Apart from the social cost, there will be substantial financial cost. In fact, much of the literature in favor of same-sex civil unions is about money and benefits. One expense resulting from the Vermont legislation was requiring insurance companies to insure civil-union partners for medical insurance policies and requiring business owners to pay for medical insurance coverage for these partners equivalent to that offered married couples. Business owners would not be free to pay just for married couples, even if, as a matter of conscience, they do not support same-sex unions.

It is almost unthinkable for a man and a woman to marry merely to receive medical benefits, or any other benefits, for that matter. Parties to a civil union, on the other hand, facing potentially enormous health costs, will be tempted to enter into civil unions in order to move the cost of their health coverage from themselves to a business owner.