Office of Personnel Management

Retirement and Insurance Group

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Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 96-409 Date: October 15, 1996 

SUBJECT: 1996 FEHB Open Season: Processing Open Season Changes 

_________________________________________________________________

The purpose of this Letter is to provide agencies with instructions for processing open season

changes.

A. PROCESSING ROUTINE OPEN SEASON CHANGES

1. Employees who want to continue their current enrollment do not need to

take any action during the open season. However, employees whose plans

will not participate in the FEHB Program after December 31, 1996, or whose

plans are dropping an enrollment area having a separate enrollment code,

must enroll in a different plan to continue FEHB coverage in 1997.

2. Employees who wish to make an open season enrollment change and do

not have Employee Express available (or who do not choose to use

Employee Express) must complete an SF 2809 and submit it to the

employing office. Open season SF 2809s generally should be processed in

the same manner as registrations handled at other times; however,

agencies should note the following:

a. The number of the event permitting the change, to be shown in Part C,

item 3, of the SF 2809, is 1 (one); and November 11, 1996, should be

entered in Part C, item 4, as the date of event that permits the change.

b. If there is a change from one plan or option to another or from self only

to self and family, show the old plan name in Part C, item 1, and the

old enrollment code number in Part C, item 2.

c. Complete Part G of the SF 2809. Be sure to enter the date the new

enrollment takes effect in item 3. Enter the SF 2811 report number in

item 4 (SF 2811 is the transmittal form used to send 

SF 2809s to carriers). If the report number for the old carrier is 

different from that of the new carrier, enter the correct number on 

each copy.
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

d. Enter the correct eight-digit payroll office number (the number of the

office that actually withholds the premiums) in Part G, item 5. (This

number can be obtained from your payroll office.)

e. As a reminder, for temporary employees eligible under 5 U.S.C. 8906a,

the following statement should be included in the "Remarks" section of

the SF 2809: "Temporary employee eligible under 5 U.S.C. 8906a

must pay the full premium amount with no Government/agency

contribution."

f. For spouse equity enrollees, enter the name and date of birth of the

employee or former employee in the "Remarks" section.

g. For temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) enrollees, in the

"Remarks" section transfer the following information from the original

SF 2809: the enrollment authority, the date TCC eligibility ends, and

the circumstance that permits the TCC enrollment, i.e., separated

employee, former spouse, or child marrying or reaching age 22.

h. Send copy 2 of the SF 2809s to the new carriers to notify them of their

new enrollments. This will enable them to complete the paperwork

needed to cover their new enrollees and issue identification cards.

i. Send copy 3 of the SF 2809s to the old carriers so that they do not

guarantee or provide benefits to employees or family members after

enrollments terminate. (Discard this copy for new enrollments or for

enrollment changes within the same plan.)

It is important that agencies process open season actions promptly,

because employees may have difficulty receiving benefits until carriers have

notification of their enrollments.
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

B. PROCESSING OPEN SEASON CHANGES WHEN THE EMPLOYEE

SEPARATES, TRANSFERS, RETIRES, OR DIES

1. Separation

a. If you know an employee will resign or be separated before the open

season change takes effect, do not accept an open season 

SF 2809.

b. If you have completed processing the employee's open season

change, but the employee separates before the change takes effect,

do the following:

(1) Void the open season SF 2809. Send copies of the voided SF

2809 to both the old and the new carriers with an 

SF 2811.

(2) Complete an SF 2810 terminating the enrollment in effect at the

time the employee separates. In the "Remarks" section, write

the following: "Separated [date]. Open season 

SF 2809 change dated [date] is void."

(3) Attach a copy of the voided SF 2809 to the carrier's copy of the

SF 2810 terminating the enrollment. Send them to the carrier

with an SF 2811.

2. Transfer

a. If you know an employee will transfer on or before the effective date of

the open season change, do the following:

(1) Have the employee complete an open season SF 2809. 

Instead of completing Part G, have the authorized agency

official initial and date Part G to show that the open season

registration was timely submitted. The name of the losing

installation and the signature of its certifying officer should not

appear on the SF 2809.
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

(2) Return the SF 2809 to the employee and tell him or her to give it

to the new employing office to complete processing upon

entering on duty.

(3) The gaining office will transfer in the old enrollment on SF 2810

before processing the open season SF 2809.

b. If you have processed the employee's open season change, but he or

she transfers on or before the effective date of the change, do the

following:

(1) Void the SF 2809. Send a copy of the voided SF 2809 to both

the old and the new carriers with an SF 2811.

