Domestic Partner Benefits

Domestic Partnership Changes to Eligibility for Group Insurance Benefits

Effective June 28, 2016, active and retired employees will no longer be able to apply for domestic partner group insurance benefits with Montgomery County. The change is because now same-sex partners can legally marry. In April 2016 the Montgomery County Council introduced Bill 16-16, Personnel – Benefits for Domestic Partner of Employee Repeal. The previous law allowed same-sex partners to obtain group insurance coverage because they could not be legally married. Montgomery County will only recognize married couples and previously existing domestic partnerships.  

Retirees, who currently have a domestic partnerships and have group insurance coverage through the County, will receive grandfathered status and coverage will continue as long as the domestic partnership remains.  

Retirees can no longer submit domestic partnership applications for group insurance coverage to the County. 

If a retiree dissolves a current domestic partnership with group insurance coverage through the County, grandfathered status will be lost.

Retirees can still name their domestic partner as a beneficiary to receive life insurance, retirement, deferred compensation, etc.

Your children – biological, adopted, placed for adoption, step children or through legal guardianship – remain group insurance-eligible dependents.

FMLA (Family Leave) applications to care for your domestic partner will only be accepted from those with domestic partnerships with grandfathered status.

Any questions about changes to domestic partnership group insurance eligibility, please call MC311 (240-777-0311), or click the link below.

If you would like to read Bill 16-16 you can find it at:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/bill/2016/20160628_16-16A.pdf.