Did you make changes to your elections under the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) during last year’s open season? OPM has begun reminding employees to verify their elections and double check them after they start taking effect in the fall.
Changes made during the 2016 open season had a one year delayed effective date. For most federal employees, this means they will go into effect on October 1, 2017 according to the Office of Personnel Management.
Details about when the changes go into effect for employees of varying pay and duty statuses can be found in OPM’s latest Benefits Administration Letter included below. As OPM explains, some employees could find their new coverage never begins if they fail to meet the specified pay and duty status requirements.
Verifying Your FEGLI Changes
OPM is reminding employees to review their leave and earnings statements after their coverage begins taking effect to confirm that the elections made during the open season are all correct. This can be done using OPM’s FEGLI Calculator or the FEGLI Premium Tables.
Possible Errors in Coverage
OPM said that any employees who believe that their FEGLI elections should have taken effect but have not or who may have inadvertently cancelled or reduced their coverage should contact OPM and/or their local human resources officer as soon as possible.
Another item OPM says to watch for: Some employees may have completed their FEGLI Open Season elections incorrectly by signing only for Basic and for new coverage, accidentally canceling their current optional coverage in the process. OPM is authorized to correct this error and reinstate any erroneously cancelled optional coverage if employees notify the agency in time. In the event this happens, the deadline for most employees requesting this correction is November 11, 2017. If you are not sure when your deadline is or need assistance, you should contact your agency human resources representative.
BAL 17-202 FEGLI Life Insurance Open Season Processing Reminder
