Moving in retirement: changing FEHB plans
If you’re in an HMO, a move opens a window. Miss it and you wait for Open Season.
Retirees change through OPM, not a former agency: 1-888-767-6738. Retiring itself doesn’t open a window — the move does.
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1. When a move lets you change
Outside Open Season, you can only change your FEHB plan when a qualifying life event happens. A move counts — but only in one situation.
| Your situation | Can you change plans now? |
|---|---|
| In an HMO, moving out of its service area | Yes |
| In an HMO, a covered family member moves out of the area | Yes |
| In an HMO, moving but staying inside the service area | No — wait for Open Season |
| In a nationwide fee-for-service plan, moving anywhere | No need — coverage follows you |
The distinction is how the plan is built. An HMO's benefits are tied to a service area. A nationwide plan's aren't, including outside the United States. That is also why an HMO can refuse to enroll you if you don't live or work in its area.
2. The window, and how to make the change
The window runs from 31 days before the move to 60 days after. Changing early, before you leave, avoids any stretch where your HMO won't cover routine care in your new home.
- Pick the new plan first. Confirm it serves your new address, and that your doctors and prescriptions are covered there.
- Call OPM Retirement Services at 1-888-767-6738. Retirees change through OPM, not a former employing agency.
- Update your address with OPM too, through Services Online.
- Keep a record of the change and its effective date.
Miss the window, and you stay on the HMO until the next Open Season — with coverage in your new area often limited to emergencies.
3. If you split the year between two places
Retirees who spend winters in one state and summers in another run into this most often. An HMO generally covers only emergencies and urgent care outside its service area, so months of routine care in your second home may not be covered.
A nationwide fee-for-service plan tends to suit a two-home retirement, because it covers you in both places. Check the specific plan's brochure for how it handles care away from home. The same logic applies abroad; see retiring abroad.
4. Planning the move before you retire
Retiring itself is not a qualifying life event, so the plan you have on your last day is the plan you carry into retirement until Open Season or a qualifying event.
- If you know you'll relocate after retiring, consider switching to a nationwide plan at the Open Season before you retire.
- Keep the five-year rule intact. Changing plans is fine; a gap in enrollment is not. See the five-year rule.
- Watch for Medicare. Becoming eligible for Medicare is a one-time qualifying event that lets you switch to any plan or option, starting 30 days before you’re eligible. See coordinating Medicare and FEHB.
5. Frequently asked questions
Can I change my FEHB plan when I move in retirement?
Yes, if you are in an HMO and you move out of its service area, or a covered family member does. That move is a qualifying life event, so you can change plans without waiting for Open Season. If you are still inside your plan’s service area after the move, you have to wait for the next Open Season.
How long do I have to change plans after moving?
The window runs from 31 days before the move to 60 days after it. Retirees make the change through OPM Retirement Services rather than a former employing office.
Do I need to change plans if I have a nationwide plan?
Usually not. Nationwide fee-for-service plans cover you wherever you live, including outside the United States, so a move does not force a change. The qualifying event matters mainly for HMO enrollees, whose coverage is tied to a service area.
I split the year between two states. Which plan type fits?
A nationwide fee-for-service plan is usually the better fit for someone who lives in two places. HMOs generally limit coverage outside their service area to emergencies and urgent care, which can leave routine care uncovered for months at a time. Check the brochure for the specific plan’s rules.
Is retiring itself a reason to change my FEHB plan?
No. Retiring is not a qualifying life event. Once you are retired you can change plans during Open Season or when a qualifying event occurs, such as a move out of an HMO’s service area.