You are eligible if—

(a) You meet the definition of employee in 5 U.S.C. 8901(1), unless you are in an excluded position;

(b) You are an employee of the United States Postal Service or the District of Columbia courts;

(c)(1) You were employed by the Architect of the Capitol as a Senate Restaurants employee the day before the food services operations of the Senate Restaurants were transferred to a private business concern; and

(2) You accepted employment by the business concern and elected to continue your Federal retirement benefits and your FEDVIP coverage. You continue to be eligible for FEDVIP coverage as long as you remain employed by the business concern or its successor; or

(d) You are an employee in a position identified by OPM that provides emergency response services for wildland fire protection pursuant to § 890.102(h) of this chapter; or you are an employee pursuant to § 890.102(i) of this chapter, under which, upon request by the employing agency, OPM may grant eligibility to employees performing similar types of emergency response services. OPM may limit the coverage of intermittent employees to the periods of time during which they are in a pay status pursuant to § 890.102(i) of this chapter.

Excluded positions are described in 5 U.S.C. 8901(1)(i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) and § 890.102(c) of this chapter, except that employees of the United States Postal Service, District of Columbia courts, and employees identified in § 890.102(c)(9)(i) and (ii) of this chapter are not excluded positions. You are in an excluded position if you are:

(a) An employee of a corporation supervised by the Farm Credit Administration, if private interests elect or appoint a member of the board of directors.

(b) An employee who is not a citizen or national of the United States and your permanent duty station is outside the United States. Exception: You are eligible if you met the definition of employee on September 30, 1979, by service in an Executive agency, the United States Postal Service, or the Smithsonian Institution in the area that was then known as the Canal Zone.

(c) An employee of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

(d) An individual first employed by the Government of the District of Columbia on or after October 1, 1987, except employees of the District of Columbia Courts and those employees defined at § 890.102 (c)(8) of this chapter.

(e) Serving under an appointment limited to 1 year or less. Exceptions: You are eligible if:

(1) You are an acting postmaster;

(2) You are a Presidential appointee appointed to fill an unexpired term;

(3) You are an employee with a provisional appointment, as defined in §§ 316.401 and 316.403 of this chapter;

(4) You have completed 1 year of current continuous employment, excluding any break in service of 5 days or less;

(5) You are an employee working on a temporary appointment, and if you meet the conditions in § 890.102(j) of this chapter, you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office; or

(6) You are an employee of the United States Postal Service working on a temporary appointment, and if you meet the conditions of § 890.102(j) of this chapter except the requirement of being a non-Postal employee, you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office.

(f) Expected to work fewer than six months in each year. Exceptions: You are eligible if:

(1) You receive an appointment of at least one year's duration as an Intern under § 213.3402(a) of this chapter. To qualify, you must be expected to be in a pay status for at least one-third of the total period of time from the date of the first appointment to the completion of the work-study program.

(2) You are an employee working on a seasonal schedule of less than 6 months in a year, and if you meet the conditions in § 890.102(j) of this chapter, you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office.

(3) You are an employee of the United States Postal Service working on a seasonal schedule of less than 6 months in a year, and if you meet the conditions in § 890.102(j) of this chapter except the requirement of being a non-Postal employee, you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office.

(g)(1) An intermittent employee (a non-full-time employee without a prearranged regular tour of duty). Exception: If you are an employee working on an intermittent schedule and if you meet the conditions in § 890.102(j) of this chapter you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office.

(2) An intermittent employee of the United States Postal Service (a non-full-time employee without a prearranged regular tour of duty). Exception: If you are an employee of the United States Postal Service working on an intermittent schedule, and if you meet the conditions of § 890.102(j) of this chapter except the requirement of being a non-Postal employee, you are eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP plan upon notification by your employing office.

(h) A beneficiary or patient employee in a Government hospital or home.

(i) Paid on a contract or fee basis. Exception: You are eligible if you are a United States citizen, and you are appointed by a contract between you and the Federal employing authority. To qualify, your contract must require your personal service, and you must be paid on the basis of units of time.

(j) Paid on a piecework basis. Exception: You are eligible if your work schedule provides for full-time or part-time service, and you have a regularly scheduled tour of duty.

(k) The following positions are not excluded positions:

(1) An employee appointed to perform “part-time career employment,” as defined in section 3401 (2) of title 5, U.S.C., and 5 CFR part 430, subpart B; or

(2) An employee serving under an interim appointment established under § 772.102 of this chapter.

