Are civil unions recognized in Social Security and Medicare benefits?
Civil unions are not recognized in North Dakota when it comes to Social Security or Medicare benefits. This means that couples in a civil union in North Dakota do not have access to spousal or survivor benefits from Social Security and Medicare. A civil union is not considered a marriage in North Dakota, even though it confers certain rights and responsibilities. However, same-sex couples who married in a state or country that recognizes such unions may be able to receive benefits under some federal programs, such as Social Security and Medicare. Since the Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that federal law requires states to recognize same-sex marriage, a same-sex couple who marries in another state is also protected if they move to North Dakota. This is because the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges requires states to recognize all legal marriages for purposes of federal law, even if the state does not recognize or allow the marriage itself. Therefore, if a same-sex couple is legally married in a state or country that recognizes same-sex marriage, they can receive Social Security and Medicare benefits regardless of whether North Dakota recognizes civil unions or same-sex marriage. If a couple is not legally married, however, they cannot receive such benefits, even if they are in a civil union in North Dakota.
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