Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act

Bill: 116-s-973
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Introduced: 2019-04-01
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations

Dental care

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Health care coverage and access

Hearing, speech, and vision care

Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Latest action: action_date: 2019-04-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-04-01
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the termination of federal-employee dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance coverage as a result of unpaid premiums or other periodic charges in the event of a lapse in appropriations that results in an employee being placed in a nonpay status. This includes supplemental dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance policies.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 973 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 1, 2019 Ms. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal employees affected by a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act . 2. Continuing supplemental dental and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage during a Government shutdown (a) In general Subpart G of part III of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in section 8956, by adding at the end the following: (d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a dental benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage under the dental benefits plan shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due to the lapse in appropriations. ; (2) in