Click here to skip navigation
An official website of the United States Government.

Insurance FAQs Life

  •  If you are a Federal ANNUITANT or compensationer: OPM's Retirement Office is the only office with access to your FEGLI life insurance records.  There are three ways to access your FEGLI coverage information: 1. Log on to Retirement Services Online to view and print a Verification of Life Insurance (VOLI).  Your VOLI will show which types of FEGLI coverage you have, your amount of coverage before reduction, your post-65 reductions, and your amount of coverage after reductions complete. 2. Email retire@opm.gov to request that your VOLI be mailed to you.  Be sure to include your retirement claim number (CSA/CSF) in your email. 3. Call 1-888-767-6738 to request that your VOLI be mailed to you.  The phone lines are open Monday through Friday 7:40 am to 5:00 pm eastern time. The phone lines can get extremely busy so we recommend calling early in the morning or late in the evening when the lines are less busy. Have your retirement claim number (CSA/CSF) or social security number handy. Your FEGLI beneficiary records are not available online.  If you wish to change your FEGLI life insurance beneficiaries, complete this form and mail it to OPM's Retirement Office at the address on page 3: www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf2823.pdf If you are a Federal EMPLOYEE: Contact your human resources office.  The office that maintains your Official Personnel Folder (OPF) or its equivalent is the only office with access to your FEGLI life insurance records. If you do not know what office that is or how to contact them, check with your supervisor. You can also look on a copy of your most recent Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, to determine the coverage you currently have:
    1. In Block 27 on that form, there is a 2-character code that represents your current coverage and a definition of the code. 
    2. You can look up the SF50 codes and what they mean.
    3. You can then use the FEGLI Calculator to determine the current value of your FEGLI by inputting your current age, salary and type(s) of FEGLI coverage. 
    If you wish to change your FEGLI life insurance beneficiaries, complete this form and submit it to your human resources office: www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf2823.pdf
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • When you die, the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) will pay life insurance benefits in a particular order, set by law:
    • If you assigned ownership of your life insurance, OFEGLI will pay benefits in the following order of precedence: First, to the beneficiary(ies) designated by your assignee(s), if any;  Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your assignee(s).
    • If you did not assign ownership and there is a valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in accordance with that court order.
    • If you did not assign ownership and there is no valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in the following order of precedence:
      • First, to the beneficiary(ies) you designated;
      • Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your widow or widower;
      • Third, if none of the above, to your child or children, with the share of any deceased child distributed among descendants of that child (a court will usually have to appoint a guardian to receive payment for a minor child);
      • Fourth, if none of the above, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent;
      • Fifth, if none of the above, to the executor or administrator of your estate;
      • Sixth, if none of the above, to your other next of kin as determined under the laws of the State where you lived.
    To designate new beneficiaries, submit a Designation of Beneficiary to your human resources office (or to OPM's Retirement Office if you are retired). If you would like to know who is listed in your current Designation of Beneficiary, follow these instructions
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • If you are an employee, you can cancel or reduce your FEGLI life insurance at any time by submitting this form to your human resources office. If you want to reduce life insurance, sign only for the coverage you want to KEEP.   If you want to cancel all life insurance, sign in Box 5. Exception: if you have assigned your life insurance by transferring ownership to another person or to a company, then you cannot cancel or reduce your Basic, Option A, or Option B coverage.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • If you are a retiree, you can cancel or reduce your FEGLI life insurance at any time. There is no form; you must mail a signed letter to OPM's Retirement Office at: U.S. Office of Personnel Management Retirement Operations Center P.O. Box 45 Boyers, PA 16017-0045 The cancellation or reduction must be in writing and have an original signature by the insured retiree.  Be sure to include your retirement claim number (CSA) or Social Security Number (SSN) and specify what action you want taken.  Please note that you cannot increase your coverage after retirement or reinstate coverage that you cancel.