FLTCIP covers services that you may need if you are unable to care for yourself because of a chronic mental or physical condition. Image: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com
By: Reg JonesIn this series of articles, I’ve walked you through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program as it applies to both employees and retirees, pointed out the decisions you need to make about your Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance, and the filled you in on the potential benefits of enrolling in the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program. This time I’ll conclude with an overview of the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.
There’s one big difference regarding the FLTCIP: the program is not accepting new applications to enroll through the end of next year pending a review of the program’s financing. Also not accepted are applications to increase existing coverage, although that coverage will continue so long as current enrollees continue to pay the premiums.
What’s covered
FLTCIP covers services that you may need if you are unable to care for yourself because of a chronic mental or physical condition. Those services include such things as nursing home care, home health care, assisted living facilities, adult day care and personal or homemaker care. Coverage is provided by LTC Partners, LLC, and is underwritten by the John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company under contract with OPM.
Premiums
Whether you decide to enroll in this program or not is entirely up to you. If you do enroll, you’ll pay the entire cost of the premiums. As long as you pay those premiums, FLTCIP benefits cannot be changed because you’ve gotten older, your health has deteriorated, or for any other reason related solely to you unless you request and are approved for a higher level of benefits.
However, with OPM’s consent premiums can be increased when it’s determined that the premiums for a particular group of enrollees will be inadequate to cover the projected cost of those benefits. There’s a good chance that the current review of the program will result in just such an increase.
Eligibility
Those who are eligible to enroll in the program cover such a much wider spectrum than other federal employee insurance programs:
• federal employees, including those in the Postal Service and Tennessee Valley Authority;
• federal annuitants, surviving spouses of deceased federal or postal employees, plus former employees who are eligible for a deferred annuity and those separated from the federal service who are receiving workers’ compensation;
• members of the unformed service who are on active duty or full-time National Guard duty for more than 30 days, active members of the Selected Reserve, former members of the uniformed service and retired military reservists who are entitled to retired or retainer pay;
• current spouses of employees, annuitants and survivor annuitants, plus spouses in common law marriages recognized by the state in which they live;
• domestic partners of federal and postal employees and annuitants and retired members of the uniformed services who submit a Declaration of Domestic Partnership form;
• adult children, including natural children, adopted children and stepchildren, but not foster children;
• Parents, parents-in-law and stepparents of living employees and their spouses, but not of domestic partners or annuitants.
While there is no upper age limit, there is a lower one. You must be a minimum of 18 years old at the time you apply.
Application Enrollment
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may apply to enroll in the program at any time, subject to underwriting, a series of questions about health and other life issues.
The traditional policy has been that newly hired employees and their spouses have 60 days to apply under a shortened (“abbreviated”) form of underwriting and after that, they must undergo standard (“full”) underwriting. That also has been true of newly married spouses of employees. However, this is set to change when the program again allows new applications, with full underwriting applying in all cases unless the OPM announces an exception.
Other eligible persons have always been subject to full underwriting.
Benefit choices
As an enrollee, you can choose a maximum benefit, the length of the policy and the type of inflation protection. You can also choose between comprehensive coverage and coverage for only facility-based care. The premiums you pay will depend on the coverage you choose and your age at the time of enrollment.
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See also,
Legal: How to Challenge a Federal Reduction in Force (RIF) in 2025
The Best Ages for Federal Employees to Retire
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Primer: Early out, buyout, reduction in force (RIF)
Retention Standing, ‘Bump and Retreat’ and More: Report Outlines RIF Process
