Established in 1954, the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program is the largest group life insurance program in the world, covering over 4 million Federal employees and retirees, as well as many of their family members.
At any point in your career, you may ask yourself why you should take advantage of federal life insurance options. In short, life insurance can help your loved ones recover financially if you die unexpectedly. For example, FEGLI can help cover burdensome funeral costs and help your loved ones stay afloat in the case of the catastrophic loss of your income. For a relatively low cost per pay period, you may be able to provide peace of mind to loved ones after you pass. Please view the information below to review your life insurance options.
| Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Options | |
|---|---|
| Basic | Amount of Coverage: Your annual salary rounded up to the next $1,000 plus $2,000 Who is Covered: You Cost Each Bi-Weekly Pay Period: 16 cents per $1,000 of coverage Cost Increases with Age: No Newly Eligible Employees Automatically Enrolled: Yes, unless you waive coverage |
| Option A | Amount of Coverage: $10,000 Who is Covered: You Cost Each Bi-Weekly Pay Period: Starting at 20 cents per $1,000 of coverage Cost Increases with Age: Yes Newly Eligible Employees Automatically Enrolled: No, you must elect this coverage |
| Option B | Amount of Coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 multiples of your salary rounded up to the next $1,000 Who is Covered: You Cost Each Bi-Weekly Pay Period: Starting at 2 cents per $1,000 of coverage Cost Increases with Age: Yes Newly Eligible Employees Automatically Enrolled: No, you must elect this coverage |
| Option C | Amount of Coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 multiples. Each multiple equals $5,000 for the life of your spouse and $2,500 for the life of each eligible child Who is Covered: Your spouse and unmarried dependent children under age 22 Cost Each Bi-Weekly Pay Period: Starting at 22 cents per multiple Cost Increases with Age: Yes Newly Eligible Employees Automatically Enrolled: No, you must elect this coverage |
Note: Life Insurance premium rates increase when you retire.
| I Want To... | When Can I Do This? | How Can I Do This? |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll or increase coverage | First 60 days as a new or newly eligible employee; or Within 60 days after a life event (marriage, divorce, death of spouse, acquire an eligible child); or Life insurance Open Season (not annual - infrequent); or When you pass a physical exam (Option C excluded) | With a life event, you can enroll or increase coverage in Basic, Option A, up to five multiples of Option B, and/or up to five multiples of Option C. Submit form SF 2817 Life Insurance Election: FEGLI to the Retirement and Benefits Portal or mail original to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Retirement and Benefits Advisory Services (RABAS), 90K Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20229, Mail Stop 1400. |
| Request insurance | Upon completing the required form and passing a physical examination (Option C excluded) | Submit form SF 2822 Request for Insurance to the Retirement and Benefits Portal. RABAS completes Part A, employee completes Part B, and examining physician completes Part C and submits directly to Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI). OFEGLI will inform RABAS of their decision. RABAS will notify employee of decision and request/provide additional forms, if applicable. |
| Cancel or reduce coverage | Anytime | Complete and submit form SF 2817 Life Insurance Election: FEGLI to the Retirement and Benefits Portal or mail original to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Retirement and Benefits Advisory Services (RABAS), 90K Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20229, Mail Stop 1400. |
| Designate a (new) beneficiary | Anytime | Complete form SF 2823 Designation of Beneficiary, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program and mail original to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Retirement and Benefits Advisory Services (RABAS), 90K Street NE, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20229, Mail Stop 1400. |
For more information on life insurance, visit the OPM website.