(2) Prepare a memo for the Official Personnel Folder (OPF) stating: 

"Transferred [date]. Open Season SF 2809 change dated

[date] is void. Accept a new open season SF 2809."

(3) Send a copy of the voided SF 2809 to the carrier with an SF

2811.

(4) Tell the employee that you voided the change. Then, if

possible, have the employee complete a new SF 2809. Handle

the new form as discussed in paragraph 2a of this section.

(5) If it is not possible to obtain a new SF 2809 before the transfer,

notify the gaining agency that the employee's timely filed open

season change has been voided and that the gaining agency

should accept a new open season SF 2809.

3. Retirement

a. If you know an employee will retire before the open season change

takes effect, do the following:

(1) Have the employee complete the open season SF 2809. 

Instead of completing Part G, have the authorized agency

official initial and date Part G to show that the open season

registration was timely submitted. The name of the 
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

installation and the signature of its certifying officer should not

appear on the SF 2809.

(2) Attach the SF 2809 to other health benefits documents and the

Individual Retirement Record (SF 2806 under CSRS and SF

3100 under FERS) when they are submitted to the retirement

system. Keep a copy of this SF 2809 in the employee's OPF as

verification.

(3) After assuring that the five-year rule has been met, prepare a

memo to the retirement system stating that the open season SF

2809 was submitted on a timely basis and should be accepted

for processing. The retirement system will transfer in the old

enrollment on an SF 2810 and then process the open season

SF 2809.

b. If you have processed the employee's open season change, but the

employee retires before the change takes effect, do the following:

(1) Void the SF 2809. Send a copy of the voided SF 2809 to both

the old and the new carriers with an SF 2811.

(2) After assuring that the five-year rule has been met, prepare a

memo to the retirement system stating: "Employee retired

[date]. Open season SF 2809 dated [date] is void. Accept a

new open season SF 2809."

(3) Attach the OPF copy of the memo to other health benefits

documents (including the voided SF 2809) and the Individual

Retirement Record (SF 2806 under CSRS and SF 3100 under

FERS) when they are submitted to the retirement system.

(4) Send a copy of the voided SF 2809 to the carrier with an SF

2811 at the same time that the application package is forwarded

to the retirement system.

(5) Tell the employee that you voided the change. Have the

employee complete a new SF 2809. Handle the new form as

discussed in paragraph 3a of this section.
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

4. Death

a. If you have processed the employee's open season change, but he or

she dies before the change takes effect, void the SF 2809. Send a

copy of the voided SF 2809 to both the old and the new carriers with

an SF 2811.

b. If the employee had a self only enrollment, or had a self and family

enrollment and there are no known survivors eligible to continue the

enrollment:

(1) Complete an SF 2810 terminating the enrollment in effect at the

time of death. In the "Remarks" section write: "Employee died

[date]. Open season SF 2809 dated [date] is void."

(2) Attach a copy of the voided SF 2809 to the carrier's copy of the

SF 2810. Send them to the carrier with an SF 2811.

c. If the employee had a self and family enrollment and there is at least

one survivor who appears eligible to continue the enrollment:

(1) Prepare a memo to the retirement system stating: "Employee

died [date]. Open season SF 2809 change dated [date] is void. 

Accept a new open season SF 2809 from the survivor if [he or

she] wishes to make a change."

(2) Send a copy of the voided SF 2809 to the carrier with an 

SF 2811 at the same time that the death benefit application 

and/or other health benefits documents (including the voided 

SF 2809) with the individual retirement record are forwarded 

to the retirement system.

(3) Inform the survivor that you voided the change. Give him or her

the opportunity to make an open season change. Handle the

change as discussed in paragraph 3a of this section. If you are

unable to contact the survivor, attach a notice to the records

forwarded to the retirement system stating that the survivor

should be informed of the open season opportunity.
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Benefits Administration Letter 96-409

Please note the following important points to stress when you counsel individuals:

1. When transfer, retirement, or death occurs before the effective date of a

valid open season enrollment change, the change must be processed by the

new agency or the retirement system.

2. There will be a delay in processing the open season change until the new

agency or the retirement system receives the paperwork. The enrollee and

the carrier may not have a record of the enrollment change by the effective

date of the change.

3. FEHB premiums will be collected by the new agency or the retirement

system, effective on the transfer-in date.

_____________________________________________________________________

Abby L. Block, Chief

Insurance Policy

 and Information Division