Benefit
Program
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Note the deadlines...
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Find out about eligibility and options...
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Prepare for and make your elections...
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Comments
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Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program
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Opens: 11/10
Closes: 12/9
5:00 p.m. CT
or
Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)
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Guides to Benefits:
n Career Employees.
n Non-career Employees.
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Prepare PostalEASE FEHB Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
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n You must enter dependents if electing a new Self and Family plan.
n Individual plan brochures are available at
http://www.opm.gov/openseason.
Open Season Benefits Election link:
https://liteblue.usps.gov/openseason.
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USPS Non-career Employee Health Benefits Plan
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Opens: 11/10
Closes: 12/9
5:00 p.m. CT
or
Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)
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Guide to USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan
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Prepare PostalEASE USPS Non-Career Employee Health Benefits Plan Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
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n You must enter dependents if electing a Self and Family plan.
n Summary Plan Description is available at
https://liteblue.usps.gov/openseason.
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Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)
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Opens: 11/10
Closes: 12/8
11:59 p.m. ET
or
Qualifying Life Event (through BENEFEDS, not HRSSC)
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Guide to Dental and Vision Insurance Program
n All Employees.
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Use http://www.benefeds.com.
877-888-3337
TTY: 877-889-5680
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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.
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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
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Opens: 11/10
Closes: 12/21
5:00 p.m. CT
or
Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)
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FSA Booklet
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Prepare PostalEASE FSA Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
FSA Customer Service Center: 800-842-2026
Employees who are deaf/hard of hearing call via 711 (TRS).
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n Health Care FSA maximum is $2,500.
n Dependent Care (day care) FSA maximum is $5,000.
Look for mailings that provide an overview of how FSAs work and the advantages they offer. The FSA Booklet is not mailed — it is available at https://liteblue.usps.gov/openseason.
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Annual Leave Exchange (ALE)
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Opens: 11/15
Closes: 12/15
11:59 p.m. CT
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Letter mailed to eligible employees.
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Prepare PostalEASE ALE Worksheet (mailed to eligible employees). Use PostalEASE.
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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 9, 2015.
n Bargaining unit employees from RSCs C, G, K, M, N, P, and Y 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 9, 2015.
n For non-bargaining unit and bargaining unit employees, the lump sum is calculated on salary as of January 10, 2015, and included in the January 30, 2015 paycheck.
n These lump sum payments are taxable in 2015.
Coming only to eligible employees in the mail: Letter about annual leave exchange.
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Allotments/Net-to-Bank (Direct Deposit)
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Any time.
Processed at 3:00 p.m. CT, second Wednesday of pay period
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Prepare PostalEASE Net-to-Bank Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
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n You must provide your financial institution’s routing number and your account number.
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Thrift Savings Plan
Regular Contributions
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Any time.
Processed at 3:00 p.m. CT, second Wednesday of pay period
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https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf
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Prepare PostalEASE TSP Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
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n The IRS annual limit on elective deferrals for 2015 is increased to $18,000. 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 27. Note that there are 27 pay periods in 2015 instead of 26, as in most years.
n Contribution elections for 2015 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on
December 10, 2014.
Coming to you in the mail: TSP enrollment information letter and PostalEASE TSP Worksheet.
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TSP 50+ Catch-Up Contributions
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Any time.
Processed at 3:00 p.m. CT, second Wednesday of pay period
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https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf
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Prepare PostalEASE TSP 50+ Catch Up Worksheet.
Use PostalEASE.
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n The IRS annual limit for 2015 is increased to $6,000 for those age 50 or older during 2015.
n Catch-up contribution elections for 2015 will be accepted beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on December 10, 2014. 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.
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TSP Investment Choices
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Any time.
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https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspbk08.pdf
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Use http://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.
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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.
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Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)
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You may apply any
time — underwriting required.
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http://www.ltcfeds.com/usps
Go to Learn More, then Program Details, then Eligibility.
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Use http://www.ltcfeds.com/usps.
Go to Apply Now.
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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.
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Commuter Program
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Any time.
Monthly election deadline for payroll deduction amount is the 15th of the month,
11:59 p.m. ET, one 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. Cut-off for placing, changing, or canceling order is the 10th of the month,
11:59 p.m. ET, one month ahead of commuting month. (For Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North Railroad, the cut-off is the 4th.)
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http://www.wageworks.com
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Use http://www.wageworks.com.
877-924-3967
TTY: 866-353-8058
M–F 8 a.m..–8 p.m. ET
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n New career employees must allow up to 30 days for information to be entered in the Wageworks system.
n Other career employees can enroll at any time.
n Elections, changes, and cancellation for Commuter Program take effect one month after monthly election and/or order deadlines.
n 2015 IRS monthly limits are not confirmed. 2014 limits are $130 for mass transit and $250 for parking.
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