Highmark said it would start providing coverage to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania within the next few months, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania doesn't recognize same-sex marriages as legal, so Highmark has never before recognized same-sex couples or offered insurance to them. But the insurer is changing its policy and has submitted new product designs to the state's insurance department as well as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, asking for an expedited review and approval. U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D), who is from Pennsylvania, praised the decision. "Last week I called on Highmark to expand their health insurance plans to include same-sex couples," she told the Post-Gazette. "I applaud them for addressing this issue by taking a step in the right direction towards equality." Article