Federal Benefits 

FastFacts 

The 2008 Federal Benefits 

Open Season is coming! 

3⁄4 What is Open Season? This is 

the time for you to think about 

your health, dental, vision, and 

tax-saving needs and to make 

changes to or enroll in one of the 

Programs. The Programs that 

participate in the annual Open 

Season are the:

* Federal Employees Health 

Benefits Program (FEHBP), 

* Federal Employees Dental 

and Vision Insurance Program 

(FEDVIP), and 

* Federal Flexible Spending 

Account Program (FSAFEDS). 

3⁄4 Why should you care? This is 

the time to make elections you 

usually can’t make any other time 

of the year. All health or dental or 

vision plans are not alike. Open 

Season is about exercising your 

right of choice. Failure to consider 

your health plan choices could 

leave you without the healthcare 

services or supplies you need or 

with a premium you can’t afford; 

dental and/or vision coverage can 

fill in the gaps of any coverage you 

now have or pay for services you 

now don’t get; and a flexible 

spending account lets you save 

money and pay less tax. 

3⁄4 Can you sit out this Open Season 

and do nothing? 

 * If you are already enrolled in 

FEHBP and FEDVIP, those enrollments 

will continue automatically (although 

benefits and premiums may change. 

Also, be sure to check that your plan is 

still participating.) If you do nothing 

this Open Season and are later 

unhappy with your 2009 benefits or 

premiums, you cannot cancel or change 

your enrollment until the next Open 

Season. 

* If you already have an FSAFEDS 

account, it will not continue 

automatically; you must reenroll. 

3⁄4 What are some things you 

should think about this Open 

Season? 

 FEHBP

* you must be covered by the 

Program for the five years of service 

before retiring to continue coverage 

into retirement; 

* there are no waiting periods and 

no pre-existing condition limitations, 

even if you change plans; 

* there are lots of plans from which 

to choose; 

* you can have FEDVIP and 

FSAFEDS with your FEHBP insurance. 

 

Open Season runs from November 10 through December 8, 2008. 

The new revamped Open Season website will be available November 3, 2008 with 2009 plan information. Open Season runs from November 10 through December 8, 2008. 

The new revamped Open Season website will be available November 3 with 2009 plan information.
Open Season runs from November 10 through December 8, 2008. 

The new revamped Open Season website will be available November 3, 2008 with 2009 plan information. Open Season runs from November 10 through December 8, 2008. 

The new revamped Open Season website will be available November 3 with 2009 plan information. 

 FEDVIP 

* you may continue coverage into 

retirement without a five year 

enrollment requirement; 

* participating dental and vision 

providers may be different from your 

health plan’s providers; 

* you can cancel your coverage 

only during Open Season or 

deployment to active military duty; 

* FEDVIP always pays benefits 

secondarily to your FEHBP insurance; 

* you can submit copays and 

deductibles to your FSA account. 

 

FSAFEDS 

* there are three accounts from 

which to choose - a dependent care 

account, a health care account, and a 

limited expense health care account; 

* participating lowers your taxable 

income; 

* you can pay for your FEHB and 

FEDVIP copays and deductibles. 

* not open to retirees. 

3⁄4 How much do these Programs 

cost? You can find the 2009 health 

insurance rates at 

www.opm.gov/insure/health/rates/ind

ex.asp 

You can find 2009 dental rates at 

www.opm.gov/insure/dental/rates/ind

ex.asp 

You can find 2009 vision rates at 

www.opm.gov/insure/vision/rates/ind

ex.asp 

For FSAFEDS go to 

www.FSAFEDS.com to see how much 

you may contribute. 

3⁄4 Where can you go for more 

detail on the choices available to 

you? 

 * For FEHBP information go to 

www.opm.gov/insure/health, the 2009 

Guide to Federal Benefits, or the 2009 

Plan brochures. 

 

* For FEDVIP go to 

www.opm.gov/insure/dental/index.asp

or 

www.opm.gov/insure/vision/index.asp, 

the 2009 Guide to Federal Benefits, or 

the 2009 Plan brochures. 

* For FSAFEDS go to 

www.FSAFEDS.com, call 1-877-372-

3337, the 2009 Guide to Federal 

Benefits or the FSAFEDS Program 

Brochure. 

3⁄4 How do you make an Open 

Season election? For FEHB, use the 

Health Benefits Election form (SF 2809) 

or use an online self-service system; 

the Human Resources Office of your 

agency can help you. 

For dental or vision under FEDVIP, go 

to www.BENEFEDS.com or call 1-877-

888-3337, TTY 1-877-889-5680. 

For flexible spending accounts under 

FSAFEDS, go to www.FSAFEDS.com or 

call 1-877-372-3337, TTY 1-800-952-

0450. 

Additional details can be found at 

www.opm.gov/insure or see your 

Human Resources Office for 

information.