OPM does not favor Increasing the maximum age for covering dependents

At the August 2 hearing, House Federal Workforce Subcomittee chairman Danny Davis (D IL) announced that his federal employee short term disability bill will include a provision increasing from 22 to 25 the maximum age for unmarried dependent children to remain covered under the FEHB Program. (There is a separate rule for seriously disabled dependents.) A Govexec.com article report published today informs us that "[A]ccording to [OPM Associate Director Nancy] Kichak, OPM does not view such a proposal favorably. Agency officials believe increasing the dependent care age would actually hike the costs of FEHBP group insurance, Kichak said. She did not indicate whether any studies have been conducted to assess the cost of boosting the age." Ms. Kichak added that dependents who lose coverage as a result of reaching age 22 may purchase temporary continuation of coverage to age 25.