Conversion

Conversion is the privilege given to an insured federal employee, retiree, or an insured family member of a federal employee where there is a loss of group life insurance coverage, either as the result of the employee's termination from federal service or death. The eligible person may convert all or a portion of any insurance that would be "lost" to them beacuse of such event to an individual policy with the term life insurance carrier or an affiliate. There is no medical examination required and issuance of coverage is guaranteed.

Option C – Family Life Insurance is a FEGLI coverage on the life of a federal employee’s spouse and the lives of any dependent children under the age of 22. The Option C coverage terminates at the time of passing of a federal employee, however any surviving covered spouse and children have 31 days to convert the terminated coverage.

A spouse and/or dependent child can convert their FEGLI Option C by applying to the same insurance company (or an affiliate) for an individual Whole Life Insurance policy with a death benefit amount equal to or less than the amount of term life coverage that has terminated. The amount which can be converted will be shown on the RI76-15 form (for surviving spouses and dependents of retired Federal Employees) or determined by OFEGLI (for surviving spouses and dependents of active Federal Employees).

 Option C coverage is term coverage which does not build cash value, so it can’t be cashed out; therefore, the only 2 options of a surviving spouse or dependent child are to let it terminate, or to convert it.

Option C coverage is term coverage which does not build cash value, so it can’t be cashed out; therefore, the only 2 options are to let it terminate, or to convert it.

The form titled “You May Convert Option C – Family Life Insurance” also known as RI76-15, is a form issued by OPM to the surviving family members of a deceased Federal Employee who elected Option C-Family Life Insurance as one of their FEGLI coverage options. The form indicates the amount of coverage that you may be eligible to apply for as a permanent life insurance policy for your own life to replace the term life coverage on your life that terminated upon the employee’s death. If you are interested in converting your Option C coverage, please fill in the back page of the RI76-15 and mail it to OFEGLI at 200 Park Avenue, New York NY 10166-0188 within 31 days of the date of RI76-15 form receipt. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO OPM.

The rates for the new policy are provided by the issuing insurer, and OFEGLI is unable to provide the rates. Once you submit the SF2819 or the RI76-15 forms timely, OFEGLI will issue a Conversion Authorization letter that will include the phone numbers for MetLife and any other eligible Insurance company(s), and these eligible companies will be then able to provide the rates for the applicable available conversion policy. 

If your children are under the age of 22, or if they are 22 or older and were disabled prior to age 22, then please fill in the back page of the RI76-15 (or Part C of the SF2819) and mail it to OFEGLI at 200 Park Avenue, New York NY 10166-0188 within 31 days of the date of RI76-15 (or the SF2819) form receipt. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO OPM.

Once you submit the RI76-15 or SF2819 forms timely, OFEGLI will issue a Conversion Authorization letter that will include the phone numbers for MetLife and any other eligible Insurance company(s), and these eligible companies will be then able to provide the rates for their applicable available conversion policy. You will then be able to pick the permanent life insurance coverage that best suits your needs.

You may be able to convert your term coverage even though you failed to submit the form titled “You May Convert Option C – Family Life Insurance” also known as RI76-15 timely. To determine whether conversion may still be available, you must send in the RI76-15 form along with an explanation indicating why you were unable to mail your documentation. If the explanation supports the assertion that you could not mail in the required documents due to circumstances beyond your control, you may still be able to convert, provided that al required documentation to do so is received by the applicable insurance company within 6 months from the date of the employee's passing.

You can convert your FEGLI term life coverage, within 31 days after the date you separate from federal employment. You will need to send the completed standard forms SF2819 (Notice of Conversion Privilege (2819)) and SF2821 (Agency Certification of Insurance Status (2821)) to OFEGLI within 31 days of receiving the SF2819 and OFEGLI must receive them no later than 60 days after the date of separation stated on the SF2821. Both forms should be provided to you by your HR department. In case you do not receive the SF2819 timely from your HR department you can download the forms on the OPM website (Notice of Conversion Privilege (2819), Agency Certification of Insurance Status (2821)) and send it to OFEGLI for processing.

If you wish to convert FEGLI, you must send the completed forms SF2821 and SF2819 to OFEGLI within 31 days of receiving the SF2819 and OFEGLI must receive them no later than 60 days from the date of separation stated on SF2821. If you did not receive any forms from your HR, you should contact them as soon as possible and ask that the forms be sent to you. If you are unsuccessful in obtaining the forms, please download the form located on the OPM website “Notice of Conversion Privilege (2819)”, fill in the Part C of the form and mail it to OFEGLI at FEGLI 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166 as soon as possible.

If you carried all of your FEGLI insurance into retirement, there is nothing further for you to do, and OPM will handle your life insurance. You can ignore the forms provided by your HR since you carried all of your insurance into retirement.

If you were ineligible to carry some of your FEGLI coverages into retirement you may convert those coverages into an individual coverage. In order to do that you would have to submit your SF2821 and SF2819 to OFEGLI within 60 days from the date of your retirement, or within 31 days from the date of SF2819 issuance.

At the end of the 12-month non-pay status, your FEGLI coverage expires and then you have a 31-day extension of FEGLI coverage, after that time, your FEGLI coverage ends. To keep life insurance coverage, you can convert it, or you can look for another life insurance coverage in the open market. If you wish to convert FEGLI, you must send the completed forms SF2821 and SF2819 to OFEGLI within 31 days of receiving the SF2819. The SF2819 must be received by OFEGLI within 60 days from the date of separation stated on SF2821.