TO FEDERAL ENROLLEES OF

Community Health Plan of Ohio (enrollment code MG) is changing its service area on June 30, 2000. The

following counties will not be offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program after

June 30, 2000: Athens, Belmont, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette,

Franklin, Gallia, Green, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence,

Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross,

Scioto, Tuscarawas, Union, Vinton, Warren, and Washington. If you are in these thirty-eight counties, you

must choose another Plan.

To continue to receive benefits under the FEHB Program, you must transfer to another participating health

plan during the upcoming special Open Season, May 22, 2000 through

June 16, 2000 if you are affected by the counties in paragraph one.

Transitional Care Under the Patients’ Bill of Rights

The changes described above will be effective June, 30, 2000. If you have read about the Patients’ Bill

of Rights, you may know that enrollees under the FEHB Program who are seeing a specialist for a

chronic or disabling condition or who are in the second or third trimester of a pregnancy have a right

of up to 90 days of continued treatment (or treatment through the end of post-partum care) following

notice that a plan is leaving or reducing its service area under the FEHB Program.

This notice is being sent to you 90 days in advance so that you have sufficient time to make

arrangements for continued care.

How to Change Plans

If you are an employee, you should contact your personnel office and enroll in a new health plan no later

than June 16, 2000. If you do not enroll by that date, you will not have any health benefits coverage

effective June 30, 2000. The effective date of the new coverage will be June 18, 2000. The new

premium will be effective the same date.

If you are a retiree, you also must select a new health plan during the special Open Season. If your

selection is not received by the end of the special Open Season, current regulations provide that you

will be deemed to have elected Standard Option coverage under the government-wide Blue Cross

and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan. All annuitant changes will become effective July 1, 2000.

If you are a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

retiree and need additional information, you should call Retirement Information Office at 1-888-767-6738.

 For the hearing impaired, the Retirement Information Office has a toll-free TDD number you may use for

assistance (1-800/878-5707). If you do not have a telephone, you can write to the Office of Personnel

Management at P.O. Box 14172, Washington, D.C. 20044. Please include your annuity claim number in

any correspondence you send. If you are a retiree of another Federal retirement system, you must

contact that system for assistance.

Please remember you must choose a new health plan during this special Open Season. Employees must

submit a completed enrollment form no later than June 16, 2000. If you are an employee and you do not

return an enrollment form, you will not have health benefits coverage effective June 30, 2000. CSRS

and FERS retirees should call 1-888-767-6738 to make their special Open Season enrollment changes.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.