FEHB re-enrollment and the 5-year rule

0

Q. I am thinking about canceling my health insurance to go under my spouse’s plan. He is not an employee of the government. I have been with the government for 25 years. I know you must carry the insurance for five years in a row to carry it into retirement. I am not in that window. If I cancel it, can I re-enroll later if I decide to get back on (for example, in open season 2015)?

A. As long as you are still a federal employee, you can re-enroll during any health benefits open season. However, the five-consecutive-year rule would still apply. If you retired less than five years after your most recent enrollment, you wouldn’t be able to carry that coverage into retirement.

Share.

About Author

Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com.

Leave A Reply