1 / 26

Civil Marriage and Same-Sex Couples

Civil Marriage and Same-Sex Couples. A look at the disparity in health, disability, death, and retirement policy for lesbian & gay families. Lisa M. Polyak November 2007 LPolyak@jhsph.edu.

nat
Download Presentation

Civil Marriage and Same-Sex Couples

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Civil Marriage and Same-Sex Couples A look at the disparity in health, disability, death, and retirement policy for lesbian & gay families Lisa M. Polyak November 2007 LPolyak@jhsph.edu

  2. The Marriage Workscampaign recognizes that the benefits of marriage have been quantified through decades of research. We’ve merely distilled these benefits into clear, simple messages that anyone can grasp instantly: Kids of married parents do better in school Married people enjoy better health Married people make better parents Kids of married parents do better economically Kids of married parents are more likely to have long-lasting marriages Married people live longer Married people have lower rates of substance abuse Married people are happier Married people spend half as much time in hospitals Married people live more stable, secure lives Married people live more active lifestyles Married women experience lower rates of domestic violence Married people have better mental health Boys raised by married parents are less likely to commit crimes

  3. “The Marriage Works program is a natural progression in the work of Campaign For Our Children (CFOC), a group whose mission has always been to reduce teen pregnancy rates throughout the United States. Mature choices made by youth are most often the result of a stable family life and role modeling of good parents.” Janet Hardy, M.D.C.M., Pediatrics Professor Emeritus, JHMI CFOC Board of Directors

  4. “I think marriage promotion is one component of a broader way to help poor minority couples improve their standard of living.” Andrew J. Cherlin, PhD, Griswold Professor of Public Policy, Sociology Department, JHU, in Couples Take Baby Steps to “I Do”, Baltimore Sun, November 25, 2007

  5. DEMOGRAPHICS of SAME-SEX FAMILIES in the US* 8.8 million lesbian, gay & bisexual adults 779,867 same-sex couples 53.5% couples are male 46.5% couples are female 39% of same-sex couples have kids in the household * All demographic data from Census 2000, updated by 2006 American Community Survey

  6. DEMOGRAPHICS of UNMARRIED COUPLES with KIDS • 19.9% of opposite-sex couples raising children have been together for 5+ years • 41.1% of same-sex couples raising children have been together for 5+ years

  7. MORE DEMOGRAPHICS of SAME-SEX FAMILIES in the US • Same-sex couples are twice as likely as married couples to be black or Hispanic • Same-sex couples are twice as likely as married couples to be interracial • The children of same-sex couples are similarly diverse: 45% are children of color (30% for married couples)

  8. DEMOGRAPHICS of SAME-SEX HOUSEHOLDS in MARYLAND • Average household income for same-sex couples with kids is $33,000 lower than for married couples with kids • Home ownership rate for same-sex couples with kids is 30% lower than for married couples with kids • 80% of same-sex couples are employed compared to 70% of married couples

  9. Religious Marriage Civil Marriage Gay Marriage Same-Sex Marriage

  10. Why is access to civil marriage a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE ??? Civil marriage provides protection to families at times of greatest vulnerability Birth Death Disability Retirement Unemployment

  11. Immigration Costs • Immigration and legal fees to obtain permanent residence or citizenship for foreign national spouse: $250 • Immigration and legal fees to obtain permanent residence or citizenship for foreign national spouse: $6,500

  12. Home Ownership Costs • Tax penalty for adding married partner to property deed* • Local Tax : $0 • State Tax: $0 • Tax penalty for adding unmarried partner to property deed* • Local Tax: $7,500 • State Tax: $1,500 * Based on home valued at $300,000 in Baltimore City

  13. Adoption Costs • Adoption fees to obtain legal relationship to biological child: $0/child • Total cost for 2 child family: $0 • Adoption fees to obtain legal relationship to biological child: $2,500/child • Total Cost for 2 child family: $5,000 Statewide 2nd parent adoption available in only 7 states & DC

  14. Health Insurance Costs • Annual premium for family of 4: $3,640 • Annual Cost: $3,640 • Annual premium for family (1 parent + 2 kids): $ 3,640 • Annual premium for 2nd parent: $3,084 • Annual deductible for 2nd parent: $500 • Annual Cost: $7,224

  15. Health Insurance Costs • Tax penalty for covering married partner on employer provided health insurance • Annual Cost: $0 • Tax penalty for covering unmarried partner on employer provided health insurance • Annual Cost: $875* * Federal income tax based on $60,000 annual salary

  16. Social Security Benefits Upon Death of a Parent • Social Security for surviving children: $1,494/month/child • Annual Benefit for 2 kids: $35,856 • Social Security for surviving biological child: $1,494/month/child • Social Security for surviving non-biological child: $0/month/child • Annual Benefit for 2 kids: $17,928

  17. Social Security Benefits Upon Death of a Parent • Upon death of one parent • Social Security income for surviving parent: $1,494/month • Annual Benefit: $17,928 • Upon death of one parent • Social Security income for surviving parent: $0/month • Annual Benefit: $ 0

  18. Social Security Benefits Upon Retirement • Benefit for spouse who reaches full retirement age: $ 1,993/month • Annual Benefit: $23,916 • Benefit for spouse who reaches full retirement age: $ 0/month • Annual Benefit: $ 0

  19. Survivor and Estate Costs • State Inheritance Tax on family home valued at $300,000 • Tax: $0 • State Inheritance Tax on family home valued at $300,000 • Tax: $15,000* * Survivor must pay Maryland inheritance tax (10%) on half the value of the family home (married couples pay nothing).

  20. Survivor and Estate Costs • 401(k) may be rolled into surviving spouse’s IRA • Funds continue to accrue tax-free until withdrawal • Income Tax: $0* • 401(k) may not be rolled into surviving partner’s IRA • Mandatory lump sum payment subject to Federal income tax • Income Tax: $23,000* * Federal income tax based on 401(k) account valued at $100,000

  21. Benefit Summary

  22. Cost Summary

  23. Civil Marriage Protecting Families, Improving Quality of Life ~ Millions at a Time

  24. GJ Gates, “ Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the US Census and the American Community Survey”, The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law, Nov 2007 MA Ash and MVL Badgett, “Separate and Unequal: The Effect of Unequal Access to Employment-Based Health Insurance on Same-sex and Unmarried Different-sex Couples,” Contemporary Economic Policy, Volume 24, No. 4, October 2006 GJ Gates, “Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey”, The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law, Oct 2006 RBSears, G JGates, and WB Rubenstein, “Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Couples Raising Children in The United States Data from the Census 2000,” The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law, September 2005 L Bennett, and GJ Gates, “The Cost of Marriage Inequality to Children and Their Same-Sex Parents”, A Human Rights Campaign Foundation Report, April 13, 2004

More Related