On Friday June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court made history by requiring states to allow same-sex couples to marry and to acknowledge marriages of same-sex couples performed in other states. This landmark decision allows same-sex couples to get married and have their marriages recognized in all states.
One important thing to remember is that getting married is one of the life changes that entitles both spouses and their dependents to a “special enrollment period” for health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace, Healthcare.gov.
People have the option to enroll in coverage through Healthcare.gov for 60 days after the date of the marriage and coverage will begin the 1st of the month following the date they select a plan. If one spouse is currently enrolled in a plan on the Marketplace the family could choose to add the other spouse (and dependents) to that plan, or enroll in a new one. If no one is currently enrolled in Marketplace coverage they can newly enroll.
Marriage can also affect a person’s eligibility for premium subsidies and cost-sharing. For a comprehensive look at how marriage can impact eligibility for these programs, see this blog post from Kaiser Health News.
As of July 1, 2015 the Employees Retirement System of Texas, the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M System will extend benefits to spouses of gay and lesbian employees.
Congratulations to all the newlyweds out there. Love wins!
