Can you keep your Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage if you retire early? Yes, but you generally need to satisfy two important FEHB retirement requirements.
First, you must retire under an immediate annuity. Retirement through an approved Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, commonly called VERA, can meet this requirement.
Second, you must have been continuously enrolled in or covered by FEHB during the five years of service immediately before retirement. If you had fewer than five years of eligible service, you generally must have had coverage from your first opportunity to enroll. Coverage as an eligible family member may also count.
Missing either requirement could prevent you from carrying FEHB into retirement, so verify your eligibility with your agency’s human resources office before selecting an early-retirement date. Learn more from the official OPM FEHB eligibility guidance.
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