Q. I will be retiring soon, and I have an FEHB question. I have 27-plus years with USPS and have been in FEHB from the beginning. I’m now married and my wife has been on the plan more than 10 years. After I retire, if something happens to me, will me wife be covered as self only? I haven’t decided whether to take the survivor annuity because under FERS, she would get only $500 a month under the 50 percent selection. I might be able to buy an insurance policy that would be better.
A. Unless you elect a survivor annuity for your wife, she won’t be able to continue her FEHB coverage. As a FERS employee, you could elect a survivor annuity for her that equals either 25 percent or 50 percent of your unreduced annuity.
