Congratulations on your marriage! You have 60 days from your marriage date to add your spouse to your insurance policy. If you miss this deadline you have to wait to add them until the next insurance Open Season or until another qualifying life event allows you to make a change.

You will need to submit proof of your marriage to your payroll office. Typically they require the marriage certificate, along with the enrollment forms. They require this proof to confirm that your spouse is eligible to be on your plan and that you are allowed to make a change to your insurance outside the normal time frame.

Instructions on how to change your insurance enrollment can be found here https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/enroll/#Employees

If you have questions about the insurance enrollment process you can contact your Human Resources Office. If you are a Federal Employee and you are unsure who to contact you can find a list of agency benefit officers here https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/benefits-officers-center/agency-benefits-officers. Postal Employees can reach their Human Resources office at 1-877-477-3273, choose option 5 to speak with a Benefits Specialist.

Your payroll office will process the insurance enrollment form, change your premium withholding, and notify the health plan of the change. Once the paperwork is processed you will receive a letter or a digital onscreen confirmation of the date that your spouse’s coverage will start.