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OPM.gov / Frequently Asked Questions / Insure FAQ / Health
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Health

Questions and answers

Upon your retirement, coverage under DC Health Link will terminate at the end of the month in which you retire.  If you have met all the requirements for continuation of employer-sponsored health coverage into retirement, including the 5-year rule, you will have the option to select coverage from the same plans offered by OPM to other federal annuitants.

To be eligible to continue FEHB in retirement,

  1. you must be eligible to receive an immediate annuity; and
  2. you must have been continuously covered by the FEHB Program (including DC Health Link), TRICARE, and/or CHAMPUS:
  • for the five years of employment immediately preceding your retirement; or,
  • during all of your federal employment since your first opportunity to enroll (if employed or eligible less than five years).

If your annuity effective date is on the first of the month, this transition will occur immediately.  If your annuity effective date is not the first of a month, your DC Health Link coverage will continue to the end of the month and the OPM-contracted FEHB plan of your choice will begin the first of the next month.  You will continue receiving a government contribution in retirement.  For more information, please contact your agency’s benefits officer.

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