Benefits

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits, including medical and life insurance, flexible spending accounts and student loan repayment and forgiveness. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have—whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.

You may be eligible for the following benefits. Check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

Health insurance

Most employees are eligible for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB). This program offers health insurance for you, your spouse and your children under age 26. It offers many different health plan choices, so you can find a plan that works best for you and your family.

Learn more about the health insurance plans.

Dental and vision insurance

Most employees are also eligible for the Federal Employee Dental Vision Insurance Plan (FEDVIP). FEDVIP is a separate insurance plan from the health insurance FEHB. You can sign up for a dental plan, a vision plan or both. You can choose from several different plans to cover yourself, your spouse and your unmarried, dependent children up to age 26.

Learn more about the dental and vision insurance plans.

Life insurance

Most employees are eligible for the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance program (FEGLI). You can choose coverage starting at one year's salary up to more than six times your salary, and you can get coverage on the lives of your spouse and eligible children.

Learn more about the life insurance plans.

Student loan repayment and forgiveness

Student loan repayment

With federal student loan repayment, agencies may help repay your federally insured student loans up to $10,000 a year or $60,000 as a lifetime maximum.

Learn more about federal student loan repayment.

Student loan forgiveness

As a federal employee, you may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you’ve made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments under an accepted repayment plan while working full-time for the federal government. You may qualify for the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size.

Learn more about PSLF and SAVE at StudentAid.gov.

Flexible spending accounts

The Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) is a great way to help you save money by setting aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to help pay for eligible healthcare or childcare costs not covered by a health, dental and vision plan. Some typical costs that flexible spending accounts can help cover are eyeglasses, some prescriptions, day care, summer camps and more.

If you're eligible as a new or current federal employee, you can set up either a healthcare or dependent care flexible spending account or both.

Learn more about flexible spending accounts.

Long-term care insurance

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) provides long-term care insurance to help pay for costs of care when you can no longer perform everyday tasks for yourself like eating, dressing and bathing due to illness, injury, disability or aging. If you're eligible for the Federal Health Benefits Program, then you're also eligible to apply for FLTCIP. Certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You must apply to find out if you're eligible to enroll.