Title 5
SECTION 870.101
870.101 Definitions.
§ 870.101 Definitions.Accidental death and dismemberment refers to the insured's death or loss of a hand, a foot, or vision in one eye that results directly from, and occurs within one year of, a bodily injury caused solely through violent, external, and accidental means.
Acquisition of an eligible child occurs when:
(1) A child is born to the insured;
(2) The insured adopts a child;
(3) The insured acquires a foster child;
(4) The insured's stepchild or recognized natural child moves in with the insured;
(5) An otherwise eligible child's marriage is dissolved by divorce or annulment, or his or her spouse dies;
(6) The insured gains custody of an eligible child.
Annuitant means a former employee entitled to an annuity under a retirement system established for employees. This includes the retirement system of a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard.
Assign and assignment refer to an individual's irrevocable transfer to another individual, corporation, or trustee all ownership of FEGLI coverage (except Option C).
Assignee means the individual, corporation, or trustee to which an individual irrevocably transfers ownership of FEGLI coverage (except Option C).
Beneficiary means the individual, corporation, trust, or other entity that receives FEGLI benefits when an insured individual dies.
Child, as used in the definition of Family member for Option C coverage, means a legitimate child, an adopted child, a stepchild or foster child who lives with the employee or former employee in a regular parent-child relationship, or a recognized natural child. It does not include a stillborn child or a grandchild (unless the grandchild meets all the requirements of a foster child). The child must be under age 22 or, if age 22 or over, must be incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability which existed before the child reached age 22.
Child, as used in the order of precedence for payment of benefits, means a legitimate child, an adopted child, or a recognized natural child, of any age. It does not include a stepchild, a stillborn child, a grandchild, or a foster child. An individual who has reached age 18 is considered an adult and can receive a benefit payment in his/her name. However, if the age of adulthood where the individual has his/her legal residence is set at a lower age, the individual is considered an adult upon reaching that lower age. Adopted children do not inherit from their birth parents under the order of precedence stated in 5 U.S.C. 8705, other than as designated beneficiaries, but inherit from their adoptive parents. However, a child who is adopted by the spouse of a birth parent inherits from that birth parent.
Compensation means compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, which is payable because of an on-the-job injury or disease.
Compensationer means an employee or former employee who is entitled to compensation and whom the Department of Labor determines is unable to return to duty.
Court order means:
(1) A court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation; or
(2) A court-approved property settlement agreement relating to a court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation - that requires benefits to be paid to a specific person or persons and is received in the employing office before the insured dies.
Covered position means a position in which an employee is not excluded from FEGLI eligibility by law or regulation.
Date of retirement, as used in 5 U.S.C. 8706(b)(1)(A), means the starting date of annuity. For phased retirees, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 8336a and 8412a, the date of retirement is the date the individual enters full retirement status.
Dependent means living with or receiving regular and substantial support from the insured individual.
Duly appointed representative of the insured's estate means an individual named in a court order granting the individual the authority to receive, or the right to possess, the insured's property; the order must be issued by a court having jurisdiction over the insured's estate. Where the law of the insured's legal residence provides for the administration of estates through alternative procedures which do away with the need for a court order, this term also means an individual who shows that he/she is entitled to receive, or possess, the insured's property under the terms of those alternative procedures.
Employee means an individual defined by section 8701(a) of title 5, United States Code.
Employing office means the agency office or retirement system office that has responsibility for life insurance actions.
(1) The Administrative Office of the United States Courts is the employing office for judges of the following courts:
(i) All United States Courts of Appeals;
(ii) All United States District Courts;
(iii) The Court of International Trade;
(iv) The Court of Federal Claims; and
(v) The District Courts of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
(2) The Washington Headquarters Services is the employing office for judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
(3) The United States Tax Court is the employing office for judges of the United States Tax Court.
(4) The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is the employing office for judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Family member means a spouse (including a valid common law marriage) and unmarried dependent child(ren).
Immediate annuity means:
(1) An annuity that begins no later than 1 month after the date the insurance would otherwise stop (the date of separation from service), and
(2) An annuity under § 842.204(a)(1) of this title for which the starting date has been postponed under § 842.204(c) of this title.
Judge means an individual appointed as a Federal justice or judge under Article I or Article III of the Constitution.
OFEGLI means the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance, which pays benefits under the policy.
OPM means the Office of Personnel Management.
OWCP means the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, which administers subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code.
Parent means the mother or father of a legitimate child or an adopted child. The term parent includes the mother of a recognized natural child; it also includes the father of a recognized natural child if the recognized natural child meets the definition provided below.
Recognized natural child, with respect to paternity, is one for whom the father meets one of the following:
(1) (i) Has acknowledged paternity in writing;
(ii) Was ordered by a court to provide support;
(iii) Before his death, was pronounced by a court to be the father;
(iv) Was established as the father by a certified copy of the public record of birth or church record of baptism, if the insured was the informant and named himself as the father of the child; or
(v) Established paternity on public records, such as records of schools or social welfare agencies, which show that with his knowledge the insured was named as the father of the child.
(2) If paternity is not established by paragraph (1) of this definition, such evidence as the child's eligibility as a recognized natural child under other State or Federal programs or proof that the insured included the child as a dependent child on his income tax returns may be considered when attempting to establish paternity.
Reconsideration means the final level of administrative review of an employing office's initial decision to determine if the employing office followed the law and regulations correctly in making the initial decision concerning FEGLI eligibility and coverage.
Regular parent-child relationship means that the employee or former employee is exercising parental authority, responsibility, and control over the child by caring for, supporting, disciplining, and guiding the child, including making decisions about the child's education and medical care.
Service means civilian service which is creditable under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code. This includes service under a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard for an individual who elected to remain under a retirement system established for employees described in section 2105(c) of title 5.
Terminally ill means having a medical prognosis of a life expectancy of 9 months or less.
Underdeduction means a failure to withhold the required amount of life insurance deductions from an individual's pay, annuity, or compensation. This includes nondeductions (when none of the required amount was withheld) and partial deductions (when only part of the required amount was withheld).
[62 FR 48731, Sept. 17, 1997; 62 FR 52181, Oct. 6, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 16602, Apr. 6, 1999; 64 FR 72461, Dec. 28, 1999; 75 FR 60575, Oct. 1, 2010; 79 FR 46637, Aug. 8, 2014; 85 FR 60048, Sept. 24, 2020]