United States

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 20-403 Date: November 2, 2020

Subject: 2020 Federal Benefits Open Season: FSAFEDS, FEDVIP and FEHB 

Program Significant Plan Changes 

This Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) is the third in our series of 2020 Federal

Benefits Open Season BALs for the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program 

(FSAFEDS), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. This BAL provides 

information on significant plan changes for 2021. 

This year’s Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, November 9 through 

Monday, December 14, 2020. 

FSAFEDS

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) selected Health Equity to administer

the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) after a full and open 

competition. The current contractor, WageWorks, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Health 

Equity. Heath Equity will assume full administration of FSAFEDS on January 1, 2021.

FEDVIP

New for 2021– There are 10 new plans options in FEDVIP. That makes for a total of 23 

dental plan options and 10 vision plan options in 2021 for employees to review during 

the upcoming Open Season. Please refer to Attachment 1: FEDVIP Significant Plan 

Changes for the list of the new 2021 FEDVIP plans and options. 

The FEDVIP dental and vision plans were recompeted with new contracts effective 

January 1, 2021. Plans were allowed to propose up to 5 rating regions with associated 

premium rates. FEDVIP members should not assume their plan’s rating region is the 

same in 2021 but are encouraged to review the rating regions and premium rates in their 

2021 Federal dental and vision plan brochures to determine the rating region available in 

their area. 

TIP: Distribute the attached list to all employees so they will know that they have more 

2021 FEDVIP choices during the upcoming Open Season. 
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FEHB PROGRAM

The remainder of this letter provides important information on the significant changes 

affecting certain plans in the FEHB Program for the upcoming Open Season. 

Attachment 2: FEHB Significant Plan Changes identifies those FEHB plans and their 

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

agencies and enrollees. 

Please note there are two plans leaving the FEHB Program at the end of 2020. 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). See Benefit Administration Letter 16-202

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. 

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. 

Table 1: Plans Leaving the FEHB Program and 

Table 2: Plans Reducing Service Areas and Terminating Enrollment Codes

What Must Employees Do? 

• 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 plan, they will be enrolled in GEHA Indemnity

Benefit Plan Elevate (the lowest-cost nationwide plan option for 2021 as

determined by OPM).

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

the first day of the pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2021; for most

employees this will be Sunday, January 3, 2021. 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 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 employees with your agency’s notice about Open

Season along with copies of the, Attachment 3: 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.
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• Belated changes: Some 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 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 

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

enrollment and address lists may not be up to date, we encourage you to accept belated 

changes. 

Table 3: Plans Terminating Options and Enrollment Codes

What Must Employees Do?

• Employees in a plan dropping an option (Table 3) may choose a new health plan 

during Open Season or remain with their current plan and be switched 

automatically into the plan’s option specified in Table 3. See Benefit 

Administration Letter 16-202 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 the first day of the pay period beginning on or 

after January 1, 2021; for most employees this will be Sunday, January 3, 

2021. Enrollees will remain covered and receive the 2020 benefits of the old plan 

or option until coverage under the new plan becomes effective.

What Must You Do? 

• Advise your 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 as specified in Table 3. 

• Distribute copies of this list to employees with your agency’s notice about Open 

Season.

• Follow up with 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 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 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. 
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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

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 employees and place your order for brochures. Plan contact information is 

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

CONCLUSION

We encourage you and your employees to visit our website at www.opm.gov/openseason

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 Federal employees have a successful Open Season. 

Sincerely, 

Laurie Bodenheimer 

Acting Director

Healthcare and Insurance 

Attachments 

Attachment 1: FEDVIP Significant Plan Changes

Attachment 2: FEHB Significant Plan Changes 

Attachment 3: FastFact: What to do When Your Health Plan is Terminating Coverage in 

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