The Office of Personnel Mangement (OPM) has announced changes for benefits for children of same-sex domestic partners.
Starting in January 2014, OPM extended coverage under the federal employee health benefits program (FEHB) and Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) enrollments to children of same-sex domestic partners of federal employees and annuitants who would marry their partners but lived in states that did not allow same-sex couples to marry (“stepchildren”).
Based on the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, published June 26, 2015, all states are now required to allow same-sex couples to marry. Because all states now allow same-sex marriage, OPM is removing the list of states that allow same-sex marriage from its website.
The result is that agencies are no longer allowed to add children of same-sex domestic partners to FEHB enrollments as no new children are eligible.
Stepchildren that are already covered under an enrollment for plan year 2015, based on a domestic partner certification, remain eligible family members until the end of the plan year. For plan year 2016 and beyond, couples must be married in order to cover (or continue to cover) stepchildren under their FEHB and FEDVIP enrollment.
OPM’s Benefits Administration Letter of October 5, 2015 outlines procedures for termination of coverage where a child of a same-sex domestic partner is not a tax dependent.
