The Office of Personnel Management has issued preliminary guidance to federal agencies on flexible spending accounts, the program to become available in July across the executive branch that will allow participants to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to be used for certain dependent care and medical and dental care expenses. OPM stated that it expects the open season for electing FSAs will begin in mid-May; previously it had only said the open season would be in May. Also, it said it expected that the allowable size of the health care expense FSA will be between $2,000 and $3,000 a year; previously it had estimated $3,000, although adding that the exact amount would be determined in the contract with the company that will administer the program. OPM is expected to announce its choice of a carrier soon. The guidance also stressed that unlike “premium conversion”-the arrangement in which active employees may pay Federal Employees Health Benefits program premiums with pre-tax money-enrollment in FSAs will not be automatic but must be elected in order to participate.