Medicaid And Unmarried Couples

In most cases, Medicaid eligibility is dependent on financial need. People with high incomes or too many assets may not qualify for Medicaid benefits. Medicaid often evaluates a person’s eligibility based on Modified Adjusted Gross Income which considers a person’s household size and income. Understanding what constitutes a household can help you evaluate whether you will qualify for Medicaid.

Generally, Medicaid doesn’t consider unmarried couples to be a household. That means even if you live with a boyfriend or girlfriend, Medicaid will likely treat you as if you were single. Medicaid’s treatment of unmarried couples is good news if you or your partner want to qualify for benefits, but the other person’s income or assets would create an eligibility problem.

Is My Employer Required To Offer Domestic Partner Health Insurance

No, your employer does not have to offer domestic partner health insurance. Even if it offers health insurance benefits to married spouses. The exception to this is in places where it is against the law not to.

In the past, employers who did offer domestic partner insurance benefits often did it for the sake of employees in same-sex relationships. After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country, some insurance companies and employers who previously offered it decided to cut domestic partner health insurance benefits. Large employers with more than 10,000 employees were the most likely to continue domestic partner benefits.

You can always ask your employer to add domestic partners to their group health insurance plan, however. Studies have shown that the costs of offering domestic partner health insurance are negligible for most employers.

On The Health Exchange

If youre among the nine million Americans on the federal health exchange, youll likely be concerned about its views on domestic partners. When signing up for coverage, youll be asked who is in your household. Youre only supposed to include a domestic partner in this if you share a child together or if you plan to claim this person as a tax dependent.

Its important to note that this is set up to steer you toward the best plan for your situation, not to make things more difficult for you. To include someone in your family plan, theyll need to show that they are dependent on you financially. Otherwise, your domestic partner may be better off simply signing up for the exchange separately.

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Health Insurance Laws For Unmarried And Same Sex Couples

Large number of private and government employers extend insurance coverage to incorporate common law marriages and domestic partnerships of same and opposite-sex couples.

Laws vary from state to state, so not every couple has the same support from legislators across the nation.

Same-sex marriages are legal in some states, and in other states such couples can register for civil unions and domestic partnerships.

In these states, couples enjoy some of the same benefits guaranteed to married couples. However, these rules often exclude opposite sex couples on the grounds that they already have the legal right to marry.

For example, state agencies in Alaska offer the same benefits to domestic partnerships that married public employees receive.

In 2005, that states Supreme Court ruled that government workers are able to add their unmarried spouses to their insurance policies.

Private companies in Alaska are not held to the same standard as government employers as a result of the ruling.

In Connecticut, same-sex unions are performed by the state, but common law marriages are not recognized. Therefore, an opposite sex spouse may not be able to receive benefits from a partners health insurer in some cases.

On the other hand, California has some of the broadest and most inclusive domestic partnership statutes.

Most state and local employees, as well as many workers in the private sector, are able to add their unmarried spouses to their policies in the Golden State.

Will My Partner’s Debt Impact Me

Like credit, debt is also tied to your individual credit history. So, whether you’re married or unmarried, you aren’t automatically responsible for your partner’s debts. Additionally, any bankruptcies that you or your partner experienced in the past will generally not impact the other person’s credit reports or scores.

One exception to this rule is if you signed up for a joint credit account with your partner. If both of you assumed responsibility for an account, this information shows up in both credit histories. For example, if your partner uses a joint credit card to accumulate debt, that debt becomes your responsibility as well.

Talk about how to split shared expenses with your partner and aim to avoid spending beyond your individual and collective means.

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Pros & Cons Of Domestic Partner Benefits

If you have health insurance, it’s usually no problem to provide added coverage for your spouse. With domestic partners, it depends on the employer. Many companies won’t grant your unmarried partner, straight or gay, the same benefits a spouse gets automatically. If you don’t know your company’s policy, ask your employer’s HR department for the facts.

Student Earned Income Exclusion

Under current law, a portion of the earned income of a child receiving SSI who SSA determines to be a student is excluded when determining his or her benefit. In 2003, a student can exclude up to $1,340 per month . The act defines a child as an unmarried individual who is not head of a household and is under age 18, or is under age 22 and a student regularly attending school in preparation for gainful employment. Therefore, students who are married do not qualify for the exclusion.

