How FEGLI works: a plain-English overview
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) is the group term life insurance program the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) runs for federal employees. Most new employees are enrolled in its Basic coverage automatically. Here is how the pieces fit together, using OPM's own handbook.
What FEGLI is, and what it is not
FEGLI is group term life insurance. It does not build cash value, and you cannot take a loan against it. OPM administers the program and sets the premiums. Claims are handled by the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI), an office of MetLife, which OPM contracts with to provide the coverage.
Basic insurance
Your Basic Insurance Amount is your annual rate of basic pay, rounded up to the next $1,000, plus $2,000. Employees under age 45 also get an Extra Benefit that increases the amount paid at no added premium, if death occurs before 45.
For most employees, the government pays one-third of the Basic premium and you pay two-thirds. The U.S. Postal Service pays the entire cost of Basic insurance for its employees.
The three options
You can add optional coverage only if you have Basic. You pay the full cost of every option you choose, and the premiums rise with age.
- Option A (Standard): $10,000 of coverage.
- Option B (Additional): 1 to 5 multiples of your annual rate of basic pay.
- Option C (Family): 1 to 5 multiples of coverage for your spouse and eligible children. Each multiple is $5,000 for a spouse and $2,500 for each eligible child.
When to enroll
Basic coverage starts automatically on your first day in pay and duty status in an eligible position, unless you waive it. To choose any options, you must elect them within 60 days of becoming eligible, using the FEGLI election form (SF 2817) through your human resources office. Coverage you elect in those first 60 days does not require proof of insurability.
Questions to ask yourself
- How much would your family need for the mortgage, debts and day-to-day costs?
- How will your coverage and its cost change as you age, and after you retire?
- Does your spouse need coverage of their own beyond Option C?
OPM's FEGLI calculator can show the amount and cost of different combinations of coverage.
Where private coverage fits
FEGLI and private life insurance are separate. Having one does not prevent you from having the other, and many people review both to decide on the mix that fits their budget. We can walk you through the comparison, with your FEGLI coverage left exactly as you choose.
Sources
- OPM, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Handbook, checked October 7, 2026
- OPM FAQ: I am a new federal employee. How do I get coverage under FEGLI?, checked October 7, 2026
- OPM, FEGLI program information, 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