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Idaho Bulletin 360-8-9November 8, 2007 SUBJECT: PER - Federal Benefits Open Season for 2008 TO: All Employees, NRCS, Idaho Purpose. To announce the Federal Employees Benefits Open Season for 2008 Expiration Date.
This bulletin will remain in effect through December 10, 2007 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Employees should receive at their home address a copy of their current health plan brochure, including the 2008 rates. During Open Season, any eligible employee who is not currently registered may enroll, and any eligible enrollee may change from one plan or option to another, from self only to self and family, or make a combination of these changes. In addition, Open Season allows employees to change their premium conversion election. An eligible employee who enrolls in FEHB may elect to participate or to waive participation in premium conversion. An eligible enrollee may elect to begin participation if they have previously waived participation. No action is required by enrollees who wish to continue their current enrollment. However, enrollees whose plans will not be participating in the Program after December 31, 2007 or whose plans dropped the enrollment code they are enrolled in MUST enroll in a different plan to continue FEHB coverage in 2008. Following are the significant FEHB plan changes: ALTIUS is expanding its coverage to Idaho – ADA County (Boise) You may get more information about ALTIUS and the covered providers through their website (http://altiushealthplans.com/). All 2008 FEHB Guides and health plan brochures will be available on the Office of Personnel Management’s web site http://www.opm.gov/insure by November 12, 2007. The Guides and brochures will be available in PDF format for downloading and printing, as well as a text version suitable for the visually-impaired. In addition, the web site will contain links from the Guides and brochures to health plan web sites for additional information about the plans, as well as links to other related web sites. If you are unable to access this information through the Internet, contact the Human Resources staff at (208) 685-6924 or 378-5733/5712. To enroll, make a change in your current enrollment, or make changes to your premium conversion election, employees must: Use the NFC/ Employee Personal Page at http://www.nfc.usda.gov. All enrollments and changes must be completed no later than midnight, December 10, 2007. All changes and new enrollments made during the Open Season are effective January 06, 2008. Please note that information you provide by enrolling in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program may also be used for computer matching with Federal, state, or local agencies’ files to determine whether you qualify for benefits, payments, or eligibility in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Medicare, or other Government benefits programs. Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC): You should be aware that if you leave Federal employment, you may be eligible for TCC (unless you are separated for gross misconduct). TCC can continue for up to 36 months for dependents who lose eligibility as family members under your enrollment. This includes spouses who lose coverage because of divorce and children who lost coverage because they marry or reach age 22. TCC enrollees must pay the total plan premium (without a Government contribution) plus a 2% charge for administrative expenses. There are specific time frames in which you or your dependent must enroll for TCC. Contact the Human Resources office for a copy of RI 79-27 for more information. Remember, an employee must have been covered under the FEHB Program continuously for the five years of service immediately before retirement (or if less than 5 years, for all periods of service during which they were eligible for FEHB coverage and for participation in a retirement system) in order to continue health benefits coverage after retirement. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAFEDS): Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP): Coverage for current participants continues unchanged, unless you make a change during Open Season. Visit the FEDVIP website at http://www.opm.gov/insure/dentalvision/ for complete information.
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