(a) Effective date—generally. Except as otherwise provided, a change of enrollment takes effect on the first day of the first pay period that begins after the date the employing office receives an appropriate request to change the enrollment.

(b) Belated change of enrollment. When an employing office determines that an enrollee was unable, for cause beyond his or her control, to change the enrollment within the time limits prescribed by this section, the enrollee may do so within 60 days after the employing office advises the enrollee of its determination.

(c) Change of enrollment by proxy. Subject to the discretion of the employing office, an enrollee's representative, having written authorization to do so, may change the enrollment for the enrollee.

(d) Decreasing enrollment type.

(1) An enrollee may decrease enrollment type at any time.

(2) A decrease in enrollment type takes effect on the first day of the first pay period that begins after the date the employing office receives an appropriate request to change the enrollment, except that at the request of the enrollee and upon a showing satisfactory to the employing office that there was no family member eligible for coverage under the self plus one or self and family enrollment, or only one family member eligible for coverage under the self and family enrollment, as appropriate, the employing office may make the change effective on the first day of the pay period following the one in which there was, in the case of a self plus one enrollment, no family member or, in the case of a self and family enrollment, only one or no family member.

(e) Open season.

(1) During an open season as provided by §890.301(f), an enrollee (except for a former spouse who is eligible for continued coverage under §890.1103(a)(3)) may decrease or increase enrollment type, change from one plan or option to another, or make any combination of these changes. A former spouse who is eligible for continued coverage under §890.1103(a)(3) may change from one plan or option to another, but may not increase enrollment type unless the individual to be covered under the self plus one or self and family enrollment qualifies as a family member under §890.1106(a)(2).

(2) An open season change of enrollment takes effect on the first day of the first pay period that begins in January of the next following year.

(3) When a belated open season change of enrollment is accepted by the employing office under paragraph (b) of this section, it takes effect as required by paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(f) Change in family status.

(1) Except for a former spouse, an enrollee may decrease or increase enrollment type, change from one plan or option to another, or make any combination of these changes when the enrollee's family status changes, including a change in marital status or any other change in family status. The enrollee must change the enrollment within the period beginning 31 days before the date of the change in family status, and ending 60 days after the date of the change in family status.

(2) A former spouse who is covered under this section may increase enrollment type, change from one plan or option to another, or make any combination of these changes within the period beginning 31 days before and ending 60 days after the birth or acquisition of a child who qualifies as a covered family member under §890.1106(a)(2).

(3) A change of enrollment made in conjunction with the birth of a child, or the addition of a child as a new family member in some other manner, takes effect on the first day of the pay period in which the child is born or becomes an eligible family member.

(g) Reenrollment of individuals who lose other coverage under this part. An individual whose continued coverage under this section terminates because of the provisions of §890.1110(a)(3) (termination due to other coverage under another provision of this part) may reenroll if the coverage that terminated the enrollment under this part ends, but not later than the expiration of the period described in §890.1107. Coverage does not extend beyond the expiration of the period described in §890.1107. The effective date of the reenrollment is the day following the termination of the coverage described in §890.1110(a)(3).

(h) Loss of coverage under this part or under another group insurance plan. An enrollee may decrease or increase enrollment type, change from one plan or option to another, or make any combination of these changes when the enrollee loses coverage under this part or a qualified family member of the enrollee loses coverage under this part or under another group health benefits plan. Except as otherwise provided, an enrollee must change the enrollment within the period beginning 31 days before the date of loss of coverage and ending 60 days after the date of loss of coverage. Losses of coverage include, but are not limited to—

(1) Loss of coverage under another FEHB enrollment due to the termination, cancellation, or change to self plus one or to self only, of the covering enrollment.

(2) Loss of coverage under another federally-sponsored health benefits program.

(3) Loss of coverage due to the termination of membership in an employee organization sponsoring or underwriting an FEHB plan.

(4) Loss of coverage due to the discontinuance of an FEHB plan, in whole or in part. For an enrollee who loses coverage under this paragraph (h)(4)—

(i) If the discontinuance is at the end of a contract year, the enrollee must change the enrollment during the open season, unless OPM establishes a different time. If the discontinuance is at a time other than the end of the contract year, OPM must establish a time and effective date for the enrollee to change the enrollment.

(ii) If the whole plan is discontinued, an enrollee who does not change the enrollment within the time set will be enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan option, as defined in §890.301(n);

(iii) If one or more options of a plan are discontinued, an enrollee who does not change the enrollment will enrolled in the remaining option of the plan, or in the case of a plan with two or more options remaining, the lowest-cost remaining option that is not a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP);

(iv) If the discontinuance of the plan, whether permanent or temporary, is due to a disaster, the enrollee must change the enrollment within 60 days of the disaster, as announced by OPM. If the enrollee does not change the enrollment within the time frame announced by OPM, the enrollee will be enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan option, as defined in §890.301(n). The effective date of enrollment changes under this provision will be set by OPM when it makes the announcement allowing such changes;

(v) An enrollee who is unable, for causes beyond his or her control, to make an enrollment change within the 60 days following a disaster and is, as a result, enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan as defined in §890.301(n), may request a belated enrollment into the plan of his or her choice subject to the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.

(5) Loss of coverage under the Medicaid program or similar State-sponsored program of medical assistance for the needy.

(6) Loss of coverage under a non-Federal health plan.

(i) Move from comprehensive medical plan's area. An enrollee in a comprehensive medical plan who moves or becomes employed outside the geographic area from which the plan accepts enrollments, or, if already outside this area, moves or becomes employed further from this area, may change the enrollment upon notifying the employing office of the move or change of place of employment. Similarly, an enrollee whose covered family member moves outside the geographic area from which the plan accepts enrollments, or if already outside this area, moves further from this area, may change the enrollment upon notifying the employing office of the family member's move. The change of enrollment takes effect on the first day of the pay period that begins after the employing office receives an appropriate request.

(j) On becoming eligible for Medicare. An enrollee may change the enrollment from one plan or option to another at any time beginning on the 30th day before becoming eligible for coverage under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Medicare). A change of enrollment based on becoming eligible for Medicare may be made only once.

[62 FR 38442, July 18, 1997, as amended at 72 FR 1912, Jan. 17, 2007; 80 FR 55737, Sept. 17, 2015; 80 FR 65883, Oct. 28, 2015]