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OPM.gov / Insurance / Dental & Vision / Eligibility
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Eligibility

Federal Employees 

As a Federal or U.S. Postal Service employee, you are eligible to enroll in FEDVIP if you are also eligible to enroll in FEHB and your position is not excluded by law or regulation. It does not matter if you are actually enrolled in FEHB - eligibility is the key.

Federal Annuitants

You are eligible to enroll if you:

  • Retired on an immediate annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or another retirement system for employees of the Federal Government;
  • Retired for disability under CSRS, FERS, or another retirement system for employees of the Federal Government.

Your FEDVIP enrollment will continue into retirement if you retire on an immediate annuity or for disability under CSRS, FERS or another retirement system for employees of the Government, regardless of the length of time you had FEDVIP coverage as an employee. There is no requirement to have coverage for 5 years of service prior to retirement in order to continue coverage into retirement, as there is with the FEHB Program.

Your FEDVIP coverage will end if you retire on a Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) + 10 retirement and postpone receipt of your annuity. You can enroll in FEDVIP again when you begin to receive your annuity.

Survivor Annuitants

If you are a survivor of a deceased Federal/U.S. Postal Service employee or annuitant and you are receiving an annuity, you may enroll or continue the existing enrollment.

TRICARE Eligible Individuals

An individual who is eligible for FEDVIP dental coverage based on the individual's eligibility to previously be covered under the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program or an individual eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage based on the individual's enrollment in a specified TRICARE health plan.

Retired members of the uniformed services and National Guard/Reserve components, including “gray-area” retirees under age 60 and their families are eligible for FEDVIP dental coverage. These individuals, if enrolled in a TRICARE health plan, are also eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage. In addition, uniformed services active duty family members who are enrolled in a TRICARE health plan are eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage.

Compensationers

A compensationer is someone receiving monthly compensation from the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) due to an on-the-job injury/illness who is determined by the Secretary of Labor to be unable to return to duty. You are eligible to enroll in FEDVIP or continue FEDVIP enrollment into compensation status.

Family Members

Eligible family members include your spouse and unmarried civilian dependent children under age 22 or unmarried TRICARE-eligible dependent children under age 21 (non-student) or age 23 (full-time student). This includes legally adopted children and recognized natural children who meet certain dependency requirements. This also includes stepchildren and foster children who live with you in a regular parent-child relationship. Under certain circumstances, civilians may also continue coverage for a child 22 years of age or older who is incapable of self-support and for TRICARE-eligible dependent child over age 21 or 23 who meets the Department of Defense's standard for incapacity and support or for incapacity and dependency.

The civilian employing/retirement office must make the incapable of self-support determination and submit to BENEFEDS within 60 days of the initial enrollment or the dependent’s 22 birthday in order for the dependent to be included on the enrollment. Uniformed services personnel dependents over age 21 or 23 must meet the Department of Defense's standard specified in DoD law at 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(D)(iii) for incapacity and support or for incapacity and dependency at 10 U.S.C.1072(2)(I)(ii)(III), (iii), (iv) and (v). 

Changes in dependent eligibility under healthcare reform (Affordable Care Act) do not affect eligibility for children under FEDVIP.

Not Eligible

The following persons are not eligible to enroll in FEDVIP, regardless of FEHB eligibility or receipt of an annuity or portion of an annuity:

  • Deferred annuitants;
  • Per diem employees;
  • Former spouses of civilian employees or annuitants;
  • FEHB Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) enrollees;
  • Anyone receiving an insurable interest annuity who is not also an eligible family member;
  • Tribal employees;
  • Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3582, employees who transfer to an international organization.

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