If you have a Self and Family enrollment or your spouse is covered under your Self Plus One enrollment, your spouse is eligible to continue coverage under your enrollment while you are legally separated or in the process of getting a divorce or an annulment. Once the divorce or annulment is final, your ex-spouse loses coverage at midnight of the day the divorce or annulment is final, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage.

You can find more information in the FEHB Handbook.

After the divorce or annulment is final, your ex-spouse cannot remain covered as a family member under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment (even if a court order requires it). Your ex-spouse may be eligible to enroll under Spouse Equity, or Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC), or convert to an individual policy with your carrier. Please visit the former spouses section of the FEHB Handbook for more information.

If you have a Self Plus One enrollment and you have no other eligible family members, the divorce is a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).  Within 60 days of the date of your divorce or annulment, you can change to a Self Only enrollment.  At the same time, you can change plans or options.  If your spouse was designated as you covered family member and you have additional family members, your divorce is a QLE that allows you to switch your covered family member.  You will need to complete an SF 2809 with you employing office (or retirement office if you are a retiree) and designate a new eligible family member.

If you have a Self and Family enrollment and there are no other eligible family members, the divorce is a QLE that allows you to decrease enrollment to Self Only. If you only have one eilgible family member remaining, you may decrease enrollment to Self Plus One.  If you have other eligible family members on the Self and Family enrollment, you must contact your FEHB plan to let them know the date of the divorce or annulment  and have them remove your ex-spouse.  You do not need to complete a SF 2809 (Health Benefits Election Form) or obtain ant agency verification in these situations. However, you plan may ask for a copy of the divorce decree as proof. 

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for more information on separation and divorce.

If your spouse is currently covered under your FEDVIP enrollment, that coverage will continue until the final date of divorce or until the effective date of an Open Season change. You cannot remove your spouse outside of an Open Season just because you are separating or in the process of divorce.

Once you are divorced, your ex-spouse will not be eligible as a family member under your enrollment in FEDVIP. There is no Spouse Equity, temporary continuation of coverage (TCC), or the right to convert to an individual policy in the FEDVIP Program.

If you have him/her listed as your "One" under a Self Plus One enrollment or under your Self and Family enrollment, you must remove him or her from your FEDVIP enrollment immediately upon the effective date of the divorce through your BENEFEDS account at www.BENEFEDS.com. However, please know that even if you do not remove him/her from your account, he/she is not covered after the divorce and you are responsible for any benefits paid in error on his/her behalf.

If the divorce means your coverage should now be a Self Only or Self Plus One enrollment, you can decrease your enrollment type from 31 days before to 60 days after the date he/she moved out as a "Qualifying Life Event" at www.BENEFEDS.com. Don't miss these dates or you will have to wait until the next Federal Benefits Open Season to make the change and may be paying a higher premium for coverage you cannot use.

If you do not have access to a computer, call BENEFEDS at 1-877-888-FEDS (3337), TTY 1-877-889-5680.

Reducing or canceling FEGLI coverage: Unless you've assigned your coverage, you can reduce or cancel coverage at any time. If you have Family Option C and don't cancel it, coverage continues on your spouse until the marriage is terminated. After the marriage ends, your former spouse is no longer an eligible family member and therefore, not covered under Option C. Option C benefits are not payable on your former spouse even if you continue to pay Option C premiums. If you have no other eligible family members, you should cancel your Option C coverage. You should notify your human resources office or retirement system promptly after the termination of your marriage. You can also change your FEGLI designation at any time without prior notice to any beneficiary. The payment of FEGLI proceeds may also be paid based on a valid court order. The Court Order FAQs provide more details.

Electing or Increasing FEGLI coverage: An employee who experiences a FEGLI qualifying life event, including divorce (but not separation), has 60 days from the date of the event to elect Basic, plus any or all Optional insurance: Option A, Option B (up to the maximum of 5 multiples with no restrictions), and Option C (up to the maximum with no restrictions). Each Option C multiple equals $5,000 in coverage for a spouse and $2,500 for each eligible dependent child.

You may be able to enroll in an FSAFEDS health care flexible spending account and/or dependent care account or change your current election(s) from 31 days before the event to 60 days after the event (if your agency participates in FSAFEDS). For the health care account, you must also be eligible to enroll in the FEHB Program. Your requested change must be consistent with the event and you cannot enroll or increase your election(s) after October first (you would have to wait until Open Season).

If it is a legal separation, you may be able to enroll in an FSAFEDS health care flexible spending account and/or dependent care account or change your current election(s) from 31 days before the event to 60 days after the event (if your agency participates in FSAFEDS). For the health care account, you must also be eligible to enroll in the FEHB Program. Your requested change must be consistent with the event and you cannot enroll or increase your election(s) after October first (you would have to wait until Open Season).

Go to www.FSAFEDS.com and click on "Qualifying Life Event" or call FSAFEDS at 1-877-FSAFEDS (372-3337), TTY: 1-800-952-0450 to discuss possible options.

A change in marital status does not affect your coverage or premiums, but may affect your eligibility to apply if you are no longer a qualified relative of an employee or annuitant.

If you are currently paying the premiums for your spouse and now no longer wish to pay premiums for an ex-spouse, you should contact Long Term Care Partners at 1-800-LTCFEDS (1-800-582-3337) to make other billing arrangements.