Insurance FAQs Life

If you are put in a nonpay status while on military duty, you can keep your Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) coverage for up to 12 months. This coverage is free. Being called-up to active duty does not affect the amount of your FEGLI coverage. At the end of 12 months in nonpay status, the coverage terminates. Employees get a free 31-day extension of coverage and have the right to convert to an individual policy. You also get the 31-day extension of coverage and the right to convert. Public Law 110-181, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, enacted January 28, 2008, authorizes the continuation of FEGLI coverage for an additional 12 months for Federal employees called to active duty whose coverage terminated after the law's enactment. The law allows employees who enter on active duty or active duty for training in one of the uniformed services for more than 30 days to continue their FEGLI for up to 24 months. FEGLI coverage is free for the first 12 months. However, employees must pay both the employee and agency share of the premiums for their Basic coverage, and also pay the entire cost (there is no agency share) for any Optional insurance they may have for the additional 12 months of coverage. See more details in BAL 08-203 [30 KB]. Being called up to active duty status or being sent to a combat zone does NOT cancel FEGLI coverage. Nor does it automatically make an employee ineligible for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. All FEGLI coverage remains in effect for the period of time described above. If a Federal employee with FEGLI is called-up to active military duty and is killed, "regular" death benefits are payable to the employee's beneficiaries. Accidental death benefits are also payable under Basic insurance (and Option A, if the employee had that coverage) unless the employee was in actual combat (or unless nuclear weapons were being used) at the time of the injury that caused the employee's death. The determination is made on a case by case basis after a thorough review of the facts and documentation surrounding the death. Accidental death benefits are in addition to regular death benefits. Even if accidental death benefits are not payable, regular death benefits ARE payable.

Write "See Attached" in Part B of the form. Use a blank sheet. Print your name, date of birth and social security number at the top of the attachment. List the information required in Part B for each beneficiary. Sign the form and attachment. Have the same two people witness both of your signatures and sign the form and attachment.

There are limited circumstances where an Attorney-in-Fact, named in a power of attorney, may sign the FE-6 on behalf of a claimant. Whenever possible, however, the claimant should sign the claim form. For more information, please call the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance at 1-800-633-4542.

Living Benefits payments come from the Employees' Life Insurance Fund (Part of the U.S. Treasury). Viatical settlement firms are private firms not connected with the Federal Government. The Federal law determines the amount of insurance available and the requirement for receiving a Living Benefit payment. Viatical settlement firms set their own requirements and payment amounts.

If you are terminally ill, you can assign your FEGLI coverage to a viatical settlement firm in exchange for cash. Some viatical firms also accept assignments if you are chronically ill.

Yes. If you meet the five-year requirement when your reemployment terminates, you will be able to continue your Option B. An example of this may help you to understand. Gabriela had Basic since she was first employed with the Federal Government and Option B, two multiples, since March 1991. She retired in June 1993. She was not able to continue her Option B. She was reemployed as a reemployed annuitant in June 1996. She elected Option B, two multiples as an employee. She worked until December 1999. She is now eligible to continue her Option B, 2 multiples, into retirement because she has had it for the five years of service immediately preceding her separation in 1999.

No. Option C coverage only provides coverage for your spouse and eligible children. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other family members are not covered under Option C. There are no exceptions to this, regardless of the health status of your family member and whether he or she qualifies as your dependent.

Yes. OFEGLI can pay FEGLI benefits to a funeral home if that's what the person entitled to the money wants to happen. Funeral homes have the form to do this.

The Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance pays interest on claims from the date of the insured's death to the date of the payment. OFEGLI pays a maximum of two years worth of interest, even if the time from date of death to date of payment is over two years.

Any insurance policy purchased under the conversion privilege is a private business transaction between you and the insurance company. The cost of the individual policy is determined by the insurance company and is based on your age and class of risk. If you return to Federal service and have converted your FEGLI coverage (including as a reemployed annuitant), you do not have to cancel your conversion policy. You can continue the conversion policy and have FEGLI coverage as an employee.

Life insurance Open Seasons are held quite infrequently, and you should not count on one occurring any time soon. You will receive plenty of notice if and when there is an Open Season. The most recent FEGLI Open Seasons were held from September 1 - September 30, 2004 and in 1999.

Your employing office or the Office of Personnel Management, if applicable, must receive your Designation of Beneficiary before you die for your Designation to be valid. A Designation delivered on a weekend or Federal holiday is not "received," and is not valid, until the next workday. If you die before your employing office receives the new Designation of Beneficiary, the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance will pay benefits in accordance with the next prior Designation on file or under the order of precedence starting with the widow or widower, if there is no designation.

When an employee who has been on military duty returns to active Federal service, he or she gets back whatever type(s) of life insurance he or she had before going into nonpay status (as long as the position is not excluded from coverage). The employee does not get an opportunity to elect more coverage unless he or she has been separated from service for at least 180 days. Benefits Administration Letter 08-203 [30 KB] - Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI): Additional Continuation pf Life Insurance Coverage for Federal Employees Called Up to Active Duty

Only the terminally ill person can apply for a Living Benefit. A guardian, someone with power of attorney, or any other person cannot apply for a Living Benefit on your behalf.