Todd Sandstrom

The Supreme Court ruling on DOMA results in the recognition of some same-sex couples as being married on the state and federal levels. However, couples in states that haven't legalized same-sex marriage need to know what they still aren't entitled to.

When pursuing health insurance, it is imperative that same-sex couples are well-educated in the differences between how federal and state governments view their marriage and the challenges they can face even in states that legalized same-sex marriage.

As same-sex marriages are not recognized under federal law, these couples are precluded from reaping the maximum benefits. However, as states legalize gay marriage, an increasing number of same-sex couples are seeking custom approaches to fulfill their insurance needs.