The ruling is important for all employers involved in workplace class action litigation.Background To The RulingAs of the date the Dragovich litigation started, same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners were ineligible to receive long-term care benefits under the California Public Employees’ Retirement System pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 26 U.S.C. § 7702B(f) (“HIPAA”). The HIPAA, in turn, excluded such individuals from coverage under state-run benefits plans since it restricted benefits for spouses to heterosexual married couples pursuant to the Defense of Marriage Act, 1 U.S.C. § 7 (“DOMA”), and, omitted unmarried couples from eligibility for benefits.