Civil Service Federal Employees Federal Employees Federal Employees

Retirement Group Life Health Benefits Retirement

System Insurance Program System

United States

Office of Personnel Management

Retirement and Insurance Service

Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 98-410 Date: August 27, 1998 

Subject: Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Termination of

Personal Physician Care, Code PL

This is to inform you that Personal Physician Care, enrollment code PL, has been placed in

receivership by the State of Ohio and will be put out of business as of September 19, 1998. The

plan serves the northeast/Columbus Ohio area.

Employees may not newly enroll in Personal Physician Care. In addition, we are authorizing a

special open season for employees enrolled in the plan to allow them to choose new plans. 

Employees who wish to maintain FEHB coverage must enroll in new plans during this special

open season.

We sent the attached letter to Personal Physician Care enrollees (based on a list given to us by the

plan) to advise them of this special open season. Please note that enrollees are being given the

choice of enrolling in a new plan retroactive to August 16 or the first day of the pay period

following the one in which they submit the enrollment form. However, please keep in mind that

the effective date must be prior to September 19, 1998, so that no lapse in coverage will occur. 

We wish to remind you that agencies have the authority to accept belated open season changes if

necessary.

Please make sure your installations in northeastern Ohio are aware of this special open season. 

Also, since we have no way of knowing if the list of enrollees given us by the plan is complete, we

ask that you try to identify employees in code PL to make sure they enroll in new plans. As

always, thank you for your cooperation.

 

Abby L. Block, Chief

Insurance Policy

and Information Division

Attachment
TO ALL FEDERAL ENROLLEES OF

PERSONAL PHYSICIAN CARE, INC. 

Personal Physician Care, Inc. Health Plans (enrollment code PL) will not be offered through the Federal

Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program after September 19, 1998. 

To continue to receive benefits under the FEHB Program, you must transfer to another

participating health plan before September 19, 1998. We have enclosed a 1998 Guide to Federal

Employees Health Benefits Plans. You may request brochures directly from the health plans at the phone

numbers appearing in the Guide. All federal enrollees enrolled in Personal Physician Care, are eligible to

enroll in another health plan during this special open season.

 IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE

You should take a copy of this letter to your personnel office and complete a new Health Benefits

Registration Form (SF 2809). The effective date of the new coverage you choose can be as early as

August 16, 1998 or the first day of the pay period following the one in which you submit your enrollment

form, if you wish a later date because you are currently receiving treatment from the plan. Let your

personnel office know what you want to do. If you do not return an enrollment form with your

choice of a new plan and an effective date before September 19, 1998, you will lose health benefits

coverage on that date.

 IF YOU ARE AN ANNUITANT

Annuitants under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System

(FERS), should contact the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Retirement Information Office at

1-(888) 767-6738. Please have available your annuity claim number and your social security number

when calling our toll-free number. If you are an annuitant of another Federal retirement system, you must

contact that system for assistance. You must select a new health plan before September 19, 1998. If

your selection is not received by September 19, 1998, current regulations provide that you will be

deemed to have elected Standard Option coverage under the government-wide Blue Cross and

Blue Service Benefit Plan. All annuitant changes will become effective September 1, 1998.

Please remember, you must choose a new health plan before September 19, 1998, the date the plan

is scheduled to cease operations. If you are an employee and you do not complete an enrollment

form, you will not have health benefits coverage after September 19, 1998. CSRS and FERS

annuitants should call 1-888-767-6738 to make their enrollment changes.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation, in this matter. 

Enclosure U.S. Office of Personnel Management 

 Office of Insurance Programs