If you have state income tax withheld and you move to a different state, you must contact the state you move away from to stop the tax withholding. Image: Shutterstock.com
Many people move at or during retirement for a myriad of reasons, including for a different living space, to be near family members or as the song says, a change in latitude. If you do that, be sure that you pack your benefits to go along with you.
To report a change in address after retirement, go to www.servicesonline.opm.gov, email retire@opm.gov, write to Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017-0045, or call (888) 767-6738. You will need your retirement claim number (CSA number) and personal identification number. Use the same points of contact to arrange to have your annuity sent to a different financial institution, if you are changing accounts because of the move.
To change your address under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, contact your carrier directly and follow its procedures. If you are enrolled in a plan that serves a limited geographic area, such as a health maintenance organization, you will remain covered for emergency care. But unless your HMO has a “reciprocity” agreement with a plan in your new area that allows you to get routine care, you must travel back to the HMO’s coverage area for such care, or change plans. Moving out of your plan’s coverage area entitles you to change plans; information on doing that is at www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/reference-materials/reference/enrollment/#qle.
Moving out of a regional plan’s service area also qualifies for changing plans under the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program. To change your address and/or plan, contact www.benefeds.com, phone (877) 888-3337.
Since the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program has just one national carrier, moving does not affect enrollment. Notify the carrier of your new address at www.ltcfeds.com or by calling (800) 582-3337 or writing to Long Term Care Partners, P.O. Box 797, Greenland, NH 03840-9803.
Similarly, since the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program has just one national carrier, moving does not affect FEGLI enrollment. Notify the carrier of your new address at OFEGLI, P.O. Box 6080, Scranton, PA 18505-608, phone (800) 633-4542.
To let the TSP know a new address, file form TSP-9, available at www.tsp.gov/forms, which you can print out, or fill out online if you have a personal account with that site.
If you have state income tax withheld and you move to a different state, you must contact the state you move away from to stop the tax withholding. If the state into which you move participates in the OPM tax withholding plan, contact its tax office to arrange for new withholding. OPM cannot make any change without notice from your state tax office.
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