Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act
The Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act would fundamentally change how benefits are handled for disabled adult children who marry. It eliminates the rule that a disabled adult child must remain unmarried to receive certain disability-related benefits, expands the definition of “married” to include two married individuals (regardless of gender), and adjusts how income and assets are counted within a married couple. The bill also protects Medicaid (and related health coverage) for those who would otherwise lose eligibility when they marry, and it states policy intentions to ensure these benefits are not restricted by residence or “holding out” rules. Overall, the bill aims to secure equal treatment in federal programs (Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid) for Disabled Adult Children who marry, including protections for same-sex marriages.
Key Points
- 1Removes the marriage restriction on disability-based benefits for disabled adult children (SSA 202(d)) so marriage does not automatically terminate or alter eligibility.
- 2Updates the definition of “married” and related language to be gender-neutral and to recognize interpretation of marriage for purposes of Social Security Title II benefits.
- 3Establishes that, for certain disability-based benefits, one spouse’s income and resources will not be counted against the other, preserving eligibility through a separate deeming rule.
- 4Allows a targeted preservation of Medicaid for married individuals who would be eligible if unmarried, ensuring continued health coverage under state Medicaid rules when criteria are met.
- 5States the Sense of Congress that disabled adult children who marry should retain Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits on the same terms as unmarried individuals, and that geographic residency or “holding out” should not penalize eligibility (including SSDI).