§4069c Health Benefits for Certain Former Spouses

Summary

Allows certain former spouses of Foreign Service employees to join a government health plan if they meet three rules: their marriage ended by divorce or annulment before May 7, 1985; they were on the employee’s family plan at some time in the 18-month period before the divorce became final; and they were married to the employee for at least 10 years while the employee was in government service. If eligible, a former spouse may sign up for self or self-and-family by filing an election and, before the end of the 6‑month period beginning on December 22, 1987, following the signup steps the Director of the Office of Personnel Management sets and paying into the Employees Health Benefits Fund (under section 8909 of title 5) an amount equal to the combined employee and agency contributions for that plan and benefit level. The Secretary must try to find and notify eligible former spouses and can waive the 6‑month deadline when appropriate. If a former spouse remarries before age 55, they cannot make the initial election and, if already enrolled, their coverage ends 31 days after remarriage. A person cannot be covered under this rule while covered under some other authority, and cannot have more than one enrollment under this rule. “Health benefits plan” means an approved plan under chapter 89 of title 5. A special rule lets certain former spouses who qualified on February 14, 1981 but were married to employees of the United States Information Agency or the Agency for International Development get these benefits if the employee retired under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability System before their agency could join the Foreign Service system and the marriage included at least five years of overseas service.