Impact and Policy Implications. This exclusion is one of several work incentives designed to maximize one’s ability to work to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The same purpose would seem applicable to a married student.

Exclusion Option 4: Eliminate the marriage restriction for the student earned income exclusion. This option was included in H.R. 743, The Social Security Protection Act, as reported by the Senate Finance Committee on September 17, 2003. That proposal would allow the student earned income exclusion to apply for any individual who is a student under age 22 by removing the term “child” from the statutory language for the exclusion, thereby eliminating the marriage and head-of-household restrictions.

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Two Ways To Contribute

Establish a budget for shared expenses and each of you can contribute a set monthly amount to the joint account.

How Can I Add My Significant Other To My Policy

There are a couple of ways to add a significant other to your policy:

• Sharing a policy: If you share a vehicle or have separate vehicles at the same residence, you may be able to purchase a policy together. This would cover all your vehicles and allow you to drive the other person’s car and be covered. In addition, you may qualify for a multi-car discount. Some insurers may not allow unmarried couples to share a joint car insurance policy, so check with your insurer.
• Adding each other as listed drivers: If you want to keep separate policies but drive each other’s cars regularly, you can add each other as listed drivers on the policy. Your insurance provider may also require you to add your significant other if they drive your car regularly.
• Excluded: If your significant other has a poor driving record or multiple claims, adding them as a driver on your policy may push your rate up. If this is the case, you can exclude them as a driver on your policy in certain states. Some states or insurers may not allow a driver in the same household to be excluded from the policy, so check with your insurer. However, this means there will be no coverage at all if they drive your vehicle, and you could be liable to cover any damage they cause out of pocket.

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Who Qualifies As A Domestic Partner For Health Insurance

There is no hard-and-fast rule for who qualifies as a domestic partner for health insurance, and the precise definition may vary from company to company.

The Society for Human Resource Management urges each company to develop a clear definition of exactly who qualifies as a domestic partner for health insurance purposes. SHRM also emphasizes the importance of crafting this definition in a way that meets the legal definitions established by the state in which the employer resides.

In California, for example, couples must register their domestic partnership to qualify for protections under family law.

Lee notes that some states have legally defined who qualifies as a domestic partner and adds that some states require certain benefits be offered to registered domestic partners. She suggests checking for related laws in your state.

What Is Domestic Partner Health Insurance

Domestic partner health insurance is the extension of a health insurance plan to ones domestic partner. In granting domestic partner coverage, insurance providers or employers recognize these relationships and provide the same health insurance benefits as they would to a married couple.

An employer or insurance providers recognition of a domestic partnershipjust like in its recognition of marriage allots the associated partner coverage in employee benefits packages. Additionally, this is often the best option for a domestic partnership member who wants to avoid high insurance rates.

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Insurance Through Your Employer

Until recently, domestic partners had a tough time trying to convince an employer to let them add a loved one to their health insurance. This often wasnt even entirely the business fault. Health insurance plans were set up to allow only spouses and children. But an increasing number of corporations have begun allowing employees to add domestic partners, along with some state and city governments. Even in cases where domestic partners arent allowed on health plans, employers occasionally agree to add these parties to the business plan, as long as the employee is willing to pay the full amount of the premiums for the nonspouse.

Dont expect your employer to add your domestic partner without questions. Understandably, businesses and insurers want to make sure people arent simply adding roommates and friends. The Human Rights Campaign recommends employers request proof of the relationship that can include municipal domestic partnership registration, a state civil union license, a marriage license from another country or other proof. If employees are reluctant to secure government paperwork, the employer can create its own partnership affidavit for the worker to sign.

Can I Claim My Girlfriend As A Dependent For Insurance

A boyfriend or girlfriend can be claimed as a dependent if they pass some of the same tests used to determine if your child or relative can be claimed as a dependent. Is not a qualifying child of a taxpayer. The IRS has specific qualifying child rules based on relationship, age, residency, and joint return.

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Why Are Insurance Companies So Strict

Unfortunately, health insurance plans, especially those through an employer, are strict and have many rules because they can, plain and simple.

An employer is in charge of how he or she wants their health insurance plan to function, and theres nothing that you can really do.

You could meet with the person at your job who is responsible for health insurance and ask if they will start covering domestic partners, and if youre convincing enough, it could just work.

