Medicare opened to same-sex couples

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration announced Thursday that same-sex married couples can qualify for Medicare hospital and physician benefits for the first time.

The decision, coming after a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal ban against same-sex marriage, allows the Social Security Administration to determine the eligibility of married gay applicants to Medicare, the federal government's health-care program for the elderly and the disabled.

"We are working together with SSA to process these requests in a timely manner to ensure all beneficiaries, regardless of sexual orientation, are treated fairly under the law," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the government has begun the enrollment process for some same-sex spouses while handling requests for special enrollment periods from others. The agency oversees the $635 billion Medicare program. But the Social Security Administration determines eligibility.

"If you're in, or are a surviving spouse of, a same-sex marriage, we encourage you to apply for Medicare if you think you might be eligible," the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a Web posting.