Concurrent with the end of the FEHB open season is the end of the open season for electing flexible spending accounts
for calendar year 2005. Unlike FEHB enrollment, FSA elections do not carry over from one year to the next. FSAs allow
employees to set aside pre-tax payroll dollars to pay for certain eligible expenses–up to $5,000 for dependent care
and up to $4,000 for medical and dental care. One other consideration is that health care FSA account holders are not
eligible for one variant of the new high deductible FEHB plans being offered in 2005, the one with a