Federal Employees Health Benefits

Open Season

November 10, 2008, to December 9, 2008

New — Extended PostalEASE Self-Service Deadline for BELATED ENROLLMENT is

Jan. 13, 2009, 5:00 p.m. Central Time (CT)

Belated Enrollment Deadline for employees not using PostalEASE is Jan. 31, 2009, 5:00 p.m. CT

Background

Each year, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) works with Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) carriers to strike a balance of protection against catastrophic events without shifting a high-premium burden to enrollees. OPM is taking steps to provide additional protections for employees participating in the FEHB program who have non-emergency surgeries performed by out-of-network physicians. They have asked FEHB carriers to re-evaluate their benefits for non-emergency surgeries, and they will communicate any benefit changes to you.

OPM is taking action in response to concerns over a change in coverage in the Blue Cross Blue Shield out-of-network reimbursement that would have established a $7,500 co-pay for out-of-network surgeries. OPM negotiated this change to address situations where enrollees could be billed tens of thousands of dollars for non-emergency surgeries performed by out-of-network providers, a practice known as balance billing.

What This Means to You

You may make belated Open Season enrollment changes to your FEHB if benefit changes affect your enrollment decision in this program. You will have an extended enrollment opportunity through Jan. 31, 2009, 5:00 p.m. CT to make any enroll­ment changes.

New Deadline — PostalEASE Employee Self-Service Belated Enrollment for FEHB

n PostalEASE self-service FEHB elections are available through Jan. 13, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. CT on LiteBlue and Blue, and at employee kiosks. Select FEHB and then the Open Season button.

n After Jan. 13 at 5:00 p.m. and until Jan. 31, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. CT, employees who wish to make a belated FEHB elec­tion must complete a PostalEASE FEHB worksheet including the block at the bottom with name, employee ID, signa­ture, and date.

n The PostalEASE FEHB worksheet is included in the 2009 Guide to Benefits that was mailed to employees at their addresses of record in Nov. You may also find a copy on the Internet at https://liteblue.usps.gov and on the Intranet at http://blue.usps.gov; click Open Season Benefits Elections — PostalEASE Self-Service Extended Deadlines! and then FEHB for the worksheet.

n Mail the worksheet to HR Shared Service Center, P.O. Box 970400, Greensboro NC 27497-0400, or fax the com­pleted worksheet to the HRSSC at 651-994-3543.

n FEHB worksheets for this belated enrollment period postmarked after Jan. 31, 2009, or faxed on that date after 5:00 p.m. CT, are past the deadline and will be returned unprocessed.

Please post on all bulletin boards through Jan. 31, 2009.

 

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n To use the PostalEASE Web, access the system in any of these ways:

n On the Internet at https://liteblue.usps.gov; under “Employee Self Service,” select PostalEASE.

n On the Intranet at http://blue.usps.gov; under “Employee Resources,” select PostalEASE.

n At an employee self-service kiosk.

Depending on the timing of your enrollment/change, it may take one or more pay periods for your new FEHB plan to pro­cess your enrollment so that you can receive services/payment of claims. If you make a belated Open Season change to your enrollment, it may take one or more pay periods for your deductions to be adjusted to match your new election. If you make a belated Open Season change and you have FEHB claims for services incurred after Jan. 2, 2009, under your former plan, you and/or your provider may be responsible for reimbursing the former plan for any benefits paid. If you have elected a new plan, that plan may consider your claims for the retroactive period of coverage, depending on the plan provisions, although this may require that you and/or your provider resubmit the claims to the new plan.

Effective Date

Belated FEHB changes will take effect on Jan. 3, 2009.

Note: Depending on the timing of your enrollment/change, you may owe retroactive FEHB premiums, which will be deducted from your pay. For most employees, premiums will be paid on a pre-tax basis. If you do not make an FEHB election, any coverage you currently have for 2008 will continue for 2009.

If this notice does not affect you, there is no need to take action.

— Compensation, Human Resources, 1-1-09