Other Benefits Issues May Arise

OPM also said that while it currently doesn’t see a need for special procedures in the FSAFEDS program that allows employees to pay certain health costs not covered by insurance with pretax money, with “the potential for a significantly increased number of claims in the event of a pandemic, we anticipate there may be a coinciding increase in the time it takes for claims to be processed and reimbursements to be received.” It also said the FEGLI program “will apply expedited procedures used successfully in the past. In the event of a pandemic, an alert will be sent to agencies, giving details of expedited procedures (such as payment of applicable life insurance benefits without a death certificate).”