Are you considering enrolling in the new Self Plus One option under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program this open season? If so, you should read this new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management that outlines the differences in annuitant rules between the Self Plus One and Self Plus Family coverage options.
The crux of the memo can be condensed down to this one table which highlights the important differences for annuitants between the two coverage types:
| Employee/annuitant is enrolled in Self Plus One on date of death | Employee/annuitant is enrolled in Self and Family on date of death |
|---|---|
| Only one designated eligible family member is covered under the employee/annuitant enrollment. | All eligible family members are covered. |
|
The designated family member must be eligible for a survivor annuity. If the designated family member is not eligible for a survivor annuity, the enrollment terminates. Other family members cannot continue the enrollment. |
One family member must be eligible for a survivor annuity. If the surviving spouse is eligible for a survivor annuity, the Self and Family enrollment covers all eligible children. If the surviving spouse is not eligible for a survivor annuity, the Self and Family enrollment continues under the youngest eligible child. The FEHB coverage can cover other eligible children and the surviving spouse. |
The memo also contains some frequently asked questions concerning Self Plus One and survivor annuities. For example, this is the description of what constitutes an eligible family member under the Self Plus One enrollment option:
An eligible family member can include either a spouse OR an eligible child under age 26. A child age 26 or over who is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed before age 26 is also an eligible family member.
See the memo below for other important details and answers to common questions about the new Self Plus One coverage.
FEHB Program Self Plus One and Survivor Annuitants (BAL 15-209)