(l) For purposes of this subpart and as defined in § 890.102(j)(4) of this chapter, qualifying leave without pay hours means hours of leave without pay for purposes of taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act for performance of duty in the Uniformed Services under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., for receiving medical treatment under Executive Order 5396 (July 7, 1930), and for periods during which workers compensation is received under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C. chapter 81.

(m) Once an employee or an employee of the United States Postal Service is properly enrolled under paragraphs (e) through (g) of this section and meets the applicable conditions in § 890.102(j) of this chapter, enrollment will not be terminated, regardless of his or her actual work schedule or employer expectations in subsequent years, unless the employee or employee of the United States Postal Service separates from service, receives a new appointment (in which case eligibility will be determined by the rules in this part applicable to the new appointment), or otherwise meets one of the circumstances for termination or cancellation of coverage in §§ 894.601 and 894.602.

(a) If you have FEDVIP coverage and you transfer to a position excluded under § 894.302(a) through (d), your enrollment stops.

(b) If you have FEDVIP coverage and you transfer to a position excluded under § 894.302(e) through (j) with no break in service of more than 3 days, your enrollment is not affected. If you have a break in service of more than 3 days, your enrollment stops.

(c) If you did not elect to enroll in FEDVIP and then transfer to an excluded position, you lose all rights to enroll at that time.

If you are retired, receiving workers' compensation, or are a survivor annuitant, you are eligible if you meet the definition of annuitant in 5 U.S.C. 8901(3).

No. Former spouses receiving an apportionment of annuity are not eligible to enroll in FEDVIP. However, a TEI former spouse is eligible to enroll in a FEDVIP vision plan as long as he or she remains unremarried.

Generally, foster children are eligible for coverage as family members under FEDVIP. However, a foster child is excluded from the definition of a TEI family member, except a foster child who is a ward in the legal custody of a sponsor. A pre-adoptive child and an eligible ward in the legal custody of a sponsor are eligible as TEI family members.

(a) Except as provided at paragraph (b) of this section, a child age 22 or over is an eligible family member if the child is incapable of self-support because of a physical or mental disability that existed before the child reached age 22.

(b) A TEI child is a TEI family member as long as the TEI child is under the age of 21 or 23 as provided at 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(D) or (I), and, if disabled during the age of eligibility, the TEI child remains a TEI family member regardless of age as long as the TEI child meets the standard for incapacity and support at 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(D)(iii) or incapacity and dependency at 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(I)(ii)(III), (iii), (iv) and (v).

(a) Dependency is established for a recognized natural child who lives with the enrollee in a regular parent-child relationship, a recognized natural child for whom a judicial determination of support has been obtained, or a recognized natural child to whose support the enrollee makes regular and substantial contributions.

(b) The following are examples of proof of regular and substantial support. More than one of the following proofs may be required to show support of a recognized natural child who does not live with the enrollee in a regular parent-child relationship and for whom a judicial determination of support has not been obtained:

(1) Evidence of eligibility as a dependent child for benefits under other State or Federal programs;

(2) Proof of inclusion of the child as a dependent on the enrollee's income tax returns;

(3) Canceled checks, money orders, or receipts for periodic payments from the enrollee for or on behalf of the child.

(4) Evidence of goods or services which show regular and substantial contributions of considerable value;

(5) Any other evidence which OPM shall find to be sufficient proof of support or of paternity or maternity.

(a) FEDVIP dental plan. (1) A sponsor who is a TEI-D is eligible to enroll and cover TEI-D family members under the enrollment.

(2) A sponsor who is a TEI-D but who does not enroll even though eligible, is not an enrollee and cannot enroll or cover TEI family members.

(3) A TEI certifying family member who is a TEI-D is eligible to enroll and to cover TEI-D family members under the enrollment when:

(i) The sponsor is not a TEI-D;

(ii) The sponsor is deceased; or

(iii) The sponsor is a TEI-D described at § 894.804(b)(1) or (2) who does not enroll (therefore is not an enrollee and cannot cover TEI family members) and the sponsor:

(A) Receives dental services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);

(B) Has employer-sponsored dental coverage without a family coverage option; or

(C) Has a medical or dental condition that prevents him or her from obtaining dental benefits.

(b) FEDVIP vision plan. (1) A sponsor who is a TEI-V is eligible to enroll and cover TEI-V family members.

(2) A TEI certifying family member who is a TEI-V is eligible to enroll and cover TEI-V family members under the enrollment when:

(i) The sponsor is not a TEI-V; or

(ii) The sponsor is deceased.

(3) A TEI former spouse is eligible to enroll for self only, but may not elect a self plus one or self and family type of enrollment and may not cover family members, even if they are TEI family members.