Q: My wife and I are federal employees. I’m under CSRS and will probably retire in 2012 with 40+ years of service at age 62. She is under FERS and not eligible to retire until 2017. We’re enrolled in a family FEHBP under my name. Does it make sense for us to swap during this Open Season so that we are covered by a family plan under her name and paid for by her pre-tax dollars? Are there procedural risks of me dropping coverage and her new election not going through, which would jeopardize me meeting the five-year rule for carrying coverage into retirement?
A: There are no risks in switching during Open Season because you only need to be enrolled or covered by the FEHB program for the five consecutive years before retirement to carry that coverage into retirement.
