Who is a TEI certifying family member, and may I be the enrollee if I accept this responsibility?
5 C.F.R. § 894.809
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) TEI certifying family member means, where the sponsor is not an enrollee under § 894.309, the TEI family member in order of precedence, as set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, who may accept responsibility to self-certify as the enrollee by enrolling and, if appropriate, covering the sponsor's TEI family members by electing a self plus one or self and family type of enrollment. Accepting responsibility to self-certify as the enrollee includes consulting all TEI family members regarding their preference for coverage under the enrollment, electing an appropriate plan, option, and type of enrollment.
(b) The following order of precedence governs which TEI family member may self-certify as the enrollee:
(1) An unremarried surviving spouse of a retiree or Medal of Honor recipient, if any, is the TEI certifying family member who may enroll and cover surviving TEI child(ren) of the retiree.
(2) If there is no unremarried surviving spouse of a retiree or Medal of Honor recipient, the surviving TEI child of a retiree who accepts responsibility to self-certify as the enrollee is the TEI certifying family member who may enroll and cover other surviving child(ren) who are TEI family member(s) of the deceased retiree.
(3) The TEI family member who is a spouse is the TEI certifying family member who may enroll and cover other TEI family member(s).
(4) If there is no spouse, the TEI family member who accepts responsibility to self-certify as the enrollee is the TEI certifying family member who may enroll and cover other TEI family member(s).
(c) In the event that the TEI family member or TEI certifying family member is a minor child or a disabled adult dependent, a legal guardian may exercise the TEI's rights on his or her behalf.
(d) Accepting responsibility to self-certify as the enrollee means that you accept the Administrator's authority to make reconsideration decisions under § 894.104 and OPM's authority to correct enrollments under § 894.105.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026