Expert's View

Open Season began on November 11 and runs through December 9. It’s your annual opportunity to exercise your right to change or elect coverage that you usually can’t do at any other time of the year.

Once again there are two programs that are open to all employees and retirees:

• Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), and

• Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance (FEDVIP)

And there’s one program that’s only open to employees:

• Federal Flexible Spending Account (FSAFEDS)

This time I’ll spell out the rules covering the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

FEHB

If you are already enrolled in an FEHB plan, you can continue that coverage, select another plan, or change from the self only option to self and family or vice versa. If you aren’t already enrolled in a plan, you can do that. Whether you are a new enrollee or one changing plans, there aren’t any waiting periods or pre-existing condition limitations.

Is retirement on your horizon? Be aware that carrying your FEHB coverage into retirement isn’t automatic. By law, you must have been enrolled in or covered by the FEHB for the five consecutive years before you retire on an immediate annuity. While enrollment in either Tricare or CHAMPVA can count toward those five years, it can only do so if you are enrolled in the FEHB program when you retire.

Although the premiums for most federal retirees are the same as those they paid while they were employed, that’s not true for Postal Service retirees. As a result of labor negotiations, Postal Service employees pay less. However, when they retire, they pay the same premiums as all other employees and retirees.

P.S. In case you are worried about the impact of the Affordable care Act on the FEHB program, you can relax. According to OPM, "The FEHB Program qualifies as minimum essential coverage (MEC) and meets the Patient Protection and Affordable care Act’s requirement. For more information, visit www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision."

Next time I’ll fill you in on FEDVIP and FSAFEDS. And I’ll fill you in on information sources and what you need to do to make Open Season Elections.