Withholdings and contributions provisions that apply to both Basic and Optional insurance.
5 C.F.R. § 870.404
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Withholdings (and Government contributions, when applicable) are based on the amount of insurance last in force on an employee during the pay period.
(b) Withholdings are not required for the period between the end of the pay period in which an employee separates from service and the date his/her annuity or compensation begins.
(c) No payment is required while an insured employee is in nonpay status for up to 12 months. Exception: an employee who is in nonpay status while receiving compensation.
(d) The deposit described in §§ 870.401(f) and 870.402(f) must be made no later than 60 calendar days after the date the employing office determines the amount of the underdeduction that has occurred, regardless of whether or when the underdeduction is recovered by the agency. The agency must determine whether to waive collection of the overpayment of pay, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5584, as implemented by 4 CFR chapter I, subchapter G. However, if the agency involved is excluded from the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5584, it may use any applicable authority to waive the collection.
(e) Effective October 21, 1972, when there is an official finding that an employee was suspended or fired erroneously, no withholdings are made from the back pay. Exception: if death or accidental dismemberment occurs during the period between the employee's removal and the finding that the agency action was erroneous, premiums are withheld from the back pay awarded.
(f) If an individual's periodic pay, compensation, or annuity isn't sufficient to cover the full withholdings, any amount available for life insurance withholding must be applied first to Basic insurance, with any remainder applied to Optional insurance (first to Option B, then Option A, then Option C).
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026