Federal Domestic Partner Benefits Could Cost $300M or More
That was the bottom line of a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study of the issue, according to govexec.com. In addition to $310 million in direct costs between 2010 and 2020, CBO calculates the 2009 Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (SB 1102) would increase benefits-related discretionary spending by $394 million over the same period.
Providing health care to domestic partners would account for most of the increases in both direct and discretionary spending — $294 million and $355 million, respectively.
According to the govexec.com report, the CBO assumed the Senate bill will be enacted late in 2010 and about 0.33% of federal employees would choose to register a same-sex partnership if given the opportunity. CBO also estimated about 80% of individuals eligible under the proposal would move from single to family health coverage and 85% would elect a survivor benefit for a domestic partner.
Coverage provided for in the bill would include health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries, and travel and relocation benefits to federal employees’ same-sex partners.
The CBO document is here.
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