Keeping Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage in retirement depends on five continuous years of enrollment before you retire. In this guide, Ed Zurndorfer explains what counts toward those five years, including coverage through a spouse, TRICARE, and breaks in service. He also outlines what does not count, such as Medicare, Temporary Continuation of Coverage, and non-appropriated fund service. Employees 5 to 10 years from retirement who are not enrolled will find out why the upcoming FEHB open season also matters more…

Federal retirees can leave the Federal Employees Health Benefits program in two very different ways. Cancelling usually ends the right to reenroll and the 31-day extension of coverage, while suspending, for example to join a private Medicare Advantage plan, preserves the option to return at a future open season. Ed Zurndorfer walks you through each box on Form RI 79-9, the premium conversion and Medicare Part B issues for retirees covered under a working spouse, and the reenrollment rules that follow each choice. more…