The Impact of the Marriage Equality Act on Self Funded Health Plans

7/5/2011

The Impact of the Marriage Equality Act on Self Funded Health Plans

On June 24, 2011, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the same-sex marriage bill into law titled the "Marriage Equality Act." This law will go into effect 30 days from the date of signature. The new law recognizes gay and lesbian marriages in New York. New York is the largest state to recognize same-sex marriages and is, often, seen at the forefront of emerging healthcare benefits.

What does this new law mean for spousal benefits under New York health plans? It depends on whether you have a health plan that falls under New York law (such as most fully-insured plans) or a self-funded health plan that falls under federal jurisdiction (such as ERISA plans and municipalities/government plans). Most New York fully-insured plans may need to provide same-sex spousal benefits to their employees.

Please visit POMCO Group's blog, Health Care Educator, for the full version of this post.