United States

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 18-403 Date: October 26, 2018

Subject: 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season: FSAFEDS, FEDVIP and FEHB 

Program Significant Plan Changes

This Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) is the third in our series of 2018 Federal 

Benefits Open Season BALs for the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program 

(FSAFEDS), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) 

and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. This BAL provides 

information on significant plan changes for the FEHB Program for 2019. 

There are no significant changes for 2019 for FSAFEDS or FEDVIP.

This year’s Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, November 12 through 

Monday, December 10, 2018. 

FEHB PROGRAM

The remainder of this letter provides important information on the significant changes 

affecting certain plans in the FEHB Program for the upcoming Open Season. The first

attachment to this BAL identifies the FEHB plans and their corresponding significant 

changes. Some of these events will require action on the part of agencies and enrollees. 

Please note there are plans leaving the FEHB Program at the end of 2018. Employees in 

these terminating plans must enroll in a new plan during Open Season or they will be 

enrolled in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus (the 

lowest-cost nationwide plan option for 2019 as determined by OPM). To inform 

employees of these terminating plans, please distribute this list throughout your agencies. 

 It is your responsibility to monitor employees who are covered by these terminating 

plans and follow up with those who have not submitted an enrollment change before the 

end of Open Season. 

TIP: Distribute the attached list of significant FEHB plan changes to all employees so 

they can check to see if they will be affected by 2019 FEHB plan or service area 

terminations. 
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Table 1: Plans Leaving the FEHB Program 

What Must Employees Do? 

• Employees in terminating plans (Table 1) enroll in a new health plan during Open

Season. If they do not enroll in a new plan, they will be enrolled in the Blue

Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus (the lowest-cost

nationwide plan option for 2019 as determined by OPM).

• New Coverage: Coverage under an enrollee’s new health plan will be effective

the first day of the pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2019; for most

employees this will be Sunday, January 6, 2019. Enrollees will remain covered

and receive the 2018 benefits of the old plan until coverage under the new plan

becomes effective.

What Must You Do?

• You must notify employees enrolled in the plans listed in Table 1 to select new

plans. Advise your employees if they do not choose new plans, they will be

enrolled in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan FEP Blue Focus

(the lowest-cost nationwide plan option for 2019 as determined by OPM).

• Distribute copies of this list to employees with your agency’s notice about Open

Season along with copies of the second attachment, FastFacts: What to do When

Your Health Plan is Terminating Coverage in Your Area or Leaving the Federal

Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

• Follow up with employees in these plans and remind them to select new plans.

• Belated changes: Some employees still might not receive instructions to change

plans during Open Season. We encourage you to be liberal in accepting belated

Open Season changes from employees enrolled in terminating plans or plans with

service area reductions and terminating enrollment codes.

What Will Health Plans Do?

Plan Notification: The plans in Table 1 have been instructed to notify enrollees of the 

need to select new plans for 2019; however, because some plans’ enrollment and address 

lists may not be up-to-date, we encourage you to accept belated changes.

Table 2: FEHB Plans Reducing Service Areas without Terminating Enrollment 

Codes 

What Must Employees Do? 

Employees in the service areas being terminated should elect a new health plan for 2019; 

however, employees who do not choose a new health plan will only have emergency 

services where they live and will have to travel to their plan’s remaining service area to 

receive full benefits. 
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What Must You Do? 

• You must notify employees enrolled in the plans listed in Table 2 to select a new

plan. Advise your employees if they do not choose a new plan, they will only

have emergency services where they live and they will have to travel to their

plan’s remaining service area to receive full benefits in 2019.

• Distribute copies of this list to employees with your agency’s notice about Open

Season along with copies of the second attachment, FastFacts: What to do When

Your Health Plan is Terminating Coverage in Your Area or Leaving the Federal

Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

• Follow up with employees in these plans and remind them to select a new plan.

• Belated changes: Some employees still might not receive instructions to change

plans during Open Season. We encourage you to be liberal in accepting belated

Open Season changes from employees enrolled in the plan reducing its service

area.

What Will Health Plans Do?

Plan Notification: The plans in Table 2 have been instructed to notify enrollees that 

their respective service areas are being terminated. If enrollees do not choose another 

health plan, the enrollees will only have emergency services where they live and they 

will have to travel to their plan’s remaining service area to receive full benefits in 2019. 

However, because a plan’s enrollment and address lists may not be up-to-date, we

encourage you to accept belated changes. 

Table 3: FEHB Plans Terminating Option and Enrollment Codes

What Must Employees Do? 

• Employees in the plan dropping an option (Table 3) may choose a new health

plan during Open Season or remain with their current plan and be switched

automatically into the plan’s option specified in Table 3.

• New Coverage: Coverage under an enrollee’s new health plan or option will be

effective the first day of the pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2019; for

most employees this will be Sunday, January 6, 2019. Enrollees will remain

covered and receive the 2018 benefits of the old plan or option until coverage

under the new plan becomes effective.

What Must You Do? 

• Advise your employees who are enrolled in the plan that is dropping an option

(Table 3) that if they do not choose a new health plan, they will be automatically

transferred into the plan’s option as specified in Table 3.

• Distribute copies of this list to employees with your agency’s notice about Open

Season.

• Follow up with employees in the plan and remind them that if they do not choose

a new health plan, they will be automatically transferred into the plan’s option
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specified in Table 3. 

• Belated changes: Some employees still might not receive instructions regarding

their plan dropping an option. We encourage you to be liberal in accepting

belated Open Season changes from employees enrolled in the plan dropping an

option listed in Table 3.

What Will the Health Plan Do?

• Plan Notification: The plan in Table 3 has been instructed to notify enrollees

that their current plan option is being discontinued and that if they do not change

to another plan during Open Season, they will be switched automatically into the

plan’s option specified in Table 3.

Table 4: Plans Adding New Options And Enrollment Codes 

Table 5: Service Area Expansions Without New Enrollment Codes

Table 6: Service Area Expansions Adding New Enrollment Codes

Table 7: New Plan Entering the FEHB Program

What Must You Do? 

You must include the plans with new options, the plans with expanded service areas, and 

the new plan entering the FEHB Program (Tables 4-7) when you count the number of 

eligible employees and place your order for brochures. 

CONCLUSION

We encourage you and your employees to visit our website at www.opm.gov/openseason

for the most up-to-date information. Please note that 2019 plan information will be 

posted on our website in early November. We look forward to working with you to 

ensure Federal employees have a successful Open Season. 

Sincerely, 

Alan P. Spielman 

Director

Healthcare and Insurance 

Attachments