Q. My wife and I are both federal law enforcement officers and plan on retiring in seven years. Currently, the family health plan is under my wife. If she dies before me during retirement, am I still automatically covered under our Federal Employees Health Benefits plan because I was also a federal retiree and have been covered for five years before retiring?
A. Federal employees and retirees can continue their FEHB coverage if their spouse was enrolled in a self-and-family option. Only the enrollee is required to be covered for five years to carry that coverage into retirement.
