FEHB After Retirement: What Changes Can You Expect? (by John Grobe)
Most federal employees and retirees are beginning to think about the annual Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) open season and the choices that they will have the opportunity to make.
FEHB is one of the best benefits that we have as federal employees or federal retirees, and federal retirees (unlike most private sector retirees) are able to continue their FEHB enrollment after leaving federal service, and even after becoming eligible for Medicare.
There are some, but not many, changes in FEHB after retirement, and this article will take a look at them.
Requirements
First off, there are requirements that must be met in order to carry your Federal Employee Health Benefits into your retirement. Those requirements are:
- You must be covered under FEHB at the time of retirement; and
- You retire on an immediate annuity; and
- You have been enrolled, or covered as a family member (on your federal spouse’s FEHB plan) for the last five years;
- If, due to a break in service, your last opportunity to enroll was less than five years ago, and you have five consecutive (though not continuous) years of coverage, the five year requirement is considered met.
- OPM will waive the five year requirement in the case of Reductions in Force.
- OPM might waive the five year requirement if it would be “against equity and good conscience” not to. OPM considers these waivers on a case by case basis.
- TRICARE counts towards the five year period, but the retiring employee must be enrolled in FEHB on the date of their retirement.
