Frequent Questions
AFSPA Life Insurance Plans FAQs
AFSPA is proud to offer insurance coverage options for life, exclusively designed for our members.
For most Federal employees, FEGLI automatically covers your annual pay, rounded to the nearest $1,000, plus an additional $2,000.
FEGLI offers options for purchasing additional coverage and covering family members. Purchasing optional FEGLI coverage as a new hire or within the statutory timeframe around a qualifying life event is critical, as open enrollment seasons are few and far between. There was one held in 2004 and not again until 2016. (For more information about FEGLI, please see OPM’s Life Insurance Booklet.)
On the other hand, all AFSPA members can apply for an AFSPA life insurance plan, issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, at any time.
AFSPA’s Group Enhanced Life (GEL) insurance policy covers deaths from most causes, including war and terrorism, and the Accelerated Benefit Option (ABO) allows you to use a portion of your coverage amount to assist with items such as home care, assisted living, and nursing home expenses if you’re diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Group Enhanced Life offers comprehensive life insurance coverage at affordable rates and is designed specifically for our members. All active AFSPA Members under age 60 are eligible to apply, as well as their qualified dependents.
AFSPA’s Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) plan can be purchased separately to supplement your FEGLI insurance. It offers guaranteed acceptance, meaning you’ll never have to answer health questions or undergo a medical exam, and covers accidental deaths and loss due to severe injuries, including when these incidents involve terrorism. Like our life insurance plan, AFSPA’s AD&D policy also includes a family coverage option. With member rates of $2.75/month for $50,000 in coverage, AD&D may be an affordable, important supplement to any existing coverage you may own. All active AFSPA Members aged 19 and over are eligible to enroll, as well as their qualified dependents.
The Immediate Benefit Plan (IBP) offers convenient payroll deduction and is designed for those who quickly need cash on hand to care for expenses related to the covered person’s passing. It guarantees a benefit of $15,000 or $20,000 ($7,500 or $10,000 if age 70 and older) will be processed by Prudential within two business days of AFSPA’s receipt of notice of death. This plan is available only to active duty, U.S. citizen, direct hire Foreign Service, and Civil Service employees of the following agencies:
- Department of State
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- Broadcasting Board of Governors
- Foreign Agricultural Service
- U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (only available to Foreign Service employees of this agency)
All active AFSPA Members of the above agencies aged 19 and over are eligible to apply; dependents are NOT eligible.
Senior Term Life Insurance is designed specifically to help members aged 65 – 74 care for final expenses. It helps ensure your loved ones aren’t left facing financial burdens like funeral or cremation costs, household bills, and medical expenses during an already difficult time. There are two benefit amounts available, $15,000 and $25,000, and the plan offers affordable rates and optional coverage for your spouse or domestic partner. All active AFSPA Members aged 65-74 are eligible to apply, as well as their qualified spouses and registered domestic partners.
These coverages are issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America (Prudential).
| Group Enhanced Life (GEL) | Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) | Immediate Benefit Plan | Senior Term Life | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | General policy covers death from any cause. | Policy covers accidental death and loss due to severe injuries. | Exclusive plan for active employees in participating agencies that issues payment within 48 hours of notice. | Designed specifically to care for final expenses. |
| War & Terrorism | Both are covered. | War is excluded; terrorism is covered. | Both are covered. | Both are covered. |
| Benefits | Between $50,000 and $600,000, in increments of $50,000. | Between $10,000 and $600,000, in increments of $10,000. | A one-time payment of $15,000 or $20,000 ($7,500 or $10,000 if the insured is over the age of 70). Benefits are processed within 48 hours of AFSPA’s notification of death. | Provides beneficiaries with cash on hand while your estate is being settled, which can be used for things like final expenses, outstanding debts, and gifts to family or charity.. |
| Premium | Premiums depend on age; see plan brochure (PDF below). | For self only, annual premium is $0.66 for each $1,000 of coverage. For any combination of self plus spouse/ dependent/ family, annual premium is $0.88 for each $1,000 of coverage. | Premiums are paid through a payroll deduction: a flat fee of $2 or $2.55 per pay period. | Premiums depend on age; see plan brochure |
| Family Coverage | Is available. Spouse and dependent children ages 19 and over can also apply for coverage in their own name. | Is available. Spouse and dependent children ages 19 and over can also apply for coverage in their own name. | Not available. | Optional coverage for your spouse or domestic partner. |
| Effective Date | You will be notified of effective date following approval of your application. | The first day of the month following AFSPA’s receipt of enrollment forms. | The first day of the month following AFSPA’s receipt of initial $2.00 payroll deduction. | You will be notified of effective date following approval of your application. |
| Eligibility | All AFSPA members and family members. | All AFSPA members and family members. | Employees of:
|
AFSPA members and their spouse/domestic partner aged 65 – 74. Spouses can apply for coverage without Principal Member election. |
AFSPA Life coverage remains in effect as long as you’re an AFSPA member and continue to keep your premium payments up to date. You can keep your coverage even if you move jobs or retire.
These are special rates, negotiated by AFSPA, for active AFSPA members. Premiums are competitive across rate categories and coverage options.
Group Enhanced Life (GEL) Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), and Senior Term Life Insurance can be purchased at any time.
The Immediate Benefit Plan is also available at any time but can only be purchased by employees of the State Department, USAID, BBG, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Foreign Commercial Service (Foreign Service employees only). This coverage is NOT portable and automatically terminates once you retire or separate from employment from an eligible agency.
Premium payments for the Immediate Benefit Plan are deducted directly from your paycheck. An invoice will be issued to make payment directly to AFSPA for all other coverage types.
Due to security and privacy protections, ALL direct debit enrollments/changes will be handled via the AFSPA Member Portal.
Three emails will be generated:
- An email containing a secure PDF of your signed enrollment for your records
- An acceptance email from the AFSPA Accounting Team that your direct debit has been processed and accepted
- An email when the first debit has occurred from your bank account
All changes made online to your Direct Debit will be confirmed via email.
You can also use the edit button to change bank information quickly.
To cancel direct debit, send a request via email or our secure forms page and indicate the date the cancellation should take effect.
Not for residents of New Mexico
Not for use in New Mexico
This site may contain marketing language, on products issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, that has not yet been approved in all states.
This policy provides ACCIDENT insurance only. It does NOT provide basic hospital, basic medical, or major medical insurance as defined by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
IMPORTANT NOTICE – THIS POLICY DOES NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SICKNESS.
THIS IS AN EXCEPTED BENEFITS POLICY. IT PROVIDES COVERAGE ONLY FOR THE LIMITED BENEFITS OR SERVICES SPECIFIED IN THE POLICY.
Group Insurance coverages are issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a Prudential Financial company, Newark, NJ. The Booklet-Certificate contains all details, including any policy exclusions, limitations, and restrictions, which may apply. If there is a discrepancy between this document and the Booklet-Certificate/Group Contract issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, the Group Contract will govern. In Washington, the controlling document is the Certificate, not the Contract. Contract Series: 83500
1086068-00001-00
