U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Recruiting, Retaining and Honoring a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People

Family members eligible for coverage under your Self and Family enrollment are your spouse (including a valid common law marriage) and children under age 26, including legally adopted children, recognized natural children and stepchildren.

Foster children are included if they meet the requirements listed here:

• the child must be under age 26 (if the child is age 26 or over, he/she can only be covered if he/she is incapable of self-support because of a disabling condition that began before age 26. You must provide documentation of this to your employing office);
• the child must currently live with you;
• the parent-child relationship must be with you, not the child's biological parent;
• you must currently be the primary source of financial support for the child; and
• you must expect to raise the child to adulthood.

A child age 26 or over who is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed before age 26 is also an eligible family member. In determining whether the child is a covered family member, your employing office will look at the child's relationship to you as the enrollee.

Public Law 104-199, the Defense of Marriage Act, states "the word 'marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."

You can find more information about family members at FEHB for Dependents.

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