Attachment 1: Inform Employees and Provide Information about 

Open Season 

Inform Employees about the Open Season

1. Build awareness of the upcoming Open Season. For starters, employees need to know: 

 the dates of Open Season; 

 which Programs participate in the Open Season;

 what decisions they can/must make; and

 where they can find additional information about the Programs. 

2. Inform employees of Open Season dates and where to find information about Open 

Season. You can do this in various ways. Here are some examples:

 Send a blast email to all employees. Attachment 1A includes OPM’s first FastFacts on 

the topic of Open Season. Please include the Open Season FastFacts in the email to your 

employees. 

 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 the Open Season FastFacts. 

 Display posters throughout your agency. 

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. 

Provide Open Season Information

1. Ensure you have enough Open Season Materials. You can find detailed information about 

ordering and distributing materials in BAL 08-403. Almost all materials are available online at 

www.opm.gov/insure. We encourage you and your employees to use this website during Open 

Season.

 It is the Agency Benefits Officer’s responsibility to provide Open Season information to 

the employees in the agency and guidance/information to the Benefits Officers in field 

offices. 

TIP: If you are in a field office and you do not know who your headquarters benefits officer is, 

please go to http://apps.opm.gov/abo/. 

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2. Hold Benefits Fairs. A Benefits Fair can be quite advantageous for your employees. 

Employees can speak directly to plan and program representatives and receive materials.

 For FEHB and FEDVIP – you can find plan contact information in Attachments 2-5 of 

BAL08-403. 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 FEHB and the FEDVIP programs. While a 

single representative may distribute information for both programs, this information can not be 

bundled or presented in such a way that the member is led to believe he/she is purchasing a 

“package deal.” 

 For FSAFEDS – please contact Bart Turney at SHPS, the administrator of FSAFEDS, at 

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

your benefit fairs. 

 You may be contacted by insurance companies that do not participate in any of the 

Federal benefits programs that 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 benefit fairs. 

However, employees may interpret their participation as evidence your agency supports 

their product or that it has the backing of the Federal Government. For this reason, you 

may wish to limit access to your premises to plans that actually participate in FEHB or 

FEDVIP (i.e., those plans listed in the Guide to Federal Benefits) and representatives of 

FSAFEDS and FLTCIP. 

TIP: While the FLTCIP does not participate in the annual Open Season, you may wish to 

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

Long Term Care Partners, the administrator of FLTCIP, at mmcnally@ltcpartners.com to 

request materials and/or participation at your benefits fair. 

 

3. Distribute information on plan terminations, additions and/or changes in service areas. 

 In October, you will receive BAL08-405 Overall Program Changes including FEDVIP 

and FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes via the benefitsinfo listserv. This BAL 

provides information on FEHB plan terminations, plans joining the FEHB Program, and 

changes in service areas for FEHB and FEDVIP plans. An employee whose plan will 

not participate in the FEHB Program next year or whose plan will terminate its 

enrollment code (i.e., service area reduction with an enrollment code termination) must 

enroll in another plan to continue FEHB coverage in 2009. It is your responsibility to 

monitor employees who are covered by these terminating plans or service area reductions 

with terminating enrollment codes and follow up with those who have not submitted a 

change of enrollment before the end of Open Season. 

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TIP: Distribute the list of Significant Plan Changes (which includes terminating plans and 

service area reductions) to all employees so they can check to see whether their plan or service 

area will continue to participate in the FEHB Program in 2009. 

4. Inform employees as to what they can do during Open Season. 

 Enrolling in FEHB, FEDVIP and FSAFEDS. 

o An eligible employee who is not enrolled may enroll. 

o An eligible employee who wants an FSA in 2009 must enroll in FSAFEDS 

during Open Season. Enrollment in FSAFEDS does not automatically continue 

year to year. 

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

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

conversion; participation in premium conversion is automatic. 

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

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

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

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

Benefits Open Season. Eligible employees can enroll in FEGLI at any time if they provide 

satisfactory medical information on an SF 2822, and it has been at least one year since they last 

waived FEGLI participation. If already enrolled, they can increase FEGLI coverage if they 

make an election within 60 days of experiencing a FEGLI-specific qualifying life event (QLE). 

Most enrollees can reduce FEGLI coverage at any time. Eligible employee and family members 

can apply for coverage under FLTCIP at anytime with Full Underwriting. Additional 

information on FEGLI and FLTCIP is available at www.opm.gov/insure. 

 Changing enrollment and/or canceling enrollment in FEHB, FEDVIP and 

FSAFEDS 

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

another or change enrollment type (Self vs. Self and Family for FEHB; Self vs. 

Self Plus One vs. Self and Family for FEDVIP), or any combination of these 

changes. 

o For FEHB and FEDVIP, an enrollee may cancel his/her enrollment. 

o For FSAFEDS, employees must make an election each year.

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

participation or if they had previously waived premium conversion, may begin 

participation. 

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

affect their ability to meet the 5-year requirement for continuing FEHB into retirement. 

5. Inform employees of Open Season effective dates. 

 FEDVIP 

o From not enrolled to enrolled, an enrollment change, or cancellations – 

Thursday, January 1, 2009. The Plan year under FEDVIP is January 1 through 

December 31.

 FEHB 

o From not enrolled to enrolled – The first day of the first pay period that begins 

on or after Thursday, January 1, 2009, and which follows a pay period during any 

part of which the employee was in pay status. 

o Enrollment change – The first day of the first pay period which begins on or 

after Thursday, January 1, 2009, regardless of whether the employee was in pay 

status during the preceding pay period. 

o Premium Conversion Change in Election – The first day of the first pay period 

that begins on or after Thursday, January 1, 2009. 

o Cancellations – At the end of the day before the first day of the first pay period 

that begins in the next year.

 FSAFEDS 

o Enrolled – Thursday, January 1, 2009. Employees who enroll during Open 

Season will have from January 1, 2009, through March 15, 2010, to spend their 

annual allotment before forfeiting the funds.

6. Answer questions concerning premiums. The premiums for FEHB and FEDVIP plans are 

located on the back of the Plan brochure and in the Guide to Federal Benefits. Premium 

information is also available on the website at www.opm.gov/insure. 

TIP: Remind employees that FEHB and FEDVIP premiums change every year. Employees 

should check their premiums every Open Season. 

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