United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 04-206 Date: August 11, 2004

Subject: Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program: 

FEGLI 2004 Open Season Website, Email Messages and Data Needs

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Background 

On May 25, 2004, we issued Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 04-203 announcing a FEGLI 

Open Season that will be held from September 1 through September 30, 2004, to celebrate the 50th 

Anniversary of the FEGLI Program. 

On July 16, 2004, we issued Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 04-205 providing information 

about the educational materials that the Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance 

(OFEGLI) has prepared under its contract with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to 

promote the upcoming Open Season and how to order these materials. 

Purpose 

This BAL provides information about the FEGLI 2004 Open Season website, as well as the text 

for email messages that agencies can send to employees shortly before and during the Open 

Season. We are also providing information about the data that we will need about Open Season 

elections. 

OPEN SEASON WEBSITE INFORMATION 

When Will the FEGLI 2004 Open Season Website Be Available? 

The website at www.fegli2004.opm.gov will be available no later than September 1, 2004. 

What Will Be Included On That Website? 

The following information will be on the FEGLI 2004 Open Season website: 
For Employees 

 Enrollment Packet Materials. These include: 

 Letter from OPM Director Kay Coles James 

 Open Season Brochure (Federal and Postal versions) 

 Worksheet to Estimate Life Insurance Needs 

 Open Season Election Form (FE-2004) 

 Interactive Worksheet to Estimate Life Insurance Needs 

 FEGLI Calculator 

 50th Anniversary Edition of the FEGLI Program Booklet (Federal and Postal versions) 

 Frequently Asked Questions about the FEGLI 2004 Open Season 

 Open Season Election Form (FE-2004) 

 Script of the Open Season Video (Please note that the video itself will not be on the 

website) 

For Agency Human Resources Professionals 

 All of the above, PLUS: 

 Email Messages to Distribute to Employees during Open Season 

 Poster Announcing Open Season (8-1/2” x 11”) 

 Meeting in a Box Materials 

 Thank You Letter 

 Suggestion Sheet 

 A Short and a Long Version of a Power Point Presentation (with Speaker Notes) 

 Text Versions of the Speaker’s Notes 

 Script of the Open Season Video (Please note that the video itself will not be on 

the website) 

 Email Text Messages to Invite Employees to the Meetings 

 Poster Publicizing the Meetings (8-1/2” x 11”) 

 Benefits Administration Letters about the Open Season 

NOTE: All of the documents listed above are 508-compliant. 

FEGLI OPEN SEASON EMAIL MESSAGES 

How many email messages are there? 

There are five email messages that agency human resources offices can send to employees 

shortly before and during Open Season. Copies of the five messages are attached to this BAL. 

When do we send them? 

Each email shows when we suggest agencies send the message, as follows: 

Email 1-FEGLI Open Season Begins Next Week 

 This email should be sent during the week of August 23-27, 2004. 

Email 2- FEGLI 2004 Open Season Begins Today 

- 2 - 
 This email should be sent on Wednesday, September 1, 2004. 

Email 3- FEGLI 2004 Open Season Reminder 

 This email should be sent during the second full week of Open Season, 

 September 6-10, 2004. 

Email 4- FEGLI 2004 Open Season Ending Soon 

 This email should be sent during the third full week of Open Season, 

 September 20-24, 2004. 

Email 5- FEGLI 2004 Open Season Ends This Week 

This email should be sent during the final week of Open Season, preferably at 

the beginning of the week (September 27 or September 28) to give employees 

advance notice that the end is near. 

DATA NEEDS 

We need agencies to track the number of FEGLI 2004 Open Season elections they receive 

(excluding belated elections, discussed in the next section). This includes receipt of both hardcopy FE-2004 election forms and electronic elections, where applicable. In addition, if readily 

available, we would also like to receive a distribution of dates of birth, in five-year age bands, 

for those who submitted elections. 

We’ve made the data-reporting process as easy as possible. Please send an email between 

October 1 and 18, 2004 to fegli@opm.gov, with your agency name in the subject line. Include 

the Data Needs Spreadsheet (attached to this BAL), listing the number of FEGLI 2004 Open 

Season elections that your agency received and if available, the distribution of dates of birth, in 

five-year age bands, for those who submitted elections. This is only a suggested format. If your 

agency has another method or report that captures the same information, you can submit that 

format instead. We are not requiring you to consolidate the data at headquarters level; reporting 

by sub-agency is acceptable. 

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 

Will the 50th Anniversary Edition of the FEGLI Program Booklet be on the OPM FEGLI 

Website? 

Yes. The 50th Anniversary FEGLI Program Booklet will be on the OPM FEGLI website at 

www.opm.gov/insure/life. It will also be on the FEGLI 2004 Open Season Website at 

www.fegli2004.opm.gov during the Open Season. 

You play a critical role in the success of this Open Season and we thank you in advance for your 

support. 

- 3 - 
Just a reminder -- the FEGLI Open Season ends on Thursday, September 30, 2004. 

 Frank D. Titus

 Assistant Director

 for Insurance Services Programs 

Attachments 

Email 1- FEGLI Open Season Begins Next Week 

Email 2- FEGLI Open Season Begins Today 

Email 3- FEGLI Open Season Reminder 

Email 4- FEGLI Open Season Ending Soon 

Email 5- FEGLI Open Season Ends This Week 

Data Needs Spreadsheet 

- 4 -