United States Code
USC most recently checked for updates: Jun 09, 2025
§ 3516.
Health benefits for certain former spouses of Central Intelligence Agency employees
(a)
Persons eligible
Except as provided in subsection (e), any individual—
(1)
formerly married to an employee or former employee of the Agency, whose marriage was dissolved by divorce or annulment before May 7, 1985 ;
(2)
who, at any time during the eighteen-month period before the divorce or annulment became final, was covered under a health benefits plan as a member of the family of such employee or former employee; and
(3)
who was married to such employee for not less than ten years during periods of service by such employee with the Agency, at least five years of which were spent outside the United States by both the employee and the former spouse,
is eligible for coverage under a health benefits plan in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b)
Enrollment for health benefits
(1)
Any individual eligible for coverage under subsection (a) may enroll in a health benefits plan for self alone or for self and family if, before the expiration of the six-month period beginning on October 1, 1986 , and in accordance with such procedures as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall by regulation prescribe, such individual—
(A)
files an election for such enrollment; and
(B)
arranges to pay currently into the Employees Health Benefits Fund under section 8909 of title 5 an amount equal to the sum of the employee and agency contributions payable in the case of an employee enrolled under chapter 89 of such title in the same health benefits plan and with the same level of benefits.
(2)
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency shall, as soon as possible, take all steps practicable—
(A)
to determine the identity and current address of each former spouse eligible for coverage under subsection (a); and
(B)
to notify each such former spouse of that individual’s rights under this section.
(3)
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, upon notification by the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall waive the six-month limitation set forth in paragraph (1) in any case in which the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency determines that the circumstances so warrant.
(c)
Eligibility of former wives or husbands
(1)
Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) and except as provided in subsections (d), (e), and (f), an individual—
(A)
who was divorced on or before December 4, 1991 , from a participant or retired participant in the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System or the Federal Employees Retirement System Special Category;
(B)
who was married to such participant for not less than ten years during the participant’s creditable service, at least five years of which were spent by the participant during the participant’s service as an employee of the Agency outside the United States, or otherwise in a position the duties of which qualified the participant for designation by the Director as a participant under section 2013 of this title; and
(C)
who was enrolled in a health benefits plan as a family member at any time during the 18-month period before the date of dissolution of the marriage to such participant;
is eligible for coverage under a health benefits plan.
(2)
A former spouse eligible for coverage under paragraph (1) may enroll in a health benefits plan in accordance with subsection (b)(1), except that the election for such enrollment must be submitted within 60 days after the date on which the Director notifies the former spouse of such individual’s eligibility for health insurance coverage under this subsection.
(d)
Continuation of eligibility
Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c) and except as provided in subsections (e) and (f), an individual divorced on or before
(e)
Remarriage before age fifty-five; continued enrollment; restored eligibility
(1)
Any former spouse who remarries before age fifty-five is not eligible to make an election under subsection (b)(1).
(2)
Any former spouse enrolled in a health benefits plan pursuant to an election under subsection (b)(1) or to subsection (d) may continue the enrollment under the conditions of eligibility which the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall by regulation prescribe, except that any former spouse who remarries before age fifty-five shall not be eligible for continued enrollment under this section after the end of the thirty-one-day period beginning on the date of remarriage.
(3)
(A)
A former spouse who is not eligible to enroll or to continue enrollment in a health benefits plan under this section solely because of remarriage before age fifty-five shall be restored to such eligibility on the date such remarriage is dissolved by death, annulment, or divorce.
(B)
A former spouse whose eligibility is restored under subparagraph (A) may, under regulations which the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe, enroll in a health benefits plan if such former spouse—
(i)
was an individual referred to in paragraph (1) and was an individual covered under a benefits plan as a family member at any time during the 18-month period before the date of dissolution of the marriage to the Agency employee or annuitant; or
(ii)
was an individual referred to in paragraph (2) and was an individual covered under a benefits plan immediately before the remarriage ended the enrollment.
(f)
Enrollment in health benefits plan under other authority
No individual may be covered by a health benefits plan under this section during any period in which such individual is enrolled in a health benefits plan under any other authority, nor may any individual be covered under more than one enrollment under this section.
(g)
“Health benefits plan” defined
For purposes of this section the term “health benefits plan” means an approved health benefits plan under chapter 89 of title 5.
(June 20, 1949, ch. 227, § 16, as added Pub. L. 99–569, title III, § 303(a), Oct. 27, 1986 , 100 Stat. 3194; amended Pub. L. 102–88, title III, § 307(c), Aug. 14, 1991 , 105 Stat. 433; Pub. L. 103–178, title II, § 203(c), Dec. 3, 1993 , 107 Stat. 2031; Pub. L. 108–458, title I, § 1071(b)(2)(B), (b)(3)(B), (C), Dec. 17, 2004 , 118 Stat. 3690, 3691.)
cite as: 50 USC 3516
