Originally Posted by
Hueypilot
I have FEHB now because I'm a military technician. But if I quit to go fly for an airline I will only be eligible for it under my wife, who works for the VA. Currently I carry the policy but we will just switch. If we get a divorce that would be a huge surprise to me, we actually are doing very well. And if for some reason we do divorce, I wouldn't be eligible for FEHB anyways because I'll be an airline employee. I'd prob just go with Tricare Reserve Select at that point.
I left the ART system last April and here's how this works. Once you leave the ART system to fly for an airline, you are no longer eligible for FEHB, period, except for COBRA. You will have to make your wife the primary and you will then be the dependant on her policy. I use TRS now and the company pays me $204 every month for opting out of their coverage, so it doesn't "cost" me anything. There is no way for you to keep or return to FEHB if you get a divorce. You'll have to quit your airline job and return to the civil service workforce in order to re-enroll. I do use the company's dental and vision coverage since it's fairly cheap. If you haven't tried to enroll under TRS yet, one of the first questions they ask is whether you're eligible for FEHB, (which you will be if your wife takes over as primary) and therefore won't be able to enroll. I'd recommend staying with FEHB through your wife since it is a great insurance policy and cheaper than most if not all of the plans offered by the airline.
My .02 FWIW