Because your health matters.

We offer outstanding benefits, making your health and wellbeing a primary consideration. In addition to health and life insurance, we offer dental and vision plans, and other flexibilities to fit the needs of you and your family.

Health Benefits

The IRS participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), one of the best health care insurance programs in the world. What’s more, the IRS pays approximately 2/3 of your health insurance premium. You can choose from a variety of health care plans and options, and your IRS health benefits cover you and your family members at reasonable rates. This program offers:

  • One of the widest selections of plans in the country
  • Annual open season
  • Coverage that continues into retirement, at the same rate
  • Pre-tax options
  • No waiting periods. You can use your benefits as soon as your coverage becomes effective. There are no pre-existing condition limitations even if you change plans.
  • A choice of coverage. You can choose self-only coverage for you, or self and family coverage for you, your spouse, and unmarried dependent children under age 26. Under certain circumstances, your FEHB enrollment may cover your disabled child 26 years old or older who is incapable of self-support.
  • A choice of plans and options:
    • Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans
    • Plans offering a Point of Service (POS) product
    • Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)
  • A Government contribution. The Government pays 72 percent of the average premium toward the total cost of the premium, but not more than 75 percent of the total premium for any plan.
  • Salary deduction. Your share of the premium is deducted from your bi-weekly paycheck and you have the choice of doing so using pretax dollars.

If you are in an eligible position, you have 60 days from your entry on duty date to sign-up for a health insurance plan. Otherwise, you may enroll during the Federal Benefits Open Season which is held each year beginning the second Monday in November through the second Monday in December. You can also enroll or make changes outside of Open Season if you have a qualifying life event (QLE) such as the birth of a child, divorce, or other qualifying event.

If you don't make an election within 60 days from becoming eligible, you are considered to have declined coverage, and you must wait until the next open season or QLE to enroll. Except for open season, most enrollments are effective the first day of the first pay period after the agency receives your SF-2809, Health Benefits Election form. The enrollment must follow a pay period during any part of which you’re in pay status.

You can get all the latest information at the OPM web site, just go to http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp.

Dental and Vision Benefits

The Federal Employees’ Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) is available to eligible federal employees, retirees, and their eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. Employee must be eligible for FEHB in order to be eligible to enroll in FEDVIP. This Program allows dental and vision insurance to be purchased on a group basis which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrolled federal employees are withheld from your salary on a pre-tax basis.

If eligible, you can enroll in a dental plan and/or a vision plan. You may enroll in a plan for self-only, self plus one, or self and family coverage. Eligible family members include an enrollee's spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 22, or if age 22 or older, incapable of self-support. The rules for family members' eligibility are the same as they are for the FEHB Program.

Enrollment will take place during the annual Federal Benefits Open Season in November and December. New and newly eligible employees can enroll within the 60 days after they become eligible.

You can get all the latest information at the OPM web site, just go to http://www.opm.gov/insure/dental/index.asp, for dental plans, or go to http://www.opm.gov/insure/vision/index.asp for vision plans.

Life Insurance

At the IRS, not only do we pay for 1/3 of your basic premium, but basic coverage allows you to elect and pay for optional coverage for yourself or certain family members.

The Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) offers Basic Life Insurance that is equal to your annual basic pay, rounded to the next higher $1,000, plus $2,000. For example, if your annual salary is $48,108, your insurance would first be rounded to $49,000, then have $2,000 added, making your basic life insurance coverage $51,000.

You can also get three types of optional insurance:

  • Option A, Standard — in the amount of an additional $10,000 of coverage.
  • Option B, Additional — in an amount from one to five times your annual basic pay (after rounding up to the next $1,000).
  • Option C, Family — provides coverage for your spouse and eligible dependent children in multiples from one to five. Each multiple is equal to $5,000 for your spouse and $2,500 for each eligible child.

If you're in a FEGLI-eligible position, you're automatically enrolled in Basic Life Insurance, which is effective on the first day you enter in a pay and duty status UNLESS you waive this coverage before the end of your first pay period. You do NOT get any optional insurance automatically – you must complete an SF-2817, Life Insurance Election form to enroll in the coverage.

You have 60 days from your entry date to sign up for any Optional life insurance. If you do not make an election, you are considered to have waived optional insurance.

No proof of insurability is required for the Basic insurance you get upon being hired, or any optional insurance you sign-up for during the first 60 days. Proof of insurability may be required for insurance changes after that time.

The cost of Basic insurance is shared between you and the Government. You pay 2/3 of the total cost and the Government pays 1/3. Your age does not affect the cost of Basic insurance. You pay the full cost of Optional insurance, and the cost depends on your age.

You can get all the latest information at the OPM web site, just go to http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp.