FEHB, FSA Open Seasons Closing

The current Federal Employees Health Benefits program open season ends December 8, meaning that time is growing short to join the program or to change plans or coverage levels for the 2004 plan year. Officials advise that even enrollees content with their coverage-only about 5 percent of enrollees change plans each year–should make sure they know whether the terms of their plan are changing and to make sure they know the new premium rates. The current opportunity to sign up for flexible spending accounts, which can be used to pay certain dependent care and medical and dental expenses with pre-tax money, ends December 15, with the new plan year running for calendar year 2004. Even those currently enrolled in the FSA program must file a new enrollment for 2004; FSA enrollments do not carry over from one year to the next.