Q. I’m employed under FERS and plan to retire soon unmarried. After I am retired, I will still be covered with the FEHB single plan. If I should decide to get married later, is it possible to add my spouse to my FEHB plan and change to a family plan to bring her under my coverage? Are there any prerequisites or approval steps for her in order to add her to give her coverage, as well?
A. Yes, you could change from self-only coverage to self and family under code 2B in the Office of Personnel Management’s Table of Permissible Changes in FEHB Enrollment. You could do that from 31 days before through 60 days after you got married. One thing to keep in mind: If you die and haven’t elected a survivor annuity for your new spouse, she wouldn’t be able to continue that coverage.
