The recent ruling that all couples have a fundamental right to marriage now has an effect on Employer sponsored health insurance plans.
Employers who offer health insurance for spouses will be required to provide coverage to same sex spouses if they aren’t already.
Same sex couples are entitled to the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits provided under state laws to other spouses.
It is important that HR managers and Employers review their benefit plan and be sure they advise their employees of that the plan allows same-sex spouses to have coverage now. Note that a domestic partnership in not a federally recognized relationship. Certain states have regulation for registered domestic partnerships. A domestic partnership entered into in one state, is not necessarily recognized by another state. Employers must allow couples of the same gender to have coverage if they are married.
- If an employer already offered the coverage during the past open enrollment, then the spouse will have to wait until the next open enrollment
- If coverage was not offered before, the spouse will have until July 31,2015 to sign up for the employers plan or wait until the next open enrollment
- Newly married couples may add their spouse following the marriage as permitted under special enrollment guidelines.
For more information contact our office
