United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 05-410 Date: December 27, 2005 

Subject: Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Temporary Extension 

of Coverage, Conversion to an Individual Contract, and the Right to 

Temporary Continuation of Coverage 

The purpose of this letter is to remind you of the responsibility to offer temporary extensions of 

coverage, conversion to individual contracts, and Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) 

when enrollees, family members, and former spouses terminate coverage. We have also listed a 

number of resources to help you properly administer these programs. 

Temporary Extension of Coverage and Conversion to an Individual Contract 

An enrollee and a covered family member whose enrollment is terminated other than by 

cancellation of the enrollment or discontinuance of the plan, in whole or part, is entitled to a 31-

day extension of coverage for self only or self and family without contributions by the enrollee 

or the Government. During this period he or she is entitled to exercise the right of conversion to 

an individual health insurance contract. The 31-day extension of coverage and the right of 

conversion for any person ends on the effective date of the new enrollment. 

The individual whose enrollment terminates must request conversion information from the losing 

health plan within 31 days of the date of the agency notice of the termination of the enrollment 

and of the right to convert. This means that you must provide timely notice to the employee that 

he or she has the right to this individual insurance coverage so that the health plan can be 

notified by the employee of the termination. 

An individual who fails to exercise his or her rights to convert to an individual policy within 31 

days after receiving notice of the right to convert from their health plan is deemed to have 

declined the right to convert unless the health plan, or, upon review, OPM determines the failure 

was for cause beyond his or her control. 

Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) 

In the case of a former employee who is eligible to elect TCC, you must notify the former 

employee concerning his or her rights no later than 30 days after the end of the 31day temporary 

extension of coverage. 
In the case of a child or former spouse who is eligible to elect TCC, the enrollee may, within 60 

days after the qualifying event, provide written notice to you of the child’s or former spouse’s 

change in status and request information about temporary continuation of coverage. The written 

notice must include the child’s or former spouse’s name and address and the date of the 

terminating event. 

If you receive the notice within 60 days after the date on which the child or former spouse ceased 

meeting the requirements for eligibility, you must notify the child or former spouse of his or her 

rights within 14 days after receiving the notice. This does not preclude you from notifying the 

child or former spouse of his or her rights based of oral or written notification by the child or 

former spouse, another family member, or any other source that the child or former spouse no 

longer meets the eligibility requirements for coverage. 

If you cannot give the required notice to the employee, child, or former spouse directly you must 

send the notice by first class mail. A notice that is mailed is deemed to be received 5 days after 

the date of the notice. 

The following are employing office responsibilities for TCC under Title 5 CFR 890.1111: 

• Providing information to employees. Employing offices are responsible for providing 

eligible employees with the information that sets forth their rights. This information must 

be distributed to eligible employees prior to each open season. 

• Administration of the enrollment process. The employing office must establish 

procedures for notifying the former employee, child, or former spouse about his or her 

eligibility to enroll, including what documents are needed to determine eligibility, and for 

accepting enrollment registrations. 

• Collecting premiums. (1) Collection of the contributions is the responsibility of the 

employing office of the employee or annuitant at the time of the qualifying event. (2) 

The employing office must submit all premium payments collected from enrollees along 

with its regular health benefits payments to OPM. 

• Health benefits file. The employing office must maintain a health benefits file for the 

enrollee as a file separate from the personnel records of the employee or former 

employee. This file may be destroyed 2 years after the end of the calendar year during 

which the 18 or 36 month TCC period expires. 

Resources 

The FEHB handbook and TCC pamphlet (RI 79-27) have extensive procedural guidance on 

temporary extensions of coverage, conversion to an individual contract, and TCC including 

example notices, timeframes, eligibility, and how to obtain information on coverage options and 

enrollment forms. 
For further information on temporary extension of coverage, conversion, and TCC, please 

consult the following resources: 

• Title 5 CFR 890.401 Temporary extension of coverage and conversion 

• Title 5 CFR 890.1101 Temporary Continuation of Coverage 

• FEHB Handbook: http://www.opm.gov/insure/handbook/fehb15.asp 

• RI 79-27 TCC Pamphlet: http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/tcc/ 

Please remember that under TCC, enrollees, family members, and former spouses may select any 

FEHB health plan that they are eligible for and can participate in the annual Open Season. (They 

do not need to enroll in the same health plan that they had prior to becoming eligible for TCC). 

It is your responsibility to timely notify enrollees of their eligibility for extensions of coverage, 

conversion, and TCC upon their enrollment termination. You are also responsible for timely 

notification of family members and former spouses of these rights once they have notified you of 

their enrollment termination. 

 Sincerely, 

 Robert F. Danbeck 

 Associate Director 

for Human Resources Products and Services