Eligibility - Continuing Your Coverage after Leaving an Eligible Group

Select a question below:

• If I've already enrolled in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) and my coverage is effective, what happens to it if I leave my eligible group (e.g., I move from the Selected Reserve to the Individual Ready Reserve, or I resign from the Federal government, or I divorce my Federal spouse)?
• As long as you continue paying premiums, your FLTCIP coverage will continue. It is portable. If you were paying premiums by payroll deduction and you leave the government, you'll have to make arrangements with Long Term Care Partners to start paying premiums directly or by automatic bank withdrawal from your savings or checking account. But you get to keep your coverage as if you never left the eligible group (your premium rate does not change because of your changed status).
• What happens to my qualified relatives' eligibility if I am no longer in an eligible group?
• As long as you are in one of the groups eligible to apply for the FLTCIP, they are qualified relatives and thus can apply for coverage. And if they apply and are approved while you are eligible (whether you apply or not), they will keep the coverage even if you leave an eligible group. However, once you leave an eligible group, they can no longer apply for the insurance.
  
  For example, when you are a Federal employee, your mother is eligible to apply. If she applies and is approved, she'll keep her FLTCIP coverage even if you quit working for the Federal government. But, if she does not apply while you are a Federal employee, she is not eligible to apply after you quit working for the Federal government. Remember that parents of retirees are not qualified relatives.
• What happens if I apply while I am in an eligible group, but then I leave the eligible group before my coverage is effective? Will my insurance still become effective?
• You must be in an eligible group on the date you apply and on the date that coverage becomes effective. Generally, if you leave the eligible group during this time period, your insurance will not become effective. But there are some exceptions.
  
  If you apply as an employee and are involuntarily separated before your coverage is effective, it will still become effective as if you hadn't separated.
  
  If you apply as an employee using the full underwriting application but are retired before your coverage becomes effective, it will still become effective on the scheduled effective date as long as you meet the other requirements (such as letting Long Term Care Partners know if you've had a significant change in health since you completed your application).
  
  If you apply as an employee using the abbreviated underwriting application but are retired before your coverage becomes effective, it will not become effective. You will have to reapply using the full underwriting application.
• Is there a "five-year rule" for continuing coverage into retirement like there is with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program?
• No. Coverage is portable. If, for instance, you retire, you keep your coverage as long as you pay your premiums. You do not have to be enrolled for any minimum length of time before retiring.