U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

If you are put in a nonpay status while on military duty, you can keep your Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program 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 a nongroup policy.

Prior to your call-up, you also can elect to continue the coverage for a second 12-month period if you pay the entire cost for your coverage (there is no government contribution), per Public Law 110-181.

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 employees beneficiaries. Accidental death benefits are also payable under Basic insurance (and Option A, if the employee had that coverage) with a few exceptions.

Accidental death benefits are in addition to regular death benefits. Even if accidental death benefits are not payable, regular death benefits ARE payable.

• Go back to list of questions.