9/11 Survivor wants health benefits back
BOISE- He survived September 11, 2001, but Robert Ryan says he never thought he would be under attack again, this time over his sexual orientation.
Ryan says he moved to Idaho to escape memories of those attacks but he says what's happened to his health care makes it hard to forget. Now he's appealing to his partners employer, hoping they'll change the way they represent gay couples in Idaho.
Ryan can't get images from September 11th out of his head.
"I was trampled by the people running, I used my body to cover another woman and had been jumped on, stepped on," Ryan said.
Ryan worked on the 74th floor of the second tower, before it was hit on 9/11. While he survived, he says everyday is a battle mentally and financially.
"The largest part of that is the medication which it's self is over $1,500. I'm seeing a counselor, I have to see somebody else for the medication portion of the psych drugs," said Ryan.
Up until he moved to Idaho, Ryan got health insurance through his partner's company. Ralph Martinelli, worked for Konica Minolta business solutions in New Jersey, that's where they registered as domestic partners.
"Our relationship didn't change when we moved, we're still the same people, he's still the same employee yet he's being treated differently within his own company just because we changed state," he said.
Ryan says the company told him now he has to re-register for benefits. The problem: Idaho doesn't recognize domestic partnerships. Konica Minolta did not return our phone calls or emails as of Monday night. But Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance says state law is clear.
"I believe the couple should have given consideration to before they made the decision to move to a state where domestic partnerships were not going to be recognized," said Fischer.
Fischer says Idaho's marriage amendment passed two years ago, and to change it goes against Idaho's constitution. Ryan says he doesn't want to change Idaho law, he just wants the health care benefits back he once had.
The ACLU sent an eight page letter to the company urging them to reconsider their decision. They don't think the company has to interpret their policy the way they are, they believe since Ryan and his partner already registered in New Jersey that should be good. But Fischer says the ACLU you shouldn't try to dictate how a private company does it's business in Idaho.
Ryan says he moved to Idaho to escape memories of those attacks but he says what's happened to his health care makes it hard to forget. Now he's appealing to his partners employer, hoping they'll change the way they represent gay couples in Idaho.
Ryan can't get images from September 11th out of his head.
"I was trampled by the people running, I used my body to cover another woman and had been jumped on, stepped on," Ryan said.
Ryan worked on the 74th floor of the second tower, before it was hit on 9/11. While he survived, he says everyday is a battle mentally and financially.
"The largest part of that is the medication which it's self is over $1,500. I'm seeing a counselor, I have to see somebody else for the medication portion of the psych drugs," said Ryan.
Up until he moved to Idaho, Ryan got health insurance through his partner's company. Ralph Martinelli, worked for Konica Minolta business solutions in New Jersey, that's where they registered as domestic partners.
"Our relationship didn't change when we moved, we're still the same people, he's still the same employee yet he's being treated differently within his own company just because we changed state," he said.
Ryan says the company told him now he has to re-register for benefits. The problem: Idaho doesn't recognize domestic partnerships. Konica Minolta did not return our phone calls or emails as of Monday night. But Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance says state law is clear.
"I believe the couple should have given consideration to before they made the decision to move to a state where domestic partnerships were not going to be recognized," said Fischer.
Fischer says Idaho's marriage amendment passed two years ago, and to change it goes against Idaho's constitution. Ryan says he doesn't want to change Idaho law, he just wants the health care benefits back he once had.
The ACLU sent an eight page letter to the company urging them to reconsider their decision. They don't think the company has to interpret their policy the way they are, they believe since Ryan and his partner already registered in New Jersey that should be good. But Fischer says the ACLU you shouldn't try to dictate how a private company does it's business in Idaho.
