§ 870.601 - Termination of Basic insurance.

§ 870.601 Termination of Basic insurance.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or § 870.701, the Basic insurance of an insured employee stops on the date the employee separates from service, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage. Exception: If the employee was employed by the Architect of the Capitol as a Senate Restaurants employee the day before the food services operations of the Senate Restaurants were transferred to a private business concern and the employee accepted employment by the business concern and elected to continue his or her Federal retirement benefits and FEGLI coverage, the employee continues to be eligible for FEGLI coverage as long as he or she remains employed by the business concern or its successor.

(b) The Basic insurance of an employee who separates from service after meeting the requirement for an immediate annuity under § 842.204(a)(1) of this chapter and who postpones receiving the annuity, as provided by § 842.204(c) of this chapter (an MRA+10 annuity), stops on the date he or she separates from service, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage.

(c) The Basic insurance of an insured employee who moves without a break in service to a position in which he or she is excluded from life insurance stops on the last day of employment in the former position, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage. Exception: If the position is excluded by regulation (not by law), and the employee does not have a break in service of more than three days, the Basic insurance continues.

(d)

(1) Except as provided in § 870.701, the Basic insurance of an insured employee who is in nonpay status stops on the date the employee completes 12 months in nonpay status, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage. The 12 months' nonpay status may be broken by periods of less than 4 consecutive months in pay status. If an employee has at least 4 consecutive months in pay status after a period of nonpay status, he or she is entitled to begin the 12 months' continuation of Basic insurance again. If an employee has used up his or her 12 months' continuation in nonpay status and returns to duty for less than 4 consecutive months, his or her Basic insurance stops on the 32nd day after the last day of the last pay period in pay status.

(2) For the purpose of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, 4 consecutive months in pay status means any 4-month period during which the employee is in pay status for at least part of each pay period.

(3)

(i) For the purpose of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, an individual who is entitled to benefits under part 353 of this chapter (USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act of 1994), who separates to go on military duty instead of going into a nonpay status, is treated as an employee in nonpay status for life insurance purposes.

(ii) Basic insurance continues free for 12 months or until 90 days after military service ends, whichever comes first.

(iii) Effective January 28, 2008, an employee who enters on active duty, or active duty for training in one of the uniformed services for more than 30 days, may continue enrollment for an additional 12 months, for a total of up to 24 months.

(A) Each agency must notify its employees of the opportunity to elect to continue coverage for the additional 12 months.

(B) An employee wanting coverage for the additional 12 months must elect it prior to the end of the first 12 months in nonpay status, in a manner designated by the employing agency.

(C) Insurance continues free for the first 12 months; however, an employee must pay both the employee and agency share of premiums to the agency on a current basis for Basic coverage, and must pay the entire cost (there is no agency share) for any Optional insurance for the additional 12 months of coverage elected.

(D) For an employee who does not elect to continue coverage for an additional 12 months, coverage terminates at the end of the first 12 months in nonpay status subject to the 31-day extension of coverage and conversion rights as provided in § 870.603 of this part.

(e) Except for employees, annuitants, and compensationers who elect direct payment as provided in § 870.405 of this part, Basic insurance stops, subject to a 31-day extension of coverage, at the end of the pay period in which the employing office or retirement system determines that an individual's periodic pay, annuity, or compensation, after all other deductions, is not enough to cover the full cost of Basic insurance.

[75 FR 60581, Oct. 1, 2010]