Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults

Full Title:
Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act

Summary#

This bill changes parts of the Social Security Act so that "Disabled Adult Children" who get a child's Social Security benefit because of a disability can be married and still receive those benefits. It removes the requirement that such beneficiaries be unmarried, updates how marital status is counted between Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), stops a spouse's income and resources from being counted (deemed) when determining eligibility and benefit amounts for these married recipients, and creates a rule that in states that use a specific Medicaid option, these married individuals (and their spouse) can keep Medicaid if they would have been eligible when unmarried. The bill also includes a "sense of Congress" statement saying these beneficiaries should keep Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits on the same terms as if unmarried and that certain residency or "holding out" rules should not change benefit eligibility.

What it means for you#

  • If you are a Disabled Adult Child receiving a child's insurance benefit, this bill would let you marry without automatically losing that Social Security benefit.
  • For those married while receiving the child's benefit, the bill says the spouse's income and resources should not be counted against the benefit amount or eligibility under the added deeming rule.
  • In States that use the option under section 1902(f) of the Social Security Act, a married recipient who would have been eligible for Medicaid when unmarried would remain eligible after marriage.
  • The bill makes matching changes to SSI language to treat married people in gender-neutral terms and aligns rules about when someone is considered married for different programs.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

As stated in the bill and its "sense of Congress," supporters say the bill secures the rights and dignity of Disabled Adult Children to marry without losing Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits, and removes rules that could reduce or end benefits because of marriage or a spouse's income.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.