United States

Office of

Personnel Management

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Retirement and Insurance Service

Payroll Office Letter

 

Number: P-00–28 Date : October 24, 2000

Subject: YEAR 2001 FEHB OPEN SEASON INFORMATION

Although we have not yet created the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)

withholding and contribution rate files for 2001, we wanted to make sure that you are

aware of other important information regarding the upcoming open season. Thus,

we refer you to Benefits Administration Letter 00-404 -- Significant Plan Changes. 

BAL 00-404 can be downloading from the OPM website at www.opm.gov/asd; if you

are unable to do so, please call or email us and we will send you a copy. Please

note that some of these changes will require action on your part.

BAL 00-404 provides the following information:

Table 1: Plans dropping out of the FEHB Program for 2001

In addition to the plans listed in BAL 00-404, First Priority Health,

Code C8, in the State of Pennsylvania, will also no longer participate in the FEHB

Program as of December 31, 2000. Enrollees in the plan C8 must elect a new plan

in their service area during open season.

Table 2: Plans reducing their service areas by terminating an enrollment code

Enrollees in the terminating enrollment codes will need to elect new plans during the

open season and new enrollments for these plans must not be accepted.

Table 3: Plans reducing their service areas without terminating an enrollment code
Table 4: Plans splitting a service area

Enrollees who wish to remain in plan RD will have to re-enroll in that plan during the

open season. Enrollees in the plan RD, who do not re-enroll or change plans during

the open season, must be transferred to code 7J.

Table 5: New plans entering the Program for 2001

Table 6: Plan adding a standard option

GEHA, enrollment code 31, will add a standard option in 2001.

Table 7: Service area expansions with a new enrollment code

Table 8: Service area expansions without new enrollment codes

Table 9: Plan mergers

Certain plans are merging with others for 2001. You will need to transfer enrollees in

the “old” plans to the “new,” unless they transfer to a different plan during the open

season.

Table 10: Plan name changes

Table 11: Enrollment code changes

Enrollees in these plans must be transferred to the new enrollment codes unless

they choose a different plan during open season.

Table 12: Plans dropping a point-of-service product

Table 13: Plan name and enrollment code changes

You will need to transfer enrollees in the “old” plan to the “new,” unless they elect a

different plan during the open season.

Table 14: Plans adding preferred provider organization service

Table 15: Contract consolidations

You will need to transfer enrollees in the “old” plans to the “new,” unless they elect a

different plan during the open season.
By early November, we will provide you with the official 2001 withholding and

contribution rates that will be effective with the first full pay period beginning after

December 31, 2000. As was the case last year, the rates will be provided to you in

both hard copy and on a floppy diskette.

If you have any questions about the matters discussed in this letter, please contact

us on at finance@opm.gov or (202) 606-0606.

Robert A. Yuran, Chief

Financial Policy Staff

Retirement and Insurance Service