Benefits Newsletter: March, 2023

When An Employee Enters Leave Without Pay (LWOP) Status – If an employee will be on LWOP for more than 30 consecutive days, a personnel action must be processed.  For guidance, please contact the servicing HR Specialist in Recruitment, Staffing, and Classification.  And because non-pay status can severely impact an employee’s benefits, it is also very important that you notify the servicing Benefits Specialist as soon as you are notified that the employee is going on LWOP.  To find the servicing specialists, visit the

If you have retirement questions and want the convenience of viewing a retirement presentation at your leisure, check out a recorded retirement overview presentation, which was conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). 

The cost for Basic insurance is shared between you and the Federal government, and your age does not affect the cost for Basic coverage.   For Optional insurance, you pay the full cost and the cost depends on your age.  The change in premiums resulting from age begins at age 35 and continues to increase in five year increments.  If you notice a change in your FEGLI premiums on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), you should verify the cost based on you

When was the last time you checked your beneficiary designations?  There are four beneficiary forms to keep current.

If there is a valid court order pertaining to your Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) benefits, benefits must be paid in accordance with the terms of the court order, regardless of whether you complete a designation of beneficiary form complying with the court order.  The court order supersedes any of your designations.

When your child reaches age 26, he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your health benefits enrollment, unless your child is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed before age 26.  If your child turning age 26 means that you have no other eligible family members, or you have only one remaining eligible family member, you must submit a

When your child reaches age 22 (or marries before age 22) he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your life insurance family enrollment, except as indicated below.

When your child reaches age 22 (or marries before age 22), he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) enrollment, unless your child is incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical disability that existed before age 22.  If your child turning age 22 means that you have no other eligible covered family members, or you have only one remaining eligible family member under your “Self and Family” enrollment, you must notify BENEFEDS at 877-8