Civil Service Federal Employees Federal Employees Federal Employees

Retirement Group Life Health Benefits Retirement

System Insurance Program System

United States

Office of Personnel Management

Retirement and Insurance Service

Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 98-409 Date: August 6, 1998 

Subject: 1998 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season:

Ordering and Distribution of Open Season Materials

I. Overview

 A. Open Season Materials. 

Open season materials are prepared for use by employees and other FEHB enrollees

during open season and throughout the year. 

The following materials will be used during the 1998 open season:

1. 1999 Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHB Guides).

These booklets are prepared for various groups of enrollees. They contain a

comparison chart giving general information about the plans and their premium

rates, the FEHB Customer Satisfaction Survey results, and information on which

plans are accredited by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)

and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). 

They also include information about plans' web sites.

2. Plan brochures. These brochures are the statements of benefits, exclusions,

and limitations.

3. Materials for the visually-impaired.

4. SF 2809 (Health Benefits Registration Form). 

 B. Shipping and Packaging

 

Printing contractors will continue to use color-coded shipping labels to distinguish 
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 2

between FEHB Guides (goldenrod) and plan brochures (pink). FEHB Guides and 

plan brochures will be packaged in groups of 25 and boxed at up to 250 items per

container. 

II. FEHB Guides

 A. Names and Numbers

1. 1999 Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for Federal

Civilian Employees (RI 70-1). This Guide will be used by most employees. The

rates shown are the enrollee's share of the biweekly and monthly premiums. [The

corresponding Guide for Postal employees is RI 70-2.]

2. 1999 Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for TCC and

Former Spouse Enrollees (RI 70-5). This Guide shows the monthly premium

rates for enrolled former spouses (total premium) and for persons eligible for TCC

(total premium plus 2% administrative add-on).

3. 1999 Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for 

Certain Temporary Employees -- those eligible to enroll in FEHB under 

5 U.S.C. 8906a (RI 70-8). This Guide shows the full biweekly and monthly

premium rates (without a Government contribution) for all plans.

 B. How do agencies get the Guides?

We will arrange to have supplies of the FEHB Guides shipped to each agency's designated

shipping points.

In addition, all of the FEHB Guides will be available for downloading and printing from

our FEHB web site (http://www.opm.gov/insure/health). 

 

C. How many do agencies get?

The quantity is based on information on the number of eligible employees provided to

OPM by agency headquarters Insurance Officers.

As we advised you in BAL 98-404, dated May 28, 1998, because they are available on our

FEHB web site and are being increasingly accessed from the Internet by both employees

and agencies, the quantity of RI 70-1 and RI 70-8 will be equal to 50% of the reported

number of eligible employees, rather than 60% as in past years. 

 D. What do agencies do with them?

RI 70-1 and RI 70-8 will not be printed in sufficient quantities to give a personal copy to

each employee. Before open season begins, agencies must notify employees of the

availability of RI 70-1 and RI 70-8. Employees should be given the name of their agency

contact to obtain copies of these Guides if they are considering making a change during

open season.
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 3

Please note: To help agencies easily distinguish between them, the RI 70-5 (for

TCC/Spouse Equity enrollees) and the RI 70-8 (for temporary employees) will be

identifiable by color. The RI 70-5 will have a gray cover and the RI 70-8 will be

printed on buff paper.

Agencies should hold a quantity of RI 70-1 and RI 70-8 in reserve for use during calendar

year 1999. Throughout the year, agencies must give the appropriate FEHB Guide to new

employees and others who become eligible to participate in the FEHB Program.

RI 70-5 will be printed in the same quantities as in the past. Agencies are responsible for

distributing RI 70-5 to the former-spouse and TCC enrollees whose enrollments they

maintain. (Those agencies for which the National Finance Center maintains these accounts

do not have this responsibility.)

 E. How do agencies order more?

Additional (limited) quantities will be available upon written request only from agency

headquarters Insurance Officers after January 1, 1999. [OPM cannot fill orders for

agency field offices. They must request additional stock from their agency headquarters

Insurance Officers.]

The address is OPM/RIS, Forms Analysis and Design, Room 4H28, ATTN: RI-[insert the

number of the Guide being ordered], Washington, DC 20415-3430. Forms may also be

ordered through email at the following address: risforms@opm.gov.

Be sure to include an agency contact telephone number and the shipping address.

III. Plan Brochures

 A. How do agencies get managed fee-for-service plan brochures?

Managed fee-for-service plans will ship a supply of their brochures to each agency's

designated distribution points.

 B. How do agencies get health maintenance organization plan brochures?

Agencies must order HMO brochures directly from the plans. Agencies will be 

provided with a list of plan contacts for this purpose.

The personnel official designated for each agency installation must determine the number

of employees working at or serviced by the installation who are eligible to enroll in each

HMO; i.e., the number of employees located in the plan's service area. The installation

should then contact each plan and provide the plan with:

1. A conservative estimate of the number of eligible employees. (Be sure to

include former spouse and TCC enrollees in this estimate.) 

2. The address to which the plan should ship the brochures.
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 4

After receiving this information, the plan will ship a supply of brochures directly to the

installation.

 C. How do agencies get brochures for plans with a point of service product?

If the plan is a managed fee-for-service plan with a point of service product, the plan will

ship a supply of their brochures to each agency's designated distribution points. If the plan

is a health maintenance organization (HMO) with a point of service product, you must

order plan brochures directly from the plans, as described above.

