Attachment 1: Inform Employees and Provide Information about 

the Federal Benefits Open Season 

COMMUNICATION 

1. Build awareness of the upcoming Open Season. Employees need to know: 

 The dates of Open Season (November 14 – December 12, 2011); 

 The Programs participating in Open Season (FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB); 

 A brief description of FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB; 

 What decisions they can/must make; 

 Where they can find additional information about the Programs; and 

 The effective date of employees’ Open Season changes; 

Start your awareness campaign early (such as the beginning of October) and follow through 

with consistent messages. 

2. Inform employees. You can do this in various ways. Here are some examples: 

 Send an email to all employees. Please include the following attachments in your Open 

Season announcement: 

o	 Attachment 2: FSAFEDS Program flyer, 

o	 Attachment 3: Going Green – View Your FEHB Brochure Online or Contact 

Your Plan for a Paper Brochure, 

o	 Attachment 4: Open Season FastFacts “The 2011 Federal Benefits Open Season 

is Coming!” and 

o	 Attachment 5: Open Season FastFacts “What to Consider During the Federal 

Benefits Open Season.” 

 Distribute flyers to employees (this is a great way to reach employees who don’t have 

easy access to the Internet). The flyers can include: 

o	 Attachment 2: FSAFEDS Program flyer, 

o	 Attachment 3: Going Green – View Your FEHB Brochure Online or Contact 

Your Plan for a Paper Brochure, 

o	 Attachment 4: Open Season FastFacts “The 2011 Federal Benefits Open Season 

is Coming!” and 

o	 Attachment 5: Open Season FastFacts “What to Consider During the Federal 

Benefits Open Season.” 

 Post Open Season notices in hallways, cafeterias, and break rooms. 

1 
 

 Put the dates of Open Season (November 14 – December 12) on a footer on each email 

you and your human resources office staff send to employees starting now through 

December 12, 2011 (whether the email specifically concerns Open Season or not). 

Encourage agency supervisors to do the same. Your IT staff may be able to make this 

footer automated, and apply it to only internal emails. 

 Add reminders to earnings and leave statements. 

 Publicize Open Season information on your agency’s intranet site. 

 Remind employees they will need their password for the BENEFEDS (FEDVIP 

enrollment website) and FSAFEDS websites. 

 If your agency uses an online service system for FEHB enrollment changes (e.g., 

Employee Express or MyPay), remind employees they need their password to access the 

system. 

 Broadcast to your employees who they can contact internally for help! 

TIP: If you are in a field office and you do not know who your agency benefits officer at the 

headquarters level is, please go to http://apps.opm.gov/abo/. 

TIP: Don’t assume employees know the dates of Open Season, how to make changes, or where to go 

if they have questions. Each year, OPM receives numerous calls and emails asking for this 

information. You must make sure Open Season information reaches employees. 

MATERIAL 

It is the responsibility of the agency benefits officer at the headquarters level to provide Open Season 

information to the employees in the agency and guidance/information to the benefits officers in field 

offices. 

Ensure you have enough Open Season material. You can find detailed information about ordering 

and distributing materials in Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 11-403 at 

www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/bal11.asp. However, almost all materials are available online at 

www.opm.gov/insure. 

1.	 Open Season FastFacts. A summary of important Open Season information is contained in 

the following two FastFacts created specifically for Open Season available on our website at 

www.opm.gov/insure/fastfacts/index.asp: the Open Season FastFacts “The 2011 Federal 

Benefits Open Season is Coming!” and the Open Season FastFacts “What to Consider 

During the Federal Benefits Open Season.” 

2.	 2012 Guide to Federal Benefits. A complete listing of all the plans that participate in the 

health (FEHB) and dental/vision (FEDVIP) programs, an explanation of the Federal flexible 

spending account program (FSAFEDS), and important enrollment information. Instructions 

for ordering the Guide were provided in BAL 11-402 Open Season Rider Information at 

www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/bal11.asp. Please check with your agency benefits officer at 

2 
the headquarters level to obtain copies. The online version is available at 

www.opm.gov/insure/health/planinfo/guides/index.asp. 

3.	 FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB brochures and flyers. 

 You obtain FSAFEDS brochures at www.FSAFEDS.com. 

 You obtain FEDVIP brochures from the plans directly. You can find FEDVIP plan 

contact information in BAL 11-403 at www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/bal11.asp. 

Dental plan brochures are also available at 

www.opm.gov/insure/dental/planinfo/index.asp. Vision plan brochures are also 

available at www.opm.gov/insure/vision/planinfo/index.asp. 

