Hey, military family. Know this acronym.

Published: April 5, 2023

Hey, military family. Here’s an acronym you may not know but should.

QLE — Qualifying Life Event 

What is a QLE? A Qualifying Life Event, or QLE, is an insurance term for times when you may be eligible to enroll in coverage outside of the annual enrollment period. It could help save you a ton of out-of-pocket money in 2023 if you qualify. 

What qualifies as a QLE? 

Families of active-duty service members who have a QLE, like:

✔️Getting married

✔️Having a baby

✔️ Transitioning out of service

… are eligible to enroll in supplemental vision insurance through FEDVIP. That’s the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, and it applies to active-duty families. You can enroll in coverage when you have a QLE.  This is a huge bonus because active-duty families who don’t have a QLE have to wait for FEDVIP Open Season to enroll, which is typically the second Monday in November to the second Monday in December each year.

Here at Blue Star Families, we’re not the experts, but there’s lots of information about supplemental vision insurance for active-duty military families (ask your command!). And if you want to learn more  right now, we recommend our trusted Blue Star Partner, Blue Cross Blue Shield FEP Vision. They have an easy online tool to help you decide which plan is right for your military family: askblue.bcbsfepvision.com.

Or, if you prefer to talk to someone, call BCBS FEP Vision at 1-888-550-BLUE (2583) (TTY: 1-800-523-2847). 

So, seriously … do your research. We don’t want your active-duty military family to miss out on savings if you’re eligible to enroll in vision coverage with a QLE!