 D. How many brochures do agencies get?

Managed fee-for-service plans are given a distribution list that shows the quantity they are

to ship to each distribution point (generally 15% of the agency's eligible FEHB

population). Each agency orders HMO, and HMO with a point of service product,

brochures directly from the plans and should be sent a quantity equal to 15% of the

number of eligible employees. This amount is computed by the plans at the time of

shipment.

 E. What should agencies do with them?

Each employee currently enrolled will receive a brochure directly from his or her plan. 

Agencies must keep a supply of brochures on hand for reference and for distribution to

employees who decide to enroll or change plans. These brochures must be readily

accessible to employees.

Agencies must maintain close control over the issuing of plan brochures. Employees

should be permitted to take copies home for review. If an employee enrolls or changes

health plans, he/she should keep the brochure for that plan. Other brochures should be

returned promptly to the office.

Wherever possible, agencies must give their former-spouse and TCC enrollees the same

access to brochures as employees. Agencies must tell their former-spouse and TCC

enrollees how to obtain brochures and SF 2809 enrollment forms if they are interested in

changing plans. If the employing office maintaining the enrollment is unable to fill a

request for a brochure (e.g., if the enrollee lives in an area not served by the plans for

which the employing office has brochures), the individual should be advised to call the

plan at the telephone number listed in the FEHB Guide.

 F. How do agencies order more brochures?

Agencies must request additional brochures directly from the plans. 

IV. MATERIAL FOR THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED

 A. What is available?
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 5

1. 1999 Guide to Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans for Federal

civilian employees (RI 70-10). The content of this booklet is the same as the RI

70-1, but it is printed in large type on 11 x 17 inch paper.

2. 1999 managed fee-for-service plan cassette tapes for visually-impaired

employees. These are tone-indexed cassette tapes of the brochures for the open

managed fee-for-service plans.

3. All of the information in the FEHB Guides, as well as each health plan

brochure, is available on the FEHB web site in electronic formats suitable for the

visually-impaired. Cassette tapes are available from the plans (see below).

 B. How do agencies get RI 70-10?

OPM will arrange to have supplies of RI 70-10 shipped to each agency's headquarters

distribution points based on the quantities indicated by headquarters Insurance Officers in

May. This amount should be sufficient for open season use, as well as for distribution to

visually-impaired employees who become eligible to enroll during 1999.

Additional copies may be ordered in writing by the agency headquarters Insurance Officer. 

The address is OPM/RIS, Forms Analysis and Design, Room 4H28, ATTN: RI 70-10,

Washington, DC 20415-3430, or FAX the order to 202-606-0910. You may also order

by sending an email request to risforms@opm.gov.

Be sure to include an agency contact, telephone number, and the shipping address.

 C. How do agencies get cassette tapes?

Cassette tapes will be available directly from the open managed fee-for-service plans. A

list of plan contacts to use for ordering the tapes is attached.

 D. Agency Responsibilities

All Federal agencies at the headquarters and installation levels should take steps to seek

out visually-impaired employees and to let them know that the large-print FEHB Guide,

the cassette tapes, and the FEHB web site are available.

V. SF 2809 (HEALTH BENEFITS REGISTRATION FORM)

 A. How do agencies order?

Agencies must order SF 2809 directly from General Services Administration (GSA)

supply centers, just as they order other OPM-issued Standard Forms. SF 2809 is available

from GSA/Federal Supply Service using the normal FEDSTRIP/MILSTRIP procedures. 

Contact your purchasing or acquisitions office for your agency's procedures.

SF 2809 is not available from GSA Customer Service Centers or from OPM.
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 6

Note: We are in the process of having a new version of the SF 2809 approved and

printed, but we do not know at this point if it will be ready in time for this year’s open

season. However, the new form will certainly be available for use early next year, so to

avoid getting stuck with a large supply of outdated forms, we suggest you order only as

many as you expect to need for this open season. 

In addition, agencies whose employees have access to Employee Express to make open

season changes should keep this in mind when determining how large a supply of SF 2809

they need to order.

 B. What is the cost?

The National Stock Number (NSN) for SF 2809 is 7540-01-231-6227; the price is

approximately $12.00 per hundred. 

 C. What should agencies do with the form?

Agencies must keep sufficient quantities of SF 2809 available to handle requests, both

during open season and throughout the year. The form should be given to employees and

former spouse and TCC enrollees who are enrolled in plans that will not be participating in

the FEHB Program after December 31, 1998.

VI. PREMIUM RATES

OPM announces premium rate changes each year in a news release. Agency payroll 

offices, however, must not use these rates to update their payroll systems. OPM's Office of

Financial Control and Management will issue a Payroll Office Letter giving the official enrollee

withholding rates and Government contribution rates and other information relevant to

payroll offices.

The Payroll Office Letter will also provide agencies with information on obtaining a PCcompatible floppy disk containing the 1999 FEHB rates.

 Abby L. Block, Chief

 Insurance Policy 

 and Information Division

Attachment 

 
Benefits Administration Letter 98-409 7

 

 Open Fee-for-Service Plan Audio Cassette Coordinators

Plan Contact Phone FAX

BCBS Paula Spurway 202-942-1274 202-942-1265

Alliance Larry Lindsey 202-939-6369 202-939-6389

APWU Carroll Midgett 301-622-5554 301-622-5591

GEHA Jane Overton 816-257-3330 816-257-3233

Mail Handlers Mary Beth Lynch 301-517-2059 301-517-2127

NALC Dave Lorenz 703-729-4677 703-729-8109

Postmasters Linda Griffin 703-683-1664 703-683-2937