Insurance FAQs

If you provide documentation to your retirement system that you are suspending your FEHB coverage to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may reenroll in FEHB if you later lose or cancel your Medicare Advantage plan coverage. However, you must wait until the next Open Season to reenroll in FEHB, unless you involuntarily lose your coverage under the Medicare Advantage plan (including because the plan is discontinued or because you move outside its service area). In this case, you may reenroll from 31 days before to 60 days after you lose the Medicare Advantage plan coverage, and your reenrollment in FEHB will be effective the day after the Medicare Advantage plan coverage ends (or ended).

If you already have Basic, you may elect Option B or you can increase your multiples of Option B based on a life event. A life event is marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, or acquisition of a child. The number of multiples of Option B you can get depends on the event. For example, if you marry, the number of multiples you can get is equal to the number of additional family members acquired with your marriage. There is a table in the FEGLI Booklet (FE 76-21 or FE 76-20 for Postal employees) with the life events and the number of multiples you may elect. You can also elect Option C or increase your multiples of Option C based on a life event. You can elect from one to five multiples, regardless of the number of eligible family members you have or acquired. You can increase your coverage based on a life event by completing a Life Insurance Election(Standard Form 2817 [159 KB]). You must submit the SF 2817 to your human resources office within 60 calendar days after the date of the event.

No. FEGLI life insurance open seasons are extremely rare.  Outside of an open season, eligible employees can enroll in FEGLI by taking a physical exam or with a Qualifying Life Event. The form to request FEGLI by taking a physical exam is available the SF 2822.  The form is completed partly by you, partly by your agency, and partly by your healthcare provider.  If OFEGLI approves your request, you are automatically enrolled in Basic. If you want Optional insurance as well as Basic, you can enroll in Option A and/or Option B within 60 days from the date of OFEGLI's approval. You cannot enroll in Option C by getting a physical. With a FEGLI Qualifying Life Event, you can enroll in FEGLI Basic, Option A, up to five multiples of Option B, and/or up to five multiples of Option C.  Qualifying Life Events are marriage, divorce, death of spouse, or acquisition of an eligible child. To enroll or increase your FEGLI coverage based on a life event, submit an SF 2817 to your human resources office within 60 days after the life event.

When your life insurance terminates, except when you stop it voluntarily by cancellation, the coverage automatically continues for 31 days after the terminating date. You do not pay any premiums during these 31 days.

A court order for permanent custody is acceptable as proof of dependency, but is not necessarily required. However, a court order for temporary custody or a Power of Attorney is not acceptable proof for health benefits enrollment. Other acceptable proof of foster child status are:

• evidence that the child has been included as a dependent on your tax returns for previous years;
• canceled checks, money orders, or receipts for periodic payments received from you for or on behalf of the child;
• evidence of goods or services which show regular or substantial contributions of considerable value; and
• sworn affidavits from people unrelated to you that the child lives in your home.

The employing office will ultimately make the final decision as to what proof is acceptable in an individual case.

Once Medicare becomes the primary payer, you may find that a lower cost FEHB plan is adequate for your needs, especially if you are currently enrolled in a plan's high option. Also, some plans waive deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments when Medicare is primary.

Spouse equity is a provision of the law that allows the former spouse of a Federal employee or annuitant to enroll in FEHB if he or she meets certain requirements.

The Judiciary Branch, U.S. Postal Service, and some smaller Executive Branch agencies with independent compensation-setting authority, have already implemented their own FEHB premium conversion plans; the employees of these entities will not participate in our premium conversion plan. At the present time, annuitants and compensationers whose FEHB premiums are deducted from annuities and benefits are not eligible to participate in premium conversion. There are special rules for reemployed annuitants; see below.

A. In order for you to continue your health benefits enrollment into retirement, you must: (1) be entitled to retire on an immediate annuity under a retirement system for civilian employees (including the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) + 10 retirement; and (2) have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program plan(s) (not necessarily the same plan) for the five years of service immediately before the date your annuity starts, or for the full period(s) of service since your first opportunity to enroll (if less than 5 years). The 5 year requirement period can include the following: the time you are covered as a family member under another person's FEHB enrollment; or the time you are covered under the Uniformed Services Health Benefits Program (also known as TRICARE) as long as you were covered under an FEHB enrollment at the time of your retirement.

No. You may be eligible to obtain insurance as a reemployed annuitant, but you will have to pay the same rates as any other employee for such insurance. Your agency will give you more information when you are reemployed.

Yes, it is true. As part of the Basic life insurance, employees who are under age 45 get an Extra Benefit at no additional cost. The Extra Benefit doubles the amount of the life insurance payable if you are age 35 or younger. Beginning on your 36th birthday, the Extra Benefit decreases 10% each year until, at age 45, there is no Extra Benefit.

To continue your health benefits enrollment into retirement, you must: (1) have retired on an immediate annuity (that is, an annuity which begins to accrue no later than one month after the date of your final separation); and (2) have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any FEHB Program plan (not necessarily the same plan) for the five years of service immediately preceding retirement, or if less than five years, for all service since your first opportunity to enroll.

If the documentation showing your eligibility for TRICARE is received within the period beginning 31 days before and ending 31 days after the date you designate as the day you want to use TRICARE or CHAMPVA instead of FEHB coverage, the suspension becomes effective at the end of the day before the day you designated. Otherwise, the suspension becomes effective at the end of the month in which we receive your documentation.

Employee Express is an innovative automated system that Federal employees use to make their personnel and payroll transactions electronically.

No, your FEDVIP enrollment will not count towards the 5-year enrollment requirement for carrying FEHB coverage into retirement.

No. Employees may not suspend their coverage. However, they can cancel their coverage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life. Employees who do not participate in premium conversion may cancel their enrollment at any time. For employees who participate in premium conversion, eligibility for CHAMPVA or TRICARE is not a qualifying life event that would allow them to cancel their FEHB enrollment. These employees may cancel during any annual FEHB Open Season. If an employee who canceled FEHB coverage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life decides to return to FEHB coverage, the employee can do so during a future Open Season. If the employee loses CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life coverage involuntarily, the employee can immediately reenroll in the FEHB Program.

You can change most "discretionary" personnel and payroll transactions, including your:

• Financial allotments
• Savings bonds
• Health benefits
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
• Direct deposit
• Federal and state tax withholdings
• Your home address
• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
• Your Employee Express PIN
• New! -- You can also get a copy of your Leave and Earnings Statement for the current pay period and two previous pay periods.

(You can't change your life insurance on Employee Express.) Contact your Human Resources Office to find out what other services your agency may provide through Employee Express.

When you retire, you are entitled to the full government contribution.

During the annual FEHB Open Season, you may enroll, cancel an enrollment, change plans or options, and waive or begin participation in premium conversion. If you waived participation in premium conversion, you can change from self- and-family enrollment to a Self Only enrollment or cancel your enrollment at any time. You can make other changes during Open Season or due to certain events. Your Human Resources Office can give you more information about these events.