FEHB
FEHB in retirement
What to review when thinking about Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage in retirement.
FEHB continuation can be high impact. Use this as an educational checklist and confirm your facts with official guidance.
Last reviewed 2026-04-25
The five-year idea
OPM guidance generally points employees to the five years of service immediately before retirement, or the full period since first opportunity to enroll if shorter.
There can be nuance when someone has breaks in service, TRICARE, or other coverage history. Do not assume a simple calendar shortcut answers every case.
Immediate annuity matters
OPM retirement life-event guidance connects FEHB continuation with retiring on an immediate annuity in a qualifying retirement system.
This is one reason MRA+10 immediate, postponed, and deferred decisions deserve careful review before separation.
Planning checklist
Before using a retirement date in the calculator, gather your FEHB enrollment history, breaks in service, and any TRICARE details that may be relevant.
Use the saved-scenario workflow to compare timing, but verify health benefit continuation separately with official channels.