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • Yes, it is true. As part of the Basic life insurance, employees who are under age 45 get an Extra Benefit at no additional cost. The Extra Benefit doubles the amount of the life insurance payable if you are age 35 or younger. Beginning on your 36th birthday, the Extra Benefit decreases 10% each year until, at age 45, there is no Extra Benefit.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • You can read the FEGLI Program Booklet for Federal Employees or for Postal employees) and review the FEGLI Handbook. Information on current premiums is available here. The FEGLI Calculator can help you figure out your coverage and premiums. Contact your human resources office if you have additional questions.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • Yes. The amount of your FEGLI automatically increases when your salary goes up, whenever your annual pay is increased by an amount sufficient to raise the pay to the next $1,000 bracket.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • During the first 12 months of LWOP, your FEGLI coverage continues. If you die during the first 12 months, OFEGLI uses the salary at the time of death to compute the benefit. For example:
    Stan had Basic insurance only. He went on LWOP February 1, 2003. His salary at that time was $18,449. In September 2003, he got a within-grade increasing his salary to $20,849.00. He died November 15, 2003. Since he died during the first 12 months of LWOP, life insurance is payable. The basic salary used to compute the benefit is $20,849.00.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • A Living Benefit payment is a lump sum payment to those who are terminally ill and have a documented medical prognosis showing a life expectancy of no more than nine months. You are eligible to elect a Living Benefit if you are an employee, annuitant, or compensationer and you are enrolled in the FEGLI Program. Employees can choose a full or partial (a multiple of $1,000) Living Benefit. Annuitants and compensationers can elect only a full Living Benefit. A Living Benefit is equal to the Basic Life insurance amount, plus any extra benefit for persons under age 45, that would be in effect nine months after the date of the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) receives a completed claim for Living Benefits form. If you have assigned your life insurance, you cannot elect a Living Benefit. Living Benefit payments are reduced by a nominal amount (4.9%) to make up for lost earnings to the Life Insurance Fund because of the early payment of benefits. The election of Living Benefits has no effect on the amount of any Optional life insurance. You will continue to pay premiums for any Optional insurance you have. You must contact OFEGLI at 1-800-633-4542 to obtain the form to elect Living Benefits (Form FE-8). This form is not available from your human resources office or the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • No. FEGLI life insurance open seasons are extremely rare.  Outside of an open season, eligible employees can enroll in FEGLI by taking a physical exam or with a Qualifying Life Event. The form to request FEGLI by taking a physical exam is available the SF 2822.  The form is completed partly by you, partly by your agency, and partly by your healthcare provider.  If OFEGLI approves your request, you are automatically enrolled in Basic. If you want Optional insurance as well as Basic, you can enroll in Option A and/or Option B within 60 days from the date of OFEGLI's approval. You cannot enroll in Option C by getting a physical. With a FEGLI Qualifying Life Event, you can enroll in FEGLI Basic, Option A, up to five multiples of Option B, and/or up to five multiples of Option C.  Qualifying Life Events are marriage, divorce, death of spouse, or acquisition of an eligible child. To enroll or increase your FEGLI coverage based on a life event, submit an SF 2817 to your human resources office within 60 days after the life event.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • No. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage ends when your employment ends. You cannot carry this coverage into retirement.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • Yes. OFEGLI can pay FEGLI benefits to a funeral home if that's what the person entitled to the money wants to happen. Funeral homes have the form to do this.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • When your life insurance terminates, except when you stop it voluntarily by cancellation, the coverage automatically continues for 31 days after the terminating date. You do not pay any premiums during these 31 days.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • No. Option C coverage only provides coverage for your spouse and eligible children. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other family members are not covered under Option C. There are no exceptions to this, regardless of the health status of your family member and whether he or she qualifies as your dependent.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.
  • No. You may be eligible to obtain insurance as a reemployed annuitant, but you will have to pay the same rates as any other employee for such insurance. Your agency will give you more information when you are reemployed.
    How well did this answer your question? Submit
    Submitting rating...
    Thank you for your feedback!
    An error occurred while trying to submit your feedback.
    Please try again later.


Total Count: 120, Number of Pages: 8, Page: 1
Control Panel