The term "domestic partner benefits" refers to employee benefit plans that offer to non-married couples the same or similar benefits as those provided to married couples. More and more employers, in both the public and private sectors, are offering benefit plans that provide coverage to the unmarried partners of employees. In fact, some cities and states require such coverage as a condition for competing businesses to obtain government contracts. Although domestic partner benefits are increasingly popular, the rules that govern those benefit plans are not uniform. Below is a discussion of domestic partner benefits and related legal issues.
Who is a "Domestic Partner"?
A domestic partnership is usually understood to mean two unrelated, unmarried adults who share the same household. In order to qualify for domestic partner benefits, an employee may need to demonstrate that his or her "eligible partner" meets certain criteria set by the employer.
The definition used in many domestic partner benefit plans defines an "eligible partner" as someone:
Some domestic partner benefit plans limit participation to same-sex partners, and participation in domestic partner benefit plans is often limited to those in a relationship that is considered "committed" -- a term that is defined in many different ways. Some states and cities allow domestic partners to register their partnership. This registration, while not carrying the same legal status as marriage, is sometimes made a condition of participation in a benefit plan. Other plans require a waiting period of six months to one year before a partner will be eligible to enroll in the benefits plan.
What Benefits are Covered?
Many domestic partner benefit plans offer only minimal, low-cost benefits. Examples of these benefits include:
The benefit of greatest importance to most employees is health and medical insurance. Many employers hesitate to extend such benefits to domestic partners unless they are required to do so, for fear that the cost will be too high. Studies have shown, however, that the increased cost of adding domestic partner coverage to a health insurance plan is less than many employers may expect. This is because participation in domestic partner benefit pans tends to be low, and those employees who do participate tend to be younger and healthier. Furthermore, for same-sex domestic partnerships, there is less risk that a health insurance plan will have to cover the high costs of pregnancy and childbirth.
Tax Consequences
Federal income tax laws do not treat domestic partner benefits the same as benefits offered to married couples. Ordinarily, an employee whose partner receives domestic partner benefits must include the cost of those benefits as taxable income. This means that the employee must pay tax not only on the premium paid for the benefits, but must include the portion of the cost of the benefits paid by the employer as taxable income. The exception is for partners who are legal dependents, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. In order to be a legal dependent, a partner must live in the same household as the employee, and must receive over half of his or her support from the employee.
Legal Help with a Domestic Partner Benefits Issue
Thousands of employers now offer domestic partner benefit plans, and as these plans become more popular, the rules and rights under them will continue to change and evolve. An experienced employees' rights attorney will be able to give you current advice on domestic partner benefit plans, and your rights as an employee or domestic partner under such a plan.
