Q. Do I have any options for early retirement that will allow me to keep Federal Employees Health Benefits if I retire at age 52-55 with 20-23 years of service with a minimum retirement age of 57? I know I can take postponed, but then I lose FEHB. So I was wondering if there was any other way.
A. Since you aren’t eligible for immediate retirement, you could resign and apply for a deferred annuity at age 60. However, you wouldn’t be able to re-enroll in the FEHB program. On the other hand, if your agency were to offer you an opportunity to retire early, you could accept it, receive an immediate annuity, avoid the age penalty and continue your FEHB coverage in retirement.
Note: A postponed annuity is only available to a FERS employee who retires under the MRA+10 provision (minimum retirement age with at least 10 but fewer than 30 years of service). So for you, a postponed annuity isn’t an option.
