Expert's View

Heads up! The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program will hold a rare Open Season from September 1 to September 30.

If you are an employee who is eligible for FEGLI overage but who isn’t currently enrolled in the program, you can elect Basic and any or all of the optional coverages. If you are an employee who is already enrolled, you can increase your coverage up to the maximum available, or change your coverage. In either case, you won’t have to prove your insurability, pass a physical exam, or answer any health questions.

With certain limited exceptions, only employees who are eligible for FEGLI coverage, including those who elected phased retirement or are in nonpay status, can participate. Here are the exceptions.

Annuitants: Annuitants can participate in the Open Season if they are reemployed in a position that conveys FEGLI eligibility. While they can participate if they are reemployed under a dual pay appointment, any changes they make will end when they retire.

Compensationers: Compensationers can participate in the Open Season during the first 12 months in nonpay status when they are still insured as employees or if they are reemployed on a part-time basis.

If you don’t want to enroll or make any changes to your FEGLI coverage, you don’t have to do anything. However, if you want to elect or change your coverage, you can either use Standard Form 2817, Life Insurance Election, or your agency’s online human resources portal. Regardless of which avenue you use, you’ll have to indicate all the coverage you want to have, not just the new coverage you are electing. And you must sign the form.

The types of coverage available during this Open Season will be the same as those currently available. To refresh your mind, here are they are.
• Basic, which is equal to your annual rate of Basic pay rounded up to the next even $1,000, plus $2,000
• Option A, which is worth $10,000
• Option B, which covers your life for one, two, three, four, or five times your annual rate of pay, rounded up to the next $1,000
• Option C, which covers the lives of your spouse and eligible children, with each multiple equaling $5,000 for your spouse and $2,500 for each child.

If you decide to enroll in the FEGLI program or make changes to your current coverage, that election will be effective on the first pay period that begins on or after October 1, 2017. Yes, you read that right. October 1, 2017.