 The ordering process for FEHB Fee-for-Service (FFS) health plan brochures is 

finished. If you did not order FFS health plan brochures, you can access these 

brochures at www.opm.gov/FEHBbrochures. You may request FEHB health 

maintenance organization (HMO) or high deductible/consumer driven health plan 

(HDHP/CDHP) brochures by contacting those plans directly. You can find FEHB 

plan contact information in BAL 11-403 at www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/bal11.asp. 

Health plan brochures are also available at www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/bals/bal11.asp 

and www.opm.gov/FEHBbrochures. 

** A note about distributing FFS health plan brochures: health plans and field offices alike 

report that boxes of health plan brochures go to waste because they are inadequately distributed 

once they reach your designated distribution points. This action denies employees health plan 

material to make an informed decision as the cost associated with this waste impacts rates 

charged to employees. Agency headquarters must ensure proper distribution of all health plan 

brochures including FFS and HMO plan brochures. 

4. Open Season Facebook page. If employees cannot access this resource from work, please 

still distribute the link to them so they can view this information from home if they wish. 

 Facebook: www.facebook.com/fedbenefits 

5.	 Significant Changes Benefits Administration Letter (BAL). Employees must be notified 

promptly when their plan either terminates from one of the Programs or reduces its service 

area. You are responsible for monitoring employees who are covered by these terminating 

plans or service area reductions with terminating enrollment codes and for following up with 

those who have not submitted a change of enrollment before the end of Open Season. If they 

do not make a plan change, they will be left without coverage! 

You will receive BAL 11-405 2011 Federal Benefits Open Season: FEDVIP and FEHB 

Program Significant Changes shortly. Please share this information immediately with your 

employees when you receive it. 

TIP: Distribute the listserv notices of the significant changes and BAL 11-405 to all employees 

so they can check to see whether their plan or service area will continue to participate in the 

FEHB Program in 2012. 

3 
OPEN SEASON FAIRS 

1.	 Strength in numbers. Employees find Open Season fairs a valuable resource for 

getting Open Season information. If your agency has a small number of employees, 

consider partnering with other agencies in your area or with a Federal Executive 

Board to host an Open Season fair. The plans in the Programs usually receive more 

requests to attend Open Season fairs than they can accommodate, so be creative. 

Employees value talking with plan representatives face-to-face, but you must 

advertise the event early and often to attract as many employees as possible. 

2.	 Assure equal access for FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB plans. Open Season fairs 

in some locations – with or without agency HR on site – are organized and hosted by 

participating FEDVIP and FEHB plans. While this circumstance may be necessary, 

no one plan can be allowed to dominate an Open Season fair to the detriment of other 

participating plans. OPM works to ensure a level playing field for FSAFEDS, 

FEDVIP, and FEHB, and this spirit should prevail at Open Season fairs too. 

3.	 FSAFEDS. Please contact Bart Turney at SHPS, the administrator of FSAFEDS, at 

fsafeds-hr@shps.com to request free FSAFEDS marketing materials and/or participation 

at your benefit fairs. 

4.	 FEDVIP and FEHB. Find plan contact information in Attachments 3-7 of 

BAL 11-403. Carrier representatives are expected to confine their presentations to 

benefit provisions and claims procedures of the specific plan they represent. 

TIP: A number of carriers participate both in the FEDVIP and FEHB programs. While a single 

representative may distribute information for both programs, this information cannot be bundled or 

presented in such a way that the member is led to believe he/she is purchasing a “package deal.” 

5.	 Companies not approved by OPM. You may be contacted by insurance companies 

that do not participate in any of the Federal benefits programs we administer but wish to 

sell other types of “supplemental” policies to Federal employees. These companies 

sometimes send marketing material and ask that you distribute it. They may ask to be 

invited to the agency’s benefit fairs or even show up uninvited. 

OPM has no authority to allow or disallow participation in agency Open Season benefit 

fairs. However, we are not in favor of allowing these companies to attend because it may 

dilute the messages of the Federal Benefits Open Season. Employees may interpret their 

participation as evidence your agency supports their product or that it has the backing of 

the Federal Government. For these reasons, you may wish to limit access to your 

premises to plans that actually participate in FEDVIP or FEHB (i.e., those plans listed in 

the 2012 Guide to Federal Benefits) and representatives of FSAFEDS and Federal Long 

Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). 

TIP: Although FLTCIP does not participate in this annual Open Season, you may wish to include 

information on the Program at your benefit fairs. Please contact Maureen McNally at Long Term 

4 
 

 

Care Partners, the administrator of FLTCIP, at mmcnally@ltcpartners.com to request materials 

and/or participation at your benefits fair. 

6.	 Be supportive. Ensure your agency’s managers allow their employees time away from 

their duties to attend Open Season fairs. The fairs are an excellent source for employees 

to obtain the information necessary to make informed benefit choices. 

