f you’re planning to add a spouse or child to your health plan during the 2026 Open Season, FEHB family member verification is something you may want to prepare for before you submit your election.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been increasing its oversight of family-member eligibility, and its latest guidance is preparing agencies for 100% verification of Open Season elections that add family members to FEHB or the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program.
Why Verification Is Getting More Attention
OPM has been reviewing family-member eligibility for years, but the process has increasingly moved toward more comprehensive verification.
For the 2025 Open Season covering the 2026 plan year, agencies were required to review at least 10% of Self Plus One and Self and Family elections and were encouraged to review 100%. OPM’s July 2026 guidance focuses on assessing agency readiness for 100% verification of Open Season elections when a family member is added.
The practical takeaway: don’t assume that checking a box during Open Season will necessarily be the end of the process.
What Documents Could You Need?
The documentation depends on the family member you’re adding.
For a spouse, you generally need proof of the marriage. Children may require documents such as birth certificates, adoption records or other evidence establishing the parent-child relationship.
A child age 26 or older may qualify if the child is incapable of self-support because of a physical or mental disability that existed before age 26. Foster children can also qualify when specific requirements are met.
Common-law marriages may qualify in states that recognize them, but additional documentation may be required.
What Happens If Eligibility Can’t Be Verified?
If the documentation doesn’t establish that a family member is eligible, that person may not be added to your coverage.
For existing enrollments, agencies can also request proof of eligibility. OPM’s procedures allow employing offices to request documentation at any time. If adequate documentation isn’t provided, an ineligible family member can eventually be removed from coverage. There is also a reconsideration process for certain eligibility decisions.
So FEHB family member verification isn’t just an Open Season issue. Eligibility can be reviewed after enrollment as well.
Don’t Wait Until November
The 2026 Open Season is scheduled for November, but there’s little reason to wait until then if you know you’ll be adding someone to your coverage.
Consider locating:
- Marriage documentation
- Birth or adoption records
- Foster-child documentation, if applicable
- Disability documentation for an adult child, if applicable
- Any other records your agency may require
It’s also worth remembering that FEHB eligibility is specific. Generally, coverage can include a spouse and children under 26, along with certain foster children and disabled adult children. Other relatives, such as parents or siblings, aren’t eligible simply because you claim them as dependents.
Getting the paperwork together ahead of time could make the Open Season process much easier if your agency requests verification.
