1

Attachment 1: Inform Tribal Employees and 

Provide Information about 

the FEHB Open Season 

Communication 

1. Build awareness of the upcoming FEHB Open Season. Tribal 

employees need to know: 

 

• The dates of Open Season (November 8 – December 13, 2021) 

• What decisions they can/must make 

• Where they can find additional information about the FEHB Program 

• The effective date of Tribal employee’s Open Season changes 

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

and follow through with consistent messages. 

2. Inform Tribal employees. You can do this in various ways. Here are 

some examples: 

• Send an email to all Tribal employees. Please include the following 

attachment in your Open Season announcement: 

o Attachment: Tribal FastFacts “What to Consider During the 

FEHB Open Season for Tribal Employees.”

• If Tribal employees don’t have easy access to the Internet, 

distribute the above attachment as a flyer. 

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

• Advise your employees who they can contact internally for help. 

 

If Tribal employees cannot access these resources from work, please 

distribute these links to them so they can view this information from 

home if they wish. 

o Facebook: www.facebook.com/usopm

o Twitter (News and Updates): https://twitter.com/usopm 
2

• Add reminders to earnings and leave statements. 

• Publicize Open Season information on your Tribal employer’s 

intranet site. 

• Advise your Tribal employees who they can contact internally for 

help. 

3. Tribal Benefits Officer responsibilities: It is the responsibility of the 

Tribal Benefits Officer to provide FEHB Open Season information to the 

Tribal employees. Please let your Tribal employees know the dates of 

Open Season, how to make changes, or where to go if they have 

questions. You must make sure FEHB Open Season information reaches 

your Tribal employees. 

It is the Tribal employer’s responsibility to explain the terms and 

conditions of any premium conversion plan or flexible spending account 

options under any pre-tax cafeteria plan that may be available for Tribal 

employees, and the time frame for enrollment or participation in that 

plan. 

Please see 5 CFR 890.1407(b)(3) 

“A Tribal employee who enrolls after the initial enrollment 

opportunity and who does not elect premium conversion through 

his or her Tribal employer's premium conversion plan, if one is 

available, will be subject to the enrollment and qualifying life 

event rules described at § 890.301 and effective dates described 

at § 890.301(b) and (f).” 

and 5 CFR 890.1407(b)(4) 

“A Tribal employee who enrolls after the initial enrollment 

opportunity and who elects premium conversion through his or 

her Tribal employer's premium conversion plan, if one is 

available, will be subject to the enrollment rules, qualifying life 

event rules and effective dates described at §§ 892.207, 

892.208 and 892.210 of this chapter (together with § 890.301

as referenced therein). 

 

Materials 

You can find detailed information about Open Season and all Open Season 

materials on our Tribal Programs website. 
3

1. Open Season Tribal FastFacts. A summary of important Open Season 

information is contained in Tribal FastFacts "What to Consider During the 

FEHB Open Season for Tribal Employees”. 

2. Plan Comparison Tool. The Plan Comparison Tool is available for 

eligible FEHB members to use when shopping for a health plan. 

Open Season Fairs 

1. Assure equal access for FEHB plans. Tribal employees may find Open 

Season fairs a valuable resource for getting Open Season information. For 

employing offices hosting Open Season Fairs please be sure to invite all 

plans that are available to your employees. This includes plans new to the 

FEHB Program for 2022 and plans that have services area expansions. 

Information on new plans will be available in Tribal Benefits 

Administration Letter 21-703. 

Plan contact information to invite plans to attend Open Season Health 

Fairs are available on our website at www.opm.gov/plancontacts. 

2. Be supportive. Suggest that your managers allow their Tribal 

employees time away from their duties to attend Open Season fairs. 

Employee Enrollment Opportunities 

1. Enroll in FEHB. 

 

• An eligible Tribal employee who is not enrolled may enroll. 

• Enrollment in FEHB automatically continues year to year. 

2. Change enrollment or cancel enrollment in FEHB 

• A Tribal FEHB enrollee may change from one plan or option to another 

or change enrollment type.

• A Tribal FEHB enrollee may cancel their enrollment. 
4

Open Season Effective Dates 

• From not enrolled to enrolled, the effective date is January 1, 2022 

following a pay period during any part of which the Tribal employee is 

in pay status. 

• For an enrollment change, the effective date is January 1, 2022 

regardless of whether the Tribal employee is in pay status during the 

preceding pay period. 

• For cancellation, the effective date is at the end of the day on

December 31, 2021.