Civil Service 

Retirement 

System 

Federal Employees’ 

Group Life 

Insurance Program 

Federal Employees 

Health Benefits 

Program 

Federal Employees 

Retirement 

System 

Federal 

Long Term 

Care Insurance 

Program 

United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Retirement and Insurance Service 

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 02-206 Date: April 26, 2002 

Subject: Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program – Expiration of 3-Year 

Portability Demonstration Project

Purpose 

The purpose of this Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) is to announce the expiration of the 3-

Year Portability Demonstration Project. 

Why is Portability Expiring? 

As we previously informed you in BAL 99-210, Pub. L. 105-311 implemented the Portability 

provision on April 24, 1999. The law allowed employees and compensationers who separated or 

completed 12 months non-pay status (and assignees if the coverage was assigned) after that date the 

option to “port,” or continue, their Additional Option B coverage if otherwise eligible. Employing 

agencies provided information on Portability along with conversion information to these 

individuals. OPM and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) established the Portability 

Office to administer the provision and process these requests. Since it was created as a 3-year 

demonstration project, it expired April 24, 2002, and is no longer available. 

What Happens to Individuals Who Ported Their Option B Coverage? 

For individuals with active accounts, MetLife will notify them by letter that the ported coverage 

continues through April 30, 2002, and will provide conversion information. They are entitled to 

the 31-day free extension of coverage through May 31, 2002. In addition, if they paid May 1st

premiums (for the month of May), they will receive a refund from MetLife. For individuals 

whose accounts are not active or lapsed due to non-payment of premiums, the account was 

treated previously as a cancellation, and they were notified at that time. 
2

What Happens to Individuals Who Recently Ported Coverage? 

For eligible individuals who recently applied for ported coverage, MetLife will honor their 

requests to port Option B, explain to them that it expired April 24, 2002, and provide conversion 

rights. For individuals whose separation/termination of life insurance dates are such that the 

ported coverage would commence after the expiration date of the law, the Portability Office will 

notify them by letter that the provision has expired, return their applications, and give them 

conversion rights for Option B. 

What Do Agencies Have To Do?

Agencies should no longer provide Portability information to these categories of individuals 

noted above, nor issue the “PORTABILITY NOTICE” previously available through the FEGLI 

Handbook. Instead, give these individuals existing conversion information, along with the 

Standard Form 2819 “Notice of Conversion Privilege,” and the Standard Form 2821 “Agency 

Certification of Insurance Status,” so they can obtain conversion information from the Office of 

Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI). Please note the address on the SF 2819 is 

not current. The current address is: OFEGLI, P.O. Box 2627, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2627. The 

FEGLI Handbook has been updated to reflect these changes. You can access the latest FEGLI 

information at: http://www.opm.gov/insure/life. 

What About the Designations, Assignments, and Court Orders That We Sent to MetLife? 

MetLife will retain the designations of beneficiary and assignments. Since these elections cancel 

31 days after the coverage terminates on April 30th, they are invalid if the individual returns to 

active service after May 31, 2002. If a former Federal employee returns to service after this date, 

give the employee new forms to complete along with all other benefits information for new 

employees. 

However, MetLife will return a court order and accompanying documents on file to the 

individual’s former employing agency of record at the end of the insured period. The court order 

must be filed in the former employees’ Official Personnel Folder (OPF), since it is still valid if 

the individual returns to active service. 

 

 Abby L. Block 

 Assistant Director 

 for Insurance Programs