By: Hayley Peterson Examiner Staff - June 7, 2010
No Maryland state employees enrolled their same-sex spouses for health benefits during the state's first enrollment period for gay couples, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley's office.
The state's Office of Budget and Management opened the special enrollment period for same-sex couples following a February mandate from Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler that state agencies begin recognizing out-of-state gay marriages.
Although no one enrolled their same-sex partners for benefits, a handful of gay couples submitted their marriage certificates for the record.
"We have received a number of marriage certificates from employees already receiving domestic partner benefits, which means the only change would be that they would be in the system recognized as 'married,' " said O'Malley spokesman Shaun Adamec. The state has received fewer than 10 certificates, but more may have been submitted that have not been processed, he said.
Maryland already extends health benefits to same-sex couples who register as "domestic partners" -- meaning they share a bank account and home address, and agree to sign a contract saying they have been in a relationship for at least one year.
