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NIH Employee Benefits - Insurance - (FEHB, FEDVIP, FEGLI, FLTCIP, Medicare)

Federal Employees' Health Benefits (FEHB) Program

Changes You May Make in Your Health Benefits Enrollment

During the annual Federal benefits open season from mid-November to mid-December, you may enroll, cancel an enrollment, change plans or options, and waive or begin participation in premium conversion. Outside of open season, you can only enroll or make changes in your health benefits due to certain events called Qualifying Life Event (QLE). Common QLEs are marriage, birth of a child, and loss of other group coverage. Changes as a result of a QLE generally must be requested 30 days prior or within 60 days after the event. For additional information please notify your benefits contact.

Another type of QLE could be when the last member of your family ceases to be eligible for coverage under your plan (for instance, when your youngest child turns age 22 and you are divorced or widowed). If you no longer have any eligible family members, you must submit a Health Benefits Election form (SF-2809) (.pdf) to the benefits office to change your enrollment from family to a self-only policy. This is not automatic.

Spouse's Eligibility to Continue Health Benefits Coverage After Your Death

You must be enrolled in family coverage at the time of death in order for your spouse to continue coverage. Also, when you retire you must elect a survivor annuity for your spouse in order for him/her to continue coverage after your death.

Temporary Continuation of Health Benefits Coverage

When your child reaches age 22 (or marries before age 22) he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your Federal health benefits enrollment. This is true even if your child is still in school. You have 60 days from the date he/she gets married or turns age 22 (whichever occurs first) to notify your Benefits Contact. We will give you information on how your child may enroll in his/her own right for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC). The enrollment can be for up to 36 months and the child will have to pay the full premium (no government contribution), plus a 2% administrative charge.

TCC enrollments are also available to you (coverage for up to 18 months) should you leave the government and for a former spouse should you get divorced (coverage for up to 36 months). All TCC enrollments must be submitted within 60 days of the event allowing the enrollment.

Federal Employees' Dental and Vision Program (FEDVIP)

Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program

Changes You May Make in Your Life Insurance Coverage

You have three opportunities to enroll or increase coverage: during an open season (open seasons are rare), by providing medical information, or by experiencing a qualified life event (i.e. marriage/birth of a child). For additional information please notify your benefits contact.

You can cancel or decrease coverage at any time. If you already have Option C- Family coverage and your last family member ceases to be eligible for coverage (for instance, when your youngest child turns age 22 and you are divorced or widowed) you should submit a Life Insurance Election Form (SF-2817) (.pdf) to the benefits office to cancel Option C. This is not automatic.

Election of Living Benefits and Assignment of Life Insurance

If you are diagnosed as having a terminal illness you may be eligible to elect living benefits. This would allow you to receive up to the full amount of your basic life insurance coverage while you are still alive instead of payment going to your survivors after your death. You may, instead, assign all of your life insurance coverage to a viatical settlement firm in return for a payment equal to a portion of your coverage (usually 50-80%, depending on life expectancy). That firm would then be paid your life insurance after your death. For more information about living benefits, please see the OPM FEGLI Handbook Chapter on Living Benefits.

You may also assign you life insurance to another person or persons, including an individual, a corporation or an irrevocable trust in order to satisfy the requirements of a court order upon divorce, for inheritance tax purposes, or to satisfy a debt. For more information about living benefits, please see the OPM FEGLI Handbook Chapter on Assignment.

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

Medicare