Federal Employee Health Benefits
Federal Employee Health Benefits
Federal employees can get healthcare benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). This program extends to federal employees, retirees and eligible family members, and it offers some of the best health plans available in the country. The program began in 1960, and has grown into the largest employer-sponsored group health insurance programs in the world.
To date, over 9 million eligible individuals are covered under FEHB. Under FEHB, eligible individuals have a variety of coverage options to choose from, allowing them to pick a plan that meets their health and financial needs.
These options include:
- High deductible plans for catastrophic risk protection
- Fee-for-Service plans
- Preferred Provider Organization plans
- Health Maintenance Organization plans
- Health savings or reimbursable accounts
Each of these plans has its own benefits and drawbacks based on many factors.
Eligible individuals will need to choose the right plan based on the cost of premiums, access to care, and included physicians and specialists.
Basic Eligibility Requirements
The primary way to be eligible for coverage under FEHB is to be a Federal employee. Certain positions are prohibited from eligibility, but most full time positions and many part time or intermittent roles are eligible. To learn whether or not you are eligible, contact your agency’s human resources department. In addition, Federal employees who retire voluntarily at the Minimum Retirement Age who were enrolled in an FEHB plan for the five years prior to retirement are also covered.
The surviving spouses of deceased retirees who received FEHB while their spouses were living are typically qualified to continue receiving it. Dependent, unmarried children under the age of 26, including stepchildren and foster children who live in the employee’s home, are eligible to receive FEHB coverage as long as their parent is eligible to receive it. If an unmarried dependent is age 26 or older but is not capable of self-support due to a disability that existed prior to age 26 may also be covered. Spouses of covered individuals are also covered.
If you have questions about your FEHB eligibility, contact your human resources department. For help choosing a plan that meets your needs, contact us to discuss your financial situation.
We provide no cost consultations for all Federal Employees.
Through this consultation you will receive a better understanding of your entire benefits package and how each part will affect your retirement. Analysis will be done on the following items: Survivor Benefits, FERS or CSRS annuities, TSP, FEGLI, Social Security and much more. This analysis is done by 1st Opulence Financial. Please fill out the information and fax it back to 1(866)537-1745 and a member of our team (Brian Whitaker) will contact you.
