Are civil unions recognized in public benefits?
In California, civil unions are recognized in some public benefits. This means that couples in civil unions can be eligible for some government-funded benefits and services. For example, civil union partners may be eligible for health care benefits, such as Medi-Cal or Medicare. They may also be eligible for other benefits associated with marriage, such as survivor benefits and assistance with housing costs. In addition, civil union partners can access the same legal rights and protections with regard to visitation and medical decisions that spouses receive in California. This includes the right to make medical decisions on behalf of a partner who is unable to do so themselves. However, it should be noted that civil union partners are not eligible for certain public benefits, such as Social Security survivor benefits, which are only available to married couples. Similarly, tax benefits that are available to married couples, such as filing joint returns, are not available to civil union partners. Overall, civil unions do offer some legal rights and public benefits to couples in California. However, there are certain public benefits that are only available to married couples and civil union partners are not eligible for them.
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