Q&A: Health Coverage for Domestic Partners

We’re often asked by employers about whether they are required to extend health coverage to domestic partners and how to administer their plans if coverage is extended.

Below are some of the top questions employers have about domestic partner health coverage.

What are domestic partnerships and civil unions?

A domestic partnership or civil union generally refers to two adults, unrelated by blood and neither of whom is married, who are in a committed relationship and assume responsibility for each other’s financial and emotional needs. Although not recognized under federal law, some states have established definitions for “registered domestic partnerships,” “domestic partnerships,” and “civil unions” to extend specific rights and responsibilities under various state laws. There also are several municipalities and local jurisdictions that extend rights to unmarried couples that meet the criteria developed by the jurisdiction. Further, many employers have voluntarily adopted broad definitions of domestic partners to extend eligibility under their group health plans.

Are employers that offer group health coverage to spouses also required to cover domestic partners?

Employers may choose to extend eligibility to domestic partners, but it is not required unless mandated by a state’s insurance law. Most states have no requirements while others, such as New Jersey, merely require group health carriers to offer the employer the option of including domestic partners as dependents. California, on the other hand, has the strictest requirement: any group policy that covers spouses must extend eligibility to “registered domestic partners (RDPs).” The California Family Code defines RDPs and the California Secretary of State provides a registration system.

Employers that purchase group health insurance receive specific information from the carrier about any applicable state insurance laws. Self-funded (uninsured) plans are not affected since they are exempt from state insurance mandates.

Note: Public-sector employers, such as cities, counties, and public schools and universities, and private-sector employers that contract with public agencies, may be subject to additional requirements under local laws. Specific information typically is provided to the parties by the government agency.

Is special tax reporting required for domestic partner health coverage?

Yes, in most cases. Although group health coverage provided to the employee, spouse, and children under age 27 (and some older children) is tax-free, the value of any employer-paid coverage for a domestic partner is taxable. The employer must report the fair market value of the coverage, minus any after-tax contributions paid by the employee, as imputed income on the employee’s Form W-2 for federal and state/local tax purposes. There are two exceptions:

Federal: Coverage is tax-free if the domestic partner meets the following conditions under § 152 of the Internal Revenue Code:

• Shares the same principal residence as the employee;
• Receives more than half of his or her support from the employee;
• Is a citizen, national, or legal resident of the United States, or resident of Canada or Mexico; and
• Is not a qualifying child of a taxpayer.

State/Local: The majority of state and local tax laws conform to federal law, so taxes do not apply if the domestic partner is the employee’s tax dependent under § 152. (Non-conforming states, however, may impose state and/or local taxes.) Alternatively, several states specifically exempt certain categories of domestic partners from state or local taxes, even though federal taxes apply. For instance, California does not tax the value of employer-paid coverage for registered domestic partners (RDPs) as defined by state law.

Employers that offer health coverage to domestic partners should refer to their payroll vendor for specific information about the state and local tax withholding and reporting rules in the locations where their employees live and work.

Can employees pay for domestic partner health coverage on a pretax basis?

Cafeteria plans allow employees to make pretax contributions for group health coverage, but only for employees and their tax dependents (i.e., spouse, children, and § 152 dependents). Most domestic partners do not meet the financial dependency criteria to qualify under § 152, so contributions for their coverage would have to be made on an after-tax basis. IRS regulations permit an accommodation, however, for the employer’s convenience in administering payroll. That is, the cafeteria plan may allow pretax contributions for the domestic partner’s health coverage, provided that the full market value of the coverage is reported as the employee’s imputed income. For instance, assume the market value of the partner’s coverage is $200, the employee contributes $50 on a pretax basis, and the employer contributes the remaining $150. In that case, the employee’s taxable income is reduced by $50, but $200 of imputed income is reported on the employee’s W-2.

Can employees make midyear enrollment changes to add or drop their domestic partner?

Special enrollment rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) allow employees to add coverage midyear for a new spouse, but not for a domestic partner (since no marriage has occurred). On the other hand, the HIPAA rule for a midyear enrollment in the event a dependent losing his or her coverage under another plan does apply to domestic partners (if eligible for the employer’s plan).

Cafeteria plans may allow midyear changes in accordance with IRS regulations for permitted election changes. Although not required, employers that extend health plan eligibility to domestic partners also often provide for midyear enrollment changes under their cafeteria plans.

Beware of discrepancies between the group health insurance policy and the cafeteria plan document. Carriers are required to include the mandatory HIPAA special enrollment rules in group policies, but they often omit the optional cafeteria plan provisions. Always check all documents and policies before allowing an employee to make a midyear change. Self-funded employers should ensure that any stop-loss insurance protection applies with respect to all persons who are eligible under the group plan.

Are domestic partners eligible for other health-related benefits, such as FSAs, HRAs, or HSAs?

In most cases, no. Reimbursements from health flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs) are limited to eligible health care expenses for the employee and his or her tax dependents. Domestic partners are not tax dependents, unless the domestic partner qualifies under § 152, which usually is not the case.

Are domestic partners eligible for COBRA?

Federal law defines COBRA-qualified beneficiaries as the employee (or former employee), spouse, and children if covered under the group health plan at the time of the qualifying event. A domestic partner, therefore, is not a COBRA-qualified beneficiary in his or her own right. The employee, however, may elect COBRA for his or her domestic partner, if the group health plan extends eligibility to domestic partners, since COBRA beneficiaries have the same enrollment options as active employees.

Separately, many states have enacted coverage continuation provisions under their state insurance laws. These often are referred to as “mini-COBRA” laws. Certain states that provide protections for domestic partnerships or civil unions may also extend their mini-COBRA provisions. California is one example; Cal-COBRA (the state’s mini-COBRA law) extends to registered domestic partners (RDPs) as defined by state law. Mini-COBRA provisions, if any, will be described in the carrier’s group policy.

In summary, employers that choose to extend group health plan eligibility to domestic partners, or who purchase group policies that include state-mandated domestic partner provisions, are encouraged to work with carriers, benefit advisors, and payroll vendors to develop and administer appropriate procedures. All plan materials should contain consistent definitions of eligibility, communications should encourage employees to consult their tax advisors regarding federal and state tax laws, and payroll vendors should ensure accurate W-2 reporting.