and reasonable position.”

It wasn’t clear Thursday evening whether Wildmon’s “Action Alert” resulted in a flood of supportive phone calls to the Lincoln plant. A Honda spokesman said he hadn’t heard of any.

As for Steinkampf, he sounds a bit tired of the whole thing. No one was picketing outside his clinic Thursday afternoon, although one patient did call to say that she would no longer be in need of his services.

“I’m OK with that,” the doctor said good-naturedly.

And Honda?

“We’re happy to have them here in Alabama,” he said. “They’re a good company that by and large takes good care of its employees.”

The Lincoln plant, by the way, makes the decidedly family-friendly Odyssey minivan. On the other hand, About.com’s Gay Life site toasted the Honda Element in 2006 as the “Best Ride for the Trendy Gay Man.”

Wildmon evidently will have to settle for a draw on this one.

-- Martin Zimmerman

Photo of Odyssey minivan on Honda's Alabama assembly line: Honda Motor Co.

Comments

[joeyla]

I posted something about this issue on my site, Gaywheels.com.

http://www.gaywheels.com/honda_clarifies_samesex_benefi.htm

There seems to have been a mix up as I have a copy of the benefits statement that CLEARLY says
"Effective January 1, 2008, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama requests that Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) exclude domestic partners (same sex partners) from ART benefits including diagnostic services related to fertility/infertility that have a fertility or infertility diagnosis".

We received the official Honda statement but they haven't bothered to respond to our queries about the fact that the above statement is clearly visible on the Blue Cross Blue Shield site as of yesterday.

[Brian Armentrout]

I am the Communication Director of The American Fertility Association and agree with Joeyla. The AFA has made several calls and sent several e-mails in search of a simple response. Honda Manufacturing continues to ignore us. I must say those who haven't ignored us are the less educated who are using their time in the middle of the night to send nasty and hate-filled e-mails and voicemails to members of our staff and board. We are not a gay advocacy group; we are an 'everyone' advocacy group and our heart goes out to those who don't understand. All we want to do is give everyone the right to love equally and have the option to start a family. We have garnered support from the HRC, several local and national media publications, and Alabama State Senator Patricia Todd who joined our fight today. We'd also invite you to share your thoughts with us. http://www.theafa.org/community/take_action

[Jason]

I support Honda's decision. As a business, they have a right to choose how they spend their money, of which insurance is a part of. AFA claims that Honda is trying to determine who can or cannot be a parent--I can't speak for Honda, but I don't think they're saying that at all. I think they are saying that they choose not to pay for fertility treatment that is desired not because of a medical condition, but because of a CONSCIOUS choice. It's not any different than an insurance agency not wanting to insure a person (or at least charge them higher premiums) that chooses to smoke. Go Honda.