Your first weeks in a federal job decide a lot about your life insurance, because the easiest window to add coverage closes 60 days after you become eligible. Here is what to do, and when.
Week 1: know what you already have
Most new employees are enrolled in FEGLI Basic life insurance automatically, starting on the first day they are in pay and duty status in an eligible position. Basic pays about a year's salary plus $2,000. You do not need to do anything to keep it. See how FEGLI works.
Before day 60: decide on the options
You can add Option A ($10,000), Option B (1 to 5 times your pay) and Option C (coverage for your spouse and children) within 60 days of becoming eligible, using the FEGLI election form, SF 2817, through your human resources office. Coverage you elect in that window does not require proof of insurability. After it closes, adding coverage is much harder: it takes a qualifying life event (see adding FEGLI after a marriage or a new baby) or medical information.
Questions to settle before the deadline:
- How much would your family need if your income stopped: the mortgage, debts, childcare and years of living costs?
- Does your spouse need coverage too? Option C's amounts are modest; a spouse may need their own policy.
- What will it cost over time? Option B and C premiums rise with age; at 60–64, Option B costs 20 times its under-35 rate per $1,000 of coverage. See FEGLI premiums at each age.
If you do not want Basic
You can waive Basic insurance with the same form. Think carefully first: getting it back later requires a qualifying life event or medical information.
Name your beneficiaries
If you name no one, the law decides who is paid. To choose for yourself, file form SF 2823; see how to name FEGLI beneficiaries.
When to look beyond FEGLI
FEGLI is easy to get and has no medical questions in your first 60 days, which makes it valuable. Its limits are also worth knowing: Option B and C costs climb with age, and most coverage shrinks after you retire and turn 65. Many families add private life insurance with a premium that stays level for 10 to 30 years.
Sources
- OPM FAQ: I am a new federal employee. How do I get coverage under FEGLI?, checked October 7, 2026
- Federal Register, FEGLI final rule (October 1, 2010, document 2010-24493): Optional insurance election window changed from 31 to 60 days, checked October 7, 2026
- OPM, FEGLI program information and premium rates, checked October 7, 2026
- Department of Defense, DCPAS: The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (2021), checked October 7, 2026