Cover Story

2013 Open Season and Other Benefits and Payroll Election Opportunities

Open Season is a good time to determine whether the health insurance plan in which you are currently enrolled is still the right one for you. For more information, see details in the article “Health Benefits Open Season”.

This is the first year that the Postal Service is offering the USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan (open only to City Carrier Assistants and Mail Handler Assistants). For more information, see details in the article “USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan Open Season”.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) expire at the end of each year, but they can be renewed during FSA Open Season. For more information, see details in the article “Flexible Spending Accounts 2013 Open Season: November 11–December 22, 2013”.

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: 11/11

Closes: 12/10

5:00 p.m. CT

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

Guides to Benefits —

updates coming soon.

n APWU, NALC, NPMHU and NRLCA Career Employees

n Postal Police Officers and Non-bargaining Management Career Employees

n Postal Professional Nurse Employees

n Postal Inspectors, OIG and PCES 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.

USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan

Opens: 11/11

Closes: 12/10

5:00 p.m. CT

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

Guide to USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan

Only City Carrier Assistants (CCAs) and Mail Handler Assistants (MHAs) are eligible for this plan.

Prepare PostalEASE USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan Worksheet.

Use PostalEASE.

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

n Summary Plan Description is available at LiteBlue.

Coming to you in the mail:

n Notice of Enrollment Opportunity

n Guide to USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan (program summary) with PostalEASE USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan Worksheet.

n Summary of Benefits and Coverage

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

Opens: 11/11

Closes: 12/9

11:59 p.m. ET

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: 11/11

Closes: 12/22

5:00 p.m. CT

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

FSA Booklet — 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 $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 10, 2014.

n Bargaining unit employees from RSCs C, K, M, and P, and for employees from RSCs G, N, 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 10, 2014.

n For non-bargaining unit and bargaining unit employees, the lump sum is calculated on salary as of January 11, 2014, and included in the January 31, 2014, paycheck.

n These lump sum payments are taxable in 2014.

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 2014 is expected to remain at $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 2014 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on December 11, 2013.

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 is expected to remain at $5,500 for those age 50 or older during 2014.

n Catch-up contribution elections for 2014 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on December 11, 2013. 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.

(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.)