Cohabitation Agreements For Unmarried Couples Living Together

A cohabitation agreement is a legal document designed to protect the legal rights of unmarried couples. It makes things straightforward if you ever separate. We can create a cohabitation agreement for you that clearly sets out what would happen if you ever separated. It gives you legal protection and helps make sure there are no misunderstandings. For example, if you own property together a declaration of trust will clearly set out your ownership rights.

If you have been cohabiting and the relationship has come to an end, we can advise on the best way forward. For example, we can help you divide any assets you have together. It’s not always straightforward when a relationship breaks down, but we’ll help you keep the practical aspects under control. Property laws in particular are complex and often turn on specific facts. If you have a property dispute but no declaration of trust, our expert and in-depth knowledge will help you to make the decisions that will resolve any sale or ownership issues. We also have a lot of experience in helping .

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Property Rights Of Cohabiting Couples

If a cohabiting couple splits up, they do not have the same legal rights to property as a married couple. In general, unmarried couples cant claim ownership of each others property in the event of a breakup. This applies to big investments and smaller items . Gifts made during the relationship remain the property of the recipient.

If one partner owns a house, the other partner may have a claim to have an interest in it on the basis that a trust has arisen, even if the relationship later breaks down. A trust may arise where a partner makes certain financial contributions .

In this situation, a trust of this nature is when two cohabitees have an implied agreement relating to a property, normally based on their behaviour and financial contributions. The trust means that the homeowner isnt placed in a better position at their partners expense. Both partners may be beneficiaries in a trust – even when nothing has been written down, and the other partner is not on the title deeds of the property.

Should Married Couples Combine Health Insurance

Whether or not you and your spouse should combine health insurance doesn’t exactly inspire thoughts of romance, but it’s an important topic for any about-to-be-married or married couple to discuss. About one-third of couples opt for separate plans but that also means over two-thirds share the same health insurance. Your doctor preferences, medical needs and out-of-pocket costs are just a few of the important considerations in healthcare plans for couples. Use this conversation guide to get started in understanding the difference between single vs. married health insurance.

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State And Employer Recognition Of Domestic Partnerships

The issue of domestic partner health insurance is not a guaranteed right and depends upon state laws. In California, health care providers and employers must recognize domestic partnerships and provide the same benefit plan to partners as they would to spouses. Yet, in Texas, employers and insurance companies are free to choose whether or not they want to provide domestic partners coverage.

Healthcare.gov defines domestic partnership but notes that its significance varies from state to state, citing hospital visitation rights as a factor that depends on a given states laws. To know for certain if you qualify, you will have to conduct the necessary research to determine if your state and insurance provider or employer will recognize your domestic partnership.

Suppose your state and employer do recognize domestic partnerships and issue domestic partner health insurance. In that case, you and your partner are entitled to the same benefits and healthcare rates as a married couple.

Can I Add My Girlfriend Or Boyfriend To My Car Insurance

Most insurers allow you to add a significant other, such as a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé, or domestic partner, to your car insurance policy if you live together. Depending on the insurer, a significant other can also add their vehicle to a joint policy if both cars are kept at the same permanent residence.

With most insurers, unmarried couples can share a joint car insurance policy or add each other as listed drivers to separate policies. There can be pros and cons to sharing a policy, so check with your insurer to see if shared or separate coverage is best for you.

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The Share Of Adults Who Have Lived With A Romantic Partner Is Now Higher Than The Share Who Have Ever Been Married Married Adults Are More Satisfied With Their Relationships More Trusting Of Their Partners

As more U.S. adults are delaying marriage or forgoing it altogether the share who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has been on the rise. Amid these changes, most Americans find cohabitation acceptable, even for couples who dont plan to get married, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Even so, a narrow majority says society is better off if couples in long-term relationships eventually get married.

The survey also examines how adults who are married and those who are living with an unmarried partner are experiencing their relationships. It finds that married adults are more satisfied with their relationship and more trusting of their partners than those who are cohabiting.

The share of U.S. adults who are currently married has declined modestly in recent decades, from 58% in 1995 to 53% today. Over the same period, the share of adults who are living with an unmarried partner has risen from 3% to 7%. While the share who are currently cohabiting remains far smaller than the share who are married, the share of adults ages 18 to 44 who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has surpassed the share who has ever been married , according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth .1

Even after controlling for demographic differences between married and cohabiting adults , married adults express higher levels of satisfaction, trust and closeness than those who are living with a partner.

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