Welfare Info

Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)

The Federal Government established the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program in 1954 to provide group term life insurance. FEGLI can help you meet your life insurance needs. Federal employees, Federal retirees (if they meet certain ...

What is Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)?

The Federal Government established the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program in 1954 to provide group term life insurance. FEGLI can help you meet your life insurance needs. Federal employees, Federal retirees (if they meet certain criteria to continue the coverage into retirement), and their family members can be covered under Basic and Optional insurance.

If you are an eligible employee you are automatically enrolled in Basic insurance, which covers your life for your annual rate of pay rounded up to the nearest whole $1,000 plus $2,000.  There are also three Optional insurances you can elect. Option A-Standard equals $10,000 more coverage on your life; Option B-Additional equals one to five multiples of your salary of more coverage on your life; and Option C-Family equals one to five multiples of coverage on the lives of your eligible family members. Each multiple of Option C equals $5,000 of coverage on your spouse and $2,500 of coverage on each eligible child.  Generally, eligible children under Option C are your unmarried dependent children under age 22.

Program Requirements

As a Federal employee, you are eligible to have FEGLI coverage, unless your position is excluded by law or regulation. Your Federal agency applies these rules and determines your eligibility. However, there are numerous special provisions for people in part-time or intermittent employment, temporary appointments, and specifically named positions.

For Federal employees, the chapter titled "Eligibility" in the FEGLI Handbook explains these and other eligibility provisions.

Application Details

What is the application process for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)?

Eligible employees enroll through their servicing human resources office. They can enroll by completing SF 2817 "Life Insurance Election" (some agencies have electronic enrollment). For information on obtaining the SF 2817 or on how to enroll in the FEGLI Program as a Federal employee, visit the enrollment page.