Back of Part 3
Instructions for Employees
Chapter 87, title 5, U.S. Code, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance, authorizes solicitation of this information. The data you furnish will be used to determine your life insurance coverage. This
information may be shared and is subject to verification, via paper, electronic media, or through the use of the computer matching programs, with national, state, local or other charitable or social
security administrative agencies to determine and issue benefits under their programs or law enforcement agencies, when they are investigating a violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law.
Executive Order 9397 (November 22, 1943) authorizes use of the Social Security Number to distinguish between the applicant and people with similar names. Failure to furnish the requested
information may result in your agency's inability to determine your life insurance coverage.
We estimate this form takes an average of 15 minutes to complete including the time for getting the needed data and reviewing both the instructions and completed form. Send comments regarding our
estimate or any other aspect of this form, including suggestions for reducing completion time, to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Retirement Services Publications Team (3206-0230),
Washington, DC 20415-3430. The OMB Number, 3206-0230 is currently valid. OPM may not collect this information, and you are not required to respond, unless this number is displayed.
Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements
1.
General Information
The major provisions of this program are described in the Federal
Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program Booklet (FE 76-21
or FE 76-20 for U.S. Postal Service employees). Please read the entire booklet
carefully. Your completed copy of this election form (SF 2817) and the
FEGLI Program Booklet constitute your certificate (proof) of insurance.
These publications, as well as comprehensive FEGLI information, are
available at www.opm.gov/insure/life.
Standard Form 2817
Revised November 2011
6. I Am An Assignee. What Can I Do?
If you are completing this form in order to cancel some or all of the
employee's life insurance coverage, you must sign the form. The
information in Section 2 of the form refers to the employee, but you must
sign in Section 3, 4 or 5, as applicable. Indicate "assignee" after your
2.
I Am A New Employee or Newly Eligible for Life Insurance. What
Do I Need To Know?
You are automatically enrolled in Basic (even if you don't complete this form)
unless you waive it. If you waive Basic, you automatically waive all forms of
Optional insurance. You will not have any Optional insurance unless you elect it.
To elect Basic: You do not have to submit this form unless you also wish to
elect Optional insurance.
To waive Basic: Sign Section 5 of the form and give it to your employing
office. Your agency will withhold Basic premiums from your salary from
your first day at work in a pay status UNLESS you submit your waiver before
the end of your first pay period.
To elect Optional: Sign Section 3 and one or more of the blocks in Section 4
of the form and give it to your employing office within 60 days after the date
you are appointed or first become eligible for life insurance.
To waive Optional: If you do not sign for a particular type of Optional
coverage in Section 4, you automatically waive that coverage.
3.
I Am An Employee With Prior Government Service. What Do I
Need To Know?
When you return to work after a break in service of less than 180 days, your
human resources office will automatically enroll you in the same coverage
that you had before you left your prior position, if any. This coverage will be
effective on your first day in a pay and duty status in a FEGLI eligible
position. You will have to qualify to elect other coverage (open season,
providing medical information, or a life event). If you waived some coverage,
then the waiver of that coverage is still in effect.
When you return to work after a break in service of 180 days or more, your
human resources office will automatically enroll you in Basic and the same
Optional insurance that you had in your prior position. This coverage will be
effective on your first day in a pay and duty status in a FEGLI eligible
position. You may elect more insurance (if you don't already have the
maximum) within 60 days of your appointment to an eligible position. If you
previously waived coverage then that waiver is no longer in effect. You will
automatically be enrolled in Basic, unless you file a new waiver.
4.
5.
If you waive your insurance when you return to Federal Service as a
reemployed annuitant, you also waive your insurance with your retirement
annuity. You will have no FEGLI life insurance. It is important that you
contact your human resources office and inform them that you are a
reemployed annuitant. More details can be found in OPM Form 1482,
Agency Certification of Status of Reemployed Annuitants.
See the FEGLI Program Booklet (FE 76-21 or FE 76-20 for U.S. Postal
Service Employees) for more details.
I Am A Reemployed Annuitant. What Do I Need To Know?
What If I Assigned My Coverage?
If you have assigned your insurance by filing an RI 76-10, Assignment of
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance, you may not cancel any of your
insurance coverage (except Option C). Only the assignee(s) may cancel your
coverage. However, you may elect new coverage if you otherwise meet the
requirements for electing such coverage. Any new coverage you elect will
automatically be subject to your existing assignment, except for Option C,
which you cannot assign. All assignments are automatically canceled after a
break in service of at least 31 days, or upon cancellation of all life insurance
coverage by the assignee(s).
signature. Return the completed form to the employee's employing office. If
the insured is an annuitant, return the completed form to OPM, Retirement
Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017-0045. See #11 for where
to return the completed form if the insured is a compensationer.
Be Sure You Sign For All Options You Want. This election supersedes all
previous ones. If you have optional coverage and wish to keep it, you must
sign the appropriate box(es). If you do not sign for it, you have waived it.
7.
How Do I Complete The Form?
Follow the instructions for each item carefully. After you fill out the form,
review it to be sure it is complete and correct. The following checklist should
help.
If you sign Section 3, you elect (or retain) Basic.
If you sign any block in Section 4, you elect (or retain) Optional Insurance.
You must also elect (or retain) Basic by signing Section 3.
If you sign Section 4 for Option B and/or Option C, you must also mark
one of the five boxes to show how many multiples you wish to elect (or
retain). Do not mark more than one box.
If you sign Section 5, you waive all FEGLI coverage.
Only you, the employee, may sign this form. Signatures by guardians,
conservators, or through a power of attorney are not acceptable.
Exception: If you have assigned your insurance, only the assignee(s) may
cancel some or all of your coverage. In that case, the assignee(s) must sign
the form (although the information in Section 2 must refer to you).
REMEMBER THAT YOU, NOT YOUR AGENCY, ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT YOUR SF 2817 (OR ITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIVALENT) IS CORRECT AND ACCURATELY
REFLECTS YOUR INTENTIONS. IF YOU DO NOT SIGN FOR IT,
YOU HAVE CANCELED/WAIVED IT.
8.
Open Seasons
If you elected coverage during an Open Season, and that coverage has not yet
become effective, and you want to make a further change to your FEGLI
coverage on this SF 2817, you should check with your employing office.
That office can tell you about any special election procedures that may apply.
9.
What If I Waive or Reduce My Coverage?
If you do not sign for a particular type of coverage, you have waived that
coverage. If you waive Basic or one or more of the options, your opportunities
to enroll in the coverage you waived are strictly limited. A waiver may
also affect your eligibility to continue coverage into retirement. See the
FEGLI Program Booklet (FE 76-21 or FE 76-20 for U.S. Postal Service
employees) for more details.
10.
Where Do I Send The Completed Form?
After you have completed this form and verified that it accurately reflects your
intentions, send the entire form (without separating the parts) to your human
resources office. Do not send the form to OPM or OFEGLI.
11.
What If I Receive Workers' Compensation?
If you are receiving compensation payments from the Office of Workers'
Compensation Programs (OWCP), provide your OWCP number in Section 2
of the form. If you are still employed, return the completed form to your
employing office. If you are not still employed or if you have been receiving
compensation payments for at least 12 months, see your human resources
office about your continued eligibility under the FEGLI Program.
12.
How Do I Verify That My Agency Processed My Election?
After your employing office processes your election form, you will receive
an SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action. A two digit code appearing on
the SF 50 will explain your insurance coverage. These codes are explained
in Part 2 of the SF 2817. Also check your pay statement for the correct
withholdings. If you are insured as a compensationer, you will receive a notice
from OPM which will explain your insurance coverage.
13.
Where Do I Get More Information About The FEGLI Program?
Consult the FEGLI Program Booklet (FE 76-21 or FE 76-20 for U.S. Postal
Service employees) or the FEGLI Handbook (RI 76-26), which are available
on the FEGLI web site at www.opm.gov/insure/life.