United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

 

Benefits Administration Letter 

 

Number: 13-401 Date: July 26 , 2013

Subject: 2013 Federal Benefits Open Season: Announcement

Welcome to the first in our series of 2013 Federal Benefits Open Season Benefits Administration 

Letters (BAL) for the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), Federal 

Employees Dental and Vision Program (FEDVIP), and Federal Employees Health Benefits 

(FEHB) Program. This BAL provides general information about this year’s Federal Benefits 

Open Season, which runs from Monday, November 11, 2013 through Monday, December 9, 

2013. You are responsible for ensuring that your employees are aware of the dates of Open 

Season, how to make changes, and which changes they can make. 

FEDVIP 

New for 2014 - three new dental plans and one new vision plan in FEDVIP! That makes for 

a FEDVIP total of ten dental plans and four vision plans for 2014. 

Additional information will be forthcoming in our Federal Benefit Open Season BALs that will 

be issued in September. 

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS AND COVERAGE 

Last year, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, FEHB plans provided a summary document 

detailing information about health plan benefits and coverage on their websites. 

In order to help FEHB enrollees better understand their coverage and allow them to easily 

compare different plans and plan options, the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) 

document includes information on the following: 

Cost - deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits 

Coverage - covered services, examples of covered services, and excluded services 

Rights – rights to continue coverage and grievance and appeal rights 

NEW FOR 2014 – The following 2 questions and answers will be included: 

o

 

 

 

o

 

 

Q: Does this Coverage Provide Minimum Essential Coverage? 

A: The Affordable Care Act requires most people to have health care 

Coverage that qualifies as "minimum essential coverage." Coverage under 

 this plan qualifies as minimum essential coverage. 

Q: Does this Coverage Meet the Minimum Value Standard? 
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A: The Affordable Care Act establishes a minimum value standard of 

benefits of a health plan. The minimum value standard is 60% (actuarial 

value). The health coverage of this plan does meet the minimum value 

standard for the benefits the plan provides. 

 

The SBC will continue to have a disclaimer indicating that the plan brochure remains the official 

statement of benefits. 

 

Plans will continue to provide information in their Open Season materials to their enrollees 

about where to find their SBC on their website as well as how to obtain a paper copy of the 

SBC. The plans may also have their SBC available at health fairs. 

ELECTRONIC BROCHURES 

We are continuing our Going Green initiative. We encourage you and your employees to 

continue using the electronic health plan brochures over the paper brochures. Agencies have 

responded positively to this effort and have shared our desire to help lower administrative costs 

and conserve natural resources. Remember that copies of all FEHB plan brochures are on our 

website at www.opm.gov/FEHBbrochures. 

OPEN SEASON OPPORTUNITIES 

During the annual Open Season, employees can take the actions listed below for the Federal 

Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), Federal Employees Dental and Vision 

Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. 

Enroll in a flexible spending account – a health care and/or dependent care account, 

under the FSAFEDS Program. Unlike with other programs, employees MUST reenroll in 

FSAFEDS each year to participate. Enrollments DO NOT carry over from year to year. 

NOTE: 

The maximum annual election for a Health Care Flexible Spending Account and 

the Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account is $2,500 for the 

2014 Benefit Period. 

The maximum annual election for a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account 

is $5,000 for the 2014 Benefit Period. 

The minimum election for the flexible spending accounts is $250. 

Enroll in, change, or cancel an existing enrollment in a dental plan under the FEDVIP 

Program. 

Enroll in, change, or cancel an existing enrollment in a vision plan under the FEDVIP 

Program. 

Enroll in, change, or cancel an existing enrollment in a health plan under the FEHB 

Program. 
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UPCOMING BALs 

Through the BENEFITSINFO Listserv, you will receive BALs on the following topics in the 

upcoming months: 

2013 Federal Benefits Open Season: 2013 Rider Information - We will inform you 

how to order the Guide to Federal Benefits. Anticipated Issue Date: Late July 

2013 Federal Benefits Open Season: Ordering and Distributing Materials - We will 

inform you how to order and distribute Open Season materials including Programspecific materials. Anticipated Issue Date: Mid-September 

2013 Federal Benefits Open Season: Conducting the Open Season - We will provide 

you with information on counseling employees, annuitant inquiries, carrier contacts, 

Open Season actions, effective dates, and agency actions. This BAL will also include the 

Federal Benefits FastFacts: The 2013 Federal Benefits Open Season is Coming! and 

Federal Benefits FastFacts: What to Consider During Open Season. Anticipated Issue 

Date: Mid-to-Late September 

2013 Federal Benefits Open Season: Significant Events - We will provide information 

on significant events affecting certain plans in FEDVIP and the FEHB Program which 

you must communicate to your employees. Upon the announcement of the 2014 premium 

rates, we will release this BAL. Anticipated Issue Date: Late September (if there are any 

subsequent changes, we will issue a follow-up BAL in October) 

As in the past, the 400 series will be dedicated to the Open Season. You can find BALs at 

www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/benefits-administration-letters/. 

PRE-OPEN SEASON MATERIALS (ATTACHMENTS) 

The items below are pre-Open Season materials to help employees consider and assess the 

various choices available to them as they make their Open Season benefits decisions. You are 

responsible for providing these educational materials to your employees. Please distribute these 

materials to employees and post them on your agency’s intranet in mid-September. 

1. Open Season Checklist - a list of items to help enrollees get ready for Open Season 

2. Open Season Resources – a list of resources to help enrollees find specific benefits 

information 

3. Frequently Questioned Services – a list of services that OPM often receives inquiries on 

as to how, or if, the items are covered under our benefit Programs 

4. Circle ‘Round Your Benefits – a diagram to help enrollees understand how the three 

programs that participate in Open Season (FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB) work 

together 
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Please note that the 2013 Open Season information will be posted on our website, 

www.opm.gov/insure, by the first week in November.

WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Visit our website at www.opm.gov/insure to learn more about these Programs. We will post 

FEHB and FEDVIP premium rates for 2014 in early October. You will find specific Federal 

Benefits Open Season information on this website by the first week in November. 

If you have specific questions, please contact your agency’s benefits officer. If you do not know 

who this person is, please go to http://apps.opm.gov/abo/ where you will find a list of agencies 

and their Headquarters Benefits Officers. 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

John O’Brien

Director 

 Healthcare and Insurance