[libertarian27]

Walmart sent workers a postcard this week informing them that domestic partners of U.S. employees will be eligible to receive benefits starting Jan. 1. Domestic partners of opposite genders that have been in a committed relationship and living together for at least one year will also be covered under the upcoming changes, according to the article.

Wait a minute.

Common law marriage is barely recognized in the states, and they are doing this with heterosexual 'roommates' too?

This is going the way of the UK.
I watch a bunch of UK TV and they say 'partner' a lot - you assume homosexuals but they use it for heterosexual couples.

If you don't have that marriage 'license' you aren't 'married' in many legal venues (for homos and heteros)- this changes the legal definition game across all state lines.

My state doesn't recognize common law marriage - now they wold be forced to do so - concerning health care insurance law?

[nascarnation]

This is hardly new news.
Most large corporations have been doing it for a long time.

Here are Mercer percentages of employers by size that offered health coverage to same-sex domestic partners, 2012.

500-999 employees – 36%
1,000-4,999 employees – 52%
5,000-9,999 employees – 62%
10,000-19,999 employees – 67%
20,000 or more employees – 75%