2012 Open Season and Other Benefits and Payroll Election Opportunities

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) expire at the end of each year, but they can be renewed during FSA Open Season.

Annual Leave Exchange (ALE) for next year’s leave requires an election during this ALE Open Season.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Catch-Up Contributions expire at the end of each year, but elections can be made at any time.

 

Benefit

Program

Note the
deadlines . . .

Find out about eligibility and
options . .

Prepare for and
make your elections . . .

Comments

Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program

Opens: 11/12

Closes: 12/11

5:00 p.m. CT

or

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

Guides to Benefits

Updates coming soon.

n APWU, NRLCA Ca­reer Employees

n Non-APWU, Non-NRLCA Career Em­ployees

n PCES Employees

n Postal Inspectors and OIG Employ­ees

n IT/ASC Employees

n Non-career Em­ployees

Prepare PostalEASE FEHB Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

n You must enter dependents if electing a new Self and Family plan.

n Individual plan brochures are available at www.opm.gov/insure

Coming to you in the mail: Guide to Benefits (program summary) with PostalEASE FEHB Worksheet.

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

Opens: 11/12

Closes: 12/10

11:59 p.m. ET

or

Qualifying Life Event (through BENEFEDS, not HRSSC)

Guide to Dental and Vision Insurance Program

Update coming soon

n All Employees

Use www.benefeds.com.

877-888-3337

TTY: 877-889-5680

n If you are eligible to participate in FE­HB, you are eligible to enroll in FEDVIP, even if you are not enrolled in FEHB.

n USPS® does not contribute.

n You pay full cost of premiums on a pre-tax basis.

n You may enroll in a dental plan, a vision plan, or both.

n You may enroll in a plan for Self Only, Self Plus One, or Self and Family cov­erage.

Coming to you in the mail: FEDVIP Guide.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Opens: 11/12

Closes: 12/23

5:00 p.m. CT

or

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

FSA Brochure

Update coming soon

Prepare PostalEASE FSA Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

FSA Customer Service Center: 800-842-2026

Employees who are deaf/hard of hearing call via 711 (TRS).

n Health Care FSA maximum is changed to $2,500.

n Dependent Care (day care) FSA maxi­mum is $5,000.

Coming to you in the mail: Post cards, leaflet, and brochure.

Annual Leave Exchange (ALE)

Opens: 11/15

Closes: 12/15

11:59 p.m. CT

Letter mailed to eligible employees

Prepare PostalEASE ALE Worksheet (mailed

to eligible employees).

Use PostalEASE.

n Most career non-bargaining unit em­ployees from Rate Schedule Codes (RSCs) D, E, F, S, U, V, and Z may ex­change from 8 to 128 hours in whole-hour increments if their annual leave balance is at least 160 hours as of close of business on January 11, 2013.

n Bargaining unit employees from RSCs C, K, and P, and for employees from RSCs G, M, N, T, and Y only as provid­ed for in pending successor agree­ments to current agreements, may exchange from 8 to 40 hours in whole-hour increments if their annual leave balance is at least 440 hours and if they have used less than 75 hours of sick leave for the leave year as of close of business on January 11, 2013.

n For non-bargaining unit and bargaining unit employees, the lump sum is calcu­lated on salary as of January 12, 2013, and included in the February 1, 2013, paycheck.

n These lump sum payments are taxable in 2013.

Coming only to eligible employees in the mail: Letter about annual leave exchange.

Allotments/

Net-to-Bank (Direct Deposit)

Any time

Processed at

3:00 p.m. CT,

second Wednesday of pay period

 

Prepare PostalEASE Net-to-Bank Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

n You must provide your financial institu­tion's routing number and your ac­count number.

Thrift Savings Plan

Regular Contributions

Any time

Processed at

3:00 p.m. CT,

second Wednesday of pay period

https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf

Prepare PostalEASE TSP Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

n The IRS annual limit on elective defer­rals for 2013 is increasing to $17,500. FERS employees who want to maxi­mize contributions while avoiding the loss of USPS matching contributions should make a whole dollar contribu­tion per pay period equal to the an­nounced maximum divided by 26.

n Contribution elections for 2013 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on December 12, 2012.

Coming to you in the mail: TSP enrollment information letter and PostalEASE TSP Worksheet.

TSP 50+ Catch-Up Contributions

Any time

Processed at

3:00 p.m. CT,

second Wednesday of pay period

https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf

Prepare PostalEASE TSP 50+ Catch Up Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

n The IRS annual limit remains $5,500 for those age 50 or older during 2013.

n Catch-up contribution elections for 2013 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on December 12, 2012. You must certify that your regular TSP contributions will reach the IRS maxi­mum.

Coming only to eligible employees in the mail: TSP enrollment information catch-up letter and PostalEASE TSP Catch-Up Worksheet.

TSP Investment Choices

Any time

https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf

Use www.tsp.gov.

Have TSP acct. no. or Custom User ID.

Have Web password.

877-968-3778

TDD: 877-847-4385

Have TSP acct. no.

Have TSP PIN.

Mail Form TSP-50

(available from HRSSC)

to TSP.

n Via the ThriftLine you may request:

n A new TSP PIN.

n A new 8-character Web password.

n A copy of your TSP account num­ber.

n Quarterly participant statements.

n Via www.tsp.gov, you may request:

n A new 8-character Web password.

n A copy of your TSP account num­ber.

n Create a Custom User ID

n Printable views of quarterly partici­pant statements.

n Cancellation of request to have quarterly participant statements mailed.

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

You may apply any time underwriting required

www.ltcfeds.com/usps

Find category of eligibility.

Click Information Kit.

Use www.ltcfeds.com/usps.

Find category of eligibility

Click Application.

n New and newly eligible employees may enroll with the abbreviated appli­cation within the first 60 days of be­coming eligible.

n You may download the information kit and the application or have them mailed to you.

Commuter Program

Any time

Monthly election deadline for payroll deduction amount is 15th of the month, 11:59 p.m. ET, 1 month ahead of payroll deduction month. Funds are added to your card or account each pay day.

Order Deadline Additional deadline if you have Transit Pass or Parking Plan. Cutoff for placing, changing, or canceling order is the 10th of the month, 11:59 p.m. ET, 1 month ahead of commuting month. (For Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North Railroad, the cutoff is the 4th.)

www.wageworks.com

Use www.wageworks.com

877-924-3967

TTY: 866-361-8017

M–F 8 A.M.–8 p.m. ET

n New career employees receive a bro­chure in the mail and must allow up to 30 days for information to be entered in the Wageworks system.

n Other employees can enroll at any time.

n Elections, changes, and cancellation for Commuter Program take effect 1 month after monthly election and/or order deadlines.

n 2013 IRS monthly limits are not con­firmed but may remain at $125 for mass transit, and $240 for parking.