Retirement Survivor Enrollments Continuing

Although a special benefits enrollment opportunity related to the Defense of Marriage Act case ended August 26, enrollment elections in the FEHB and FEDVIP programs for same-sex spouses can be made during the current benefits open season. Further, retirees have until June 26, 2015 to elect survivor benefits for a same-sex spouse to whom they were married at the time of the decision but for whom they couldn’t provide such a benefit because of the DOMA law. That parallels the policy that those who marry after retirement have two years to decide whether to provide for a survivor benefit; the newly recognized marriages are being treated effectively as new marriages. Adding a survivor benefit after retirement means accepting a reduction in the annuity. Newly retiring employees who are in same-sex marriages may elect survivor benefits at retirement under standard policies, also with a reduction in the primary benefit.