Now that the Supreme Court has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred federal employees from extending work health and retirement to their same-sex spouses, is unconstitutional, several questions have arisen about future implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Namely, since not all states recognize same-sex marriages, it's unclear whether the federal government will recognize and extend health benefits to legally married couples living in states where gay marriage is not legal, according to a report by NPR. That same uncertainty applies when it comes to the health insurance exchanges, which determine income eligibility for premium subsidies differently for single and married applicants.
The Office of Personnel Management alerted federal employees that it was working to review and implement the Supreme Court's decision into their benefits policies, and the Internal Revenue Service and HHS will likely issue clarifications later this year, according to the report.
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