Q. I am planning on retiring this year. I am currently covered by my wife’s FEHB, as she is also a federal employee. She has several more years to work before she will be retirement-eligible. If she were to elect to resign prior to her retirement eligibility, could I elect to begin FEHB coverage as a retiree since she would no longer be eligible to carry FEHB due to her resignation? We have been married for 14 years, and we have been covered by FEHB the entire period of our marriage. I carried the FEHB up until the open season of December 2007. At that time, I dropped coverage and she picked it up for several valid reasons.
A. It would appear that you would be able to pick up that enrollment under Code 1M of the Qualifying Life Events list published by OPM. However, before she takes such a step, she’d be wise to confirm that with her servicing personnel office. If you really want to be sure, she could postpone her departure until after the switch has been made at the next FEHB open season.
