Same-Sex Domestic Partner Benefits

Same-sex couples who are in a civil union or other forms of domestic partnership other than marriage are ineligible for Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) benefits.

However, the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) allows those individuals who satisfy the same-sex domestic partnership standard to be treated as qualifying relatives for Federal employees and annuitants.

Also, employees may elect at retirement an insurable interest annuity for anyone, including domestic partners or partners to a civil union, as long as they can show they are in good health and the people designated for this benefit can show that they have an insurable interest in the continued life of the employee.  An insurable interest annuity is a different survivor benefit from a spousal survivor annuity benefit, so be aware that an insurable interest annuity provides a different level of benefits than a survivor annuity for a legal spouse.