These Qualifying Life Events Can Change Your FEHB, by Brad Furges
Most Federal Employees Health Benefits enrollment changes occur during the open season, which occurs yearly. However, some changes can also happen when you experience a “qualifying life event.”
Below are the qualifying life events that allow enrollment or enrollment change to the FEHB.
If there is a change in your family status, you can enroll or change your enrollment from the benefits program. Examples of such family status include birth or child adoption, marriage, divorce, legal separation, death of a spouse or relative.
A change in your current employment status is also a “qualifying life event” that can cause an enrollment change. Suppose you are reemployed back into the workforce after a short break in service for more than 72 hours. In that case, your status will return to pay status when your coverage is terminated. Termination of coverage occurs when you are on leave, and you have no pay status, or you do not have a pay status for more than a year while you are on leave.
During your leave period, your premiums are withheld because there is a sufficient increase in your pay. You will now be in a civilian position since you have served in the uniformed service. You can change from your temporary appointment to a new appointment that gives you access to a government contribution. You can move from or to part-time career employment.
You will terminate your membership in the employee organizations-the Federal Employees Health Benefits sponsors-when you change to self only in another health benefits program sponsored by the federal government. Changing to federally sponsored health benefits programs such as the state-sponsored program for the needy or Medicaid will terminate your membership in the Health Benefits program.
You or your close relative may lose the Federal Employees Health Benefits or coverage under the benefits enrollment if you cancel or terminate the covering enrollment.
When any of these events happen, you can enroll, change your enrollment to or from self only, change to another employee health benefits plan, or even terminate your enrollment under the program. One important thing you must know is that you can only change to self only in case of events that make you the last eligible close relative following the Federal Employees Health Benefits enrollment guide. With a qualifying life event, you can only cancel your enrollment if you, the enrollee, show that you and your eligible close relatives now have another coverage for your health insurance.