EMPLOYEE ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

1.	 Enroll in FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB. 

 An eligible employee who is not enrolled may enroll. 

 An eligible employee who wants an FSAFEDS account in 2012 must enroll in 

FSAFEDS during Open Season. Current participants MUST re-enroll each year if 

they want to continue participation. Enrollments DO NOT carry forward from year 

to year. 

 Enrollment in FEDVIP and FEHB automatically continues year to year. 

 An eligible employee who enrolls in FEDVIP cannot waive premium conversion. 

When employees enroll in FEDVIP, they agree to pre-tax deductions. 

 An eligible employee who enrolls in FEHB may waive participation in premium 

conversion; otherwise, participation in premium conversion is automatic. 

Note: The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program and the Federal Long 

Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) do not participate in the annual Federal Benefits 

Open Season. Eligible employees can newly enroll in the FEGLI Program or increase existing 

FEGLI coverage if already enrolled if they provide satisfactory medical information to prove 

insurability, and it has been at least one year since they last waived FEGLI coverage. The form to 

use for this request is the SF 2822 “Request for Insurance.” In addition, eligible employees can 

newly enroll in the FEGLI Program or increase existing FEGLI coverage if they make an election 

within 60 days of experiencing a FEGLI-specific qualifying life event (QLE). Enrollees can reduce 

FEGLI coverage at any time (unless the coverage is assigned). 

Eligible employees and qualified relatives can apply for coverage under FLTCIP at anytime with 

Full Underwriting. Additional information on both FEGLI and FLTCIP is available at 

www.opm.gov/insure. 

2. Change enrollment or cancel enrollment in FSAFEDS, FEDVIP, and FEHB 

 For FSAFEDS, current participants must re-enroll if they want to participate for 2012 

or they can choose to do nothing and their FSAFEDS coverage will end with the 

2011 Benefit Period. 

 For FEDVIP and FEHB, an enrollee may change from one plan or option to 

another or change enrollment type. 

5 
 

 

 

 

 For FEDVIP and FEHB, an enrollee may cancel his or her enrollment. 

 An enrollee who currently participates in FEHB premium conversion may waive 

participation, or if he/she had previously waived premium conversion, may begin 

participation. 

Note: Please inform employees who are canceling their FEHB enrollment that the cancellation may 

affect their ability to meet the 5-year requirement for continuing FEHB into retirement. There is no 

5-year requirement to continue FEDVIP into retirement. 

OPEN SEASON EFFECTIVE DATES 

1. FSAFEDS 

 For enrollment during Open Season, the effective date is Sunday, January 1, 2012. 

 An eligible employee who wants an FSAFEDS account in 2012 must enroll in 

FSAFEDS during Open Season. Current participants MUST re-enroll each year if 

they want to continue participation. Enrollments DO NOT carry forward from year 

to year. 

 Employees who enroll during Open Season will have from January 1, 2012 through 

March 15, 2013 to incur eligible expenses. 

2. FEDVIP 

 From not enrolled to enrolled, or an enrollment change, the effective date is 

Sunday, January 1, 2012. 

 For cancellation, the effective date is December 31, 2011. 

 The Plan year under FEDVIP is January 1 through December 31. 

3. FEHB 

 From not enrolled to enrolled, the effective date is the first day of the first pay 

period that begins on or after Sunday, January 1, 2012 and which follows a pay 

period during any part of which the employee was in pay status. 

 For enrollment change, the effective date is the first day of the first pay period 

which begins on or after Sunday, January 1, 2012 regardless of whether the employee 

was in pay status during the preceding pay period. 

o	 For most non-postal employees, the effective date is Sunday, January 1, 

2012. 

o	 For U.S. postal employees, the effective date is Saturday, January 14, 

2012. 

o	 For compensationers under the Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs (OWCP), the effective date is Sunday, January 15, 2012. 

6 
 

 

 

 

	 For premium conversion change in election, the effective date is the first day 

of the pay period that begins on or after Sunday, January 1, 2012. 

o	 For most non-postal employees, the effective date is Sunday, January 1, 

2012. 

o	 For U.S. postal employees, the effective date is Saturday, January 14, 

2012. 

o	 For compensationers under the Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs (OWCP), the effective date is Sunday, January 15, 2012. 

 For cancellation, the effective date is at the end of the day before the first day of the 

first pay period that begins in 2012. 

o	 For most non-postal employees, the cancellation date is Saturday, 

December 31, 2011. 

o	 For U.S. postal employees, the cancellation date is Friday, January 13, 

2012. 

o	 For compensationers under the Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs (OWCP), the cancellation date is Saturday, January 14, 2012. 

7