United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Tribal Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 20-703 Date: November 2, 2020

Subject: 2020 FEHB Open Season for Tribal Employees: FEHB Program 

Significant Plan Changes 

This Tribal Benefits Administration Letter (TBAL) is the third in our series of 2020

Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season for Tribal Employees TBALs. 

This TBAL provides information on significant plan changes for the FEHB Program for 

2021. This year’s Open Season for Tribal Employees will run from Monday, November 

9, through Monday, December 14, 2020. 

This TBAL provides important information on the significant changes affecting certain 

plans in the FEHB Program for the upcoming Open Season. Attachment 1: FEHB 

Significant Plan Changes to this TBAL identifies the plans and their corresponding 

significant changes. Some of these events will require action on the part of tribal 

employers and tribal employees. 

Please note there are two plans leaving the FEHB Program at the end of 2020. Tribal 

employees in these terminating plans must enroll in a new plan during Open Season or 

they will be enrolled in GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate (the lowest-cost 

nationwide plan option for 2021 as determined by OPM). To inform employees of these 

terminating plans, please distribute this list to your employees. 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 2021 FEHB plan or service area 

terminations. 
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Table 1: Plans Leaving the FEHB Program and 

Table 2: Plans Reducing Service Areas and Terminating Enrollment Codes

What Must Tribal Employees Do? 

• Tribal employees in terminating plans (Table 1) or service area reductions with 

terminating enrollment codes (Table 2) must enroll in a new health plan during 

Open Season. If they do not enroll in a new FEHB plan, they will be enrolled in 

GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate (the lowest-cost nationwide plan option 

for 2021 as determined by OPM). See Tribal Benefits Administration Letter 

16-601 Enrollment Options Following the Termination of a Plan or Plan Option

for additional information on how to automatically enroll individuals who do not 

make an enrollment election during the allotted time period.

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

effective beginning January 1, 2021. FEHB enrollees will remain covered and 

receive the 2020 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 and Table 2 to 

select new plans. Advise your employees if they do not choose new FEHB plans, 

they will be enrolled in GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan Elevate (the lowest-cost 

nationwide plan option for 2021 as determined by OPM).

• Distribute copies of this list to tribal employees with your tribal employer’s notice 

about Open Season along with copies of the Attachment 2: 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 tribal 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 tribal 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 and Table 2 have been instructed to notify 

FEHB enrollees of the need to select new FEHB plans for 2021; however, because some 

plans’ enrollment and address lists may not be up-to-date, we encourage you to accept 

belated changes. 
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Table 3: Plans Terminating Option and Enrollment Codes 

What Must Employees Do? 

• Tribal employees in the plan dropping an option and enrollment codes (Table 3)

will be automatically enrolled into the plan option that is identified in the attached 

table unless they enroll in another plan during Open Season. See Tribal Benefits 

Administration Letter 16-601 Enrollment Options Following the Termination of a 

Plan or Plan Option. 

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

effective January 1, 2021.

What Must You Do? 

• Advise your tribal 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 specified in Table 3. 

• Distribute copies of this list to tribal employees with your tribal employer’s notice 

about Open Season.

• Follow up with tribal 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 specified in Table 3.

• Belated changes: Some tribal 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 tribal employees enrolled in the 

plan dropping an option listed in Table 3.

What Will the Health Plan Do? 

• Plan Notification: The plans in Table 3 have 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: New Plan Entering the FEHB Program 

Table 7: Plans Changing Name 
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What Must You Do? 

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

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

eligible tribal employees and place your order for brochures. Plan contact information 

is available on our website at www.opm.gov/plancontacts. 

We encourage you and your tribal employees to visit our website at 

www.opm.gov/tribalprograms for the most up-to-date information. Please note that 2021 

Plan information will be posted on our website in early November. 

We look forward to working with you to ensure tribal employees have a successful Open 

Season. 

Sincerely, 

Laurie Bodenheimer 

Acting Director 

Healthcare and Insurance 

Attachments 

Attachment 1: FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes 

Attachment 2: FastFacts: What to do When Your Health Plan is Terminating Coverage in 

Your Area or Leaving the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program