You got married last spring. Or you just had a baby. Now you're wondering whether you can add more life insurance through your job, and when you can do it.
If you've been waiting for "FEGLI open season" to roll around, here's the surprise. It probably won't. The rules for when you can change FEGLI are very different from the health insurance rules you know. Let's break it down so you don't miss a window you can't get back.
FEGLI Basics: What You're Actually Changing
FEGLI stands for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance. It's the life insurance program for most federal employees. Before we talk timing, you need to know which pieces can change.
The Four Parts of FEGLI
- Basic insurance: Your pay (rounded up to the next $1,000) plus $2,000. Most people get it automatically unless they waive it. Employees under 45 also get an "extra benefit" that adds coverage at no added cost.
- Option A (Standard): A flat $10,000 of extra coverage.
- Option B (Additional): Extra coverage equal to 1 to 5 times your yearly pay.
- Option C (Family): Coverage for your spouse (in $5,000 units) and children (in $2,500 units), from 1 to 5 multiples.
Optional coverage costs more as you get older. Basic costs the same rate for everyone. For Basic, the employee share is $0.15 per $1,000 of coverage every two weeks.
Why Timing Matters So Much
Life insurance companies check your health before they cover you. FEGLI doesn't check, but only during certain windows. Outside those windows, you may have to pass a physical exam. That's why a missed deadline can cost you.
For a deeper look at each option and its price, read our guide on what FEGLI option you have and how much it really costs.
FEGLI Open Season: Why You Probably Won't See One
Here's where many people get tripped up. Health insurance (FEHB) has an open season every year in November and December. You can read about it in our FEHB, FEDVIP, and FSA Open Season guide.
FEGLI doesn't work that way. OPM can hold a FEGLI open season, but it doesn't happen on a schedule. The last big one was in 2004. As of this writing, none is planned. Check OPM's life insurance pages for any new announcement.
What an Open Season Would Let You Do
When one does happen, it's a big deal. In past open seasons, employees could often:
- Sign up for coverage they had skipped
- Add more Option B multiples
- Do it without a physical exam
Because they're so rare, don't plan your life around one. If you wait for the next FEGLI open season to increase FEGLI coverage, you could wait many years.
The Good News
You aren't stuck. There are other ways in. Let's look at them.
When Can I Change FEGLI? Your Four Paths
If you're asking "when can I change FEGLI," the answer is that there are four main doors. Each has its own rules.
Door 1: When You're Newly Hired
New employees can pick optional coverage during a short window after they're hired. The window is usually 31 days. You don't need a physical exam during that time.
If you're a new hire reading this, that's your easiest shot. Don't let it slip by.
Door 2: A Qualifying Life Event
A life event, like marriage or a new baby, opens a 60-day window. This is the door most people need. We'll go deep on it in the next section.
Door 3: Passing a Physical Exam
You can ask for more coverage at almost any time if you show you're in good health. You fill out a form (SF 2822) and answer health questions. OPM may ask for a medical exam.
This works well if you're healthy. It works poorly if you have a health issue, because you can be turned down.
Door 4: An Open Season
We covered this one. It's great when it happens, but it almost never does.
What About Lowering or Canceling Coverage?
Good news here. You can usually cancel optional coverage (A, B, or C) whenever you want. You can also drop Option B multiples. Just remember that getting it back later may take a physical exam or a new life event.
FEGLI Qualifying Life Events: What Counts and What You Can Do
A FEGLI qualifying life event (QLE) is a major change in your life that lets you adjust your coverage outside any open season. You usually have 60 days from the event to act. Miss that, and the door closes.
Common Qualifying Life Events
- Marriage
- Divorce or annulment
- Death of a spouse
- Acquiring an eligible child (birth, adoption, or a new stepchild)
OPM may recognize other events, so check its current list or ask your HR office. Don't assume your situation doesn't count without asking.
What a QLE Lets You Do
For most people, a QLE is the best chance to increase FEGLI coverage without a health check. In general, you can add or raise Option B and Option C. Rules about Basic and Option A can be different, and OPM sets limits on how much you can add. Always confirm with your HR office before you file.
Why Option C Matters After Marriage or Birth
Option C is the piece many new parents forget. It covers your spouse and kids. If you get married, it's a way to cover your new spouse. After a baby, you can add or raise child coverage.
Child coverage costs very little. It's meant to help with final expenses, not replace income.
Don't Mix This Up With Health Insurance
A QLE for FEGLI is separate from a QLE for FEHB. Each program has its own forms and its own clock. Adding a new spouse or baby to health insurance does not automatically add life insurance. See our guide on adding a spouse or baby to FEHB for that deadline.
Want to see how your health premium and other costs fit together? Our FEHB guide and calculator is a free way to get your numbers on the health side. It doesn't figure FEGLI premiums, so use OPM's FEGLI rate charts for that part.
Practical Examples: What This Looks Like With Real Dollars
Let's walk through three cases. The dollar amounts for optional coverage use a made-up rate so the math is easy. Your real rate depends on your age. Check OPM's current rate tables before you decide.
Example 1: Maria Gets Married
Maria is 32 and earns $68,500. She has Basic coverage only.
- Basic: $68,500 rounds up to $69,000. Add $2,000, so her Basic is $71,000.
- Basic cost: 71 × $0.15 = $10.65 every two weeks.
Maria marries in June. She has 60 days. She decides to add Option C for her spouse and Option B for 2 times her pay.
- Option B (2 multiples): $69,000 × 2 = $138,000 of coverage.
- At a made-up rate of $0.03 per $1,000 every two weeks for her age, that's 138 × $0.03 = $4.14 every two weeks.
For about $4 a paycheck, she more than triples her coverage. She skips the physical exam because she filed inside the 60 days.
Example 2: Marcus Misses His Window
Marcus is 47, a GS-12 earning $105,000. His daughter was born in January. He meant to add coverage but forgot.
Now it's nine months later. The 60 days are long gone. To add Option B today, he'd need to pass a physical exam. He has high blood pressure. OPM may not approve him.
The lesson is simple. A 60-day deadline is firm, and being healthy today doesn't promise you'll be approved later.
Example 3: Priya, A Military Veteran Turned Fed
Priya left the Air Force and started a federal job. She still has Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or converted to VGLI. She wonders if she needs FEGLI too.
She has 31 days after hire to add optional coverage with no exam. Her pay is $60,000.
- Basic: $60,000 plus $2,000 = $62,000.
- Option B (3 multiples): $60,000 × 3 = $180,000.
She compares VGLI costs and FEGLI costs. VGLI is priced by age in 5-year bands. Our guide to life insurance for military families can help you compare. The key point is that Priya checks her options inside her hire window, not after.
Quick Comparison
| Situation |
Exam needed? |
Time limit |
| New hire |
No |
About 31 days |
| Qualifying life event |
Usually no |
60 days |
| Anytime request |
Yes |
None, but not guaranteed |
| Open season |
No |
Only when OPM announces one |
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
A few mistakes come up again and again.
"FEGLI has an open season every year, like FEHB."
It doesn't. Don't wait around for one.
"My new baby is on my health plan, so they're on my life insurance."
Nope. Those are two separate programs. You must file the FEGLI change on its own.
"I can add coverage later if I need it."
Maybe. But "later" often means a physical exam. If your health changes, you could be turned down.
"The 60 days start when I get around to it."
The clock starts on the day of the event. Marriage date, birth date, or divorce date. Count carefully.
"A pay raise means I must file something."
Not usually. Your Basic coverage and Option B follow your pay. They go up when your pay goes up, and so does the cost. You don't need to do anything, but check your pay stub so the cost doesn't surprise you.
"If I cancel, I can restart whenever."
Not so. Restarting usually needs a life event or an exam. Cancel only if you're sure.
Step-by-Step: How to Change Your FEGLI Coverage
Here's your action plan.
- Write down the date of your life event. Count 60 days forward. Put the last day on your calendar.
- Check your current coverage. Look at your pay stub or your agency's benefits system. Note which options you have today.
- Decide how much you need. A common starting point is 5 to 10 times your yearly income when you have a spouse and kids who rely on your pay. Your needs may differ.
- Look up your premium. Use the age-based rate chart from OPM. Multiply the rate by the thousands of coverage you want.
- Get the form. Ask your HR office or benefits center for the SF 2817 (Life Insurance Election). Many agencies also let you do this online.
- Attach proof of the event. A marriage certificate or birth certificate is common.
- Turn it in before day 60. Don't wait for the last day.
- Keep a copy. Check your next pay stub to be sure the change shows up.
If you want to see how your total benefits budget looks after you add costs, the tax calculator can show how your take-home pay shifts. Premiums for FEGLI are generally paid with after-tax dollars, so your paycheck goes down by the full amount.
Thinking ahead to retirement? Read our guide on whether FEGLI is worth keeping into retirement. That's a separate question from timing.
Key Takeaways: The Bottom Line
- There's no yearly FEGLI open season. The last big one was in 2004, so don't plan around one.
- A qualifying life event gives you 60 days. Marriage, divorce, a spouse's death, or a new child can all open the door.
- New hires get about 31 days to add optional coverage without a physical exam.
- Waiting can cost you. Outside these windows, you may need to pass a health exam.
- FEGLI and FEHB are separate. Each has its own forms and deadlines.
- Do the math first. Look up your age-based rate at OPM, then decide how many multiples you need.
Want to see how your overall benefits fit together? Try the FEHB guide and calculator to see your health costs. For more on this topic, browse our benefits guide. For anything about your own coverage, your HR office and OPM have the final word.