Bill and Tom are partners and live in Hawaii. Bill works for Hawaii Food Service, Inc., which provides food to the major airlines flying into Hawaii. Bill is the first employee of Hawaii Food Service to approach his employer about covering his partner, Tom, under Bill’s health insurance plan that is offered by Hawaii Food Services to its employees and their dependents. Never being faced with the question of whether a same-sex partner is a “dependent,” eligible for coverage under the company’s health insurance plan, Hawaii Food Service asks you, an employment expert, what they should do.

Should they expand the health insurance policy coverage to include same-sex partners as dependents? Are there any laws that require them to expand the coverage or that prohibit them from expanding the coverage?