Your Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program provides excellent healthcare insurance options for you and your family. If you continue FEHB into retirement, when you die, your spouse and eligible children can continue coverage. This is why it’s important to elect either a full or partial spousal survivor annuity when you retire. If you elect no survivor annuity, all FEHB enrollment is terminated upon your death.
FEHB Requirements For Survivors
When a federal retiree passes away while enrolled in the FEHB program, coverage for your survivor annuitants, including your spouse and any eligible children, can continue as long as two requirements are met:
- You must have been enrolled for Self and Family, or Self Plus One, at the time of your death.
- And at least one family member must be entitled to a survivor benefit from the FERS/CSRS retirement system.
How Surviving Child Benefits Work
If the FEHB enrollee has a surviving spouse or child eligible to receive a FERS/CSRS survivor annuity, the child can be covered under the Self Plus One enrollment or Self and Family enrollment until the child reaches age 26. If the deceased enrollee has no surviving spouse (or other survivors), and a surviving child is eligible for a FERS/CSRS survivor benefit, enrollment will be changed to a Self Only plan. This coverage continues until the child’s survivor annuity ends at age 18, or at age 22 if they’re a full-time college student.
“When you pass away, the OPM will notify your surviving spouse of their FEHB options.”
When A Surviving Spouse Remarries
When a surviving spouse remarries before age 55, their FEHB benefits end on the last day of the month before they remarry. However, when a surviving spouse has been married for 30 years or more to the deceased annuitant, their FEHB benefits will continue even if they remarry. Even if a spouse remarries, FEHB coverage continues for eligible children if one of them is entitled to receive a survivor annuity.
What Your Survivors Need To Know About Premiums
When you pass away, the federal government will continue to pay its share of the FEHB premium for your eligible survivors. FEHB enrollment will be changed to the survivor’s name and premiums will be withheld from their survivor annuity. If their survivor annuity isn’t enough to cover their share of the premium (about 25%), survivors can change to a lower-cost plan or pay the premium directly to OPM. When you pass away, the OPM will notify your surviving spouse of their FEHB options.
For complete details, you can download the FEHB Handbook. If you have any questions, connect with an FRC® trained advisor.
