What is a qualifying event?
For employees, the only qualifying event is
separation from Federal service. However, you
are not entitled to TCC if you are involuntarily
separated due to gross misconduct.
Your Human Resources Office decides whether
conduct that leads to an involuntary separation
is "gross misconduct." If your human resources
office decides that you were separated because
of gross misconduct, it must notify you of that
fact and explain what you can do to appeal the
decision.
For children, the qualifying events are:
- reaching age 26,
- loss of status as stepchild, foster child, or
recognized natural child,
- in the case of children whose coverage
has continued beyond age 26 because of
their inability to support themselves due
to a disability occurring before they reached
age 26, recovering from the disability or
becoming self-supporting,
- death of the employee or annuitant if the
child does not qualify for a survivor annuity,
and
- survivor annuity stops for any reason,
including because he or she is no longer a
full-time student.
Spouses are not eligible for TCC (temporary continuation
of coverage) in their own right, even if
you separate and decide not to elect TCC or you
die. However, if your marriage ends other than
by death, your former spouse is eligible for
TCC. The qualifying events are:
- divorce, and
- annulment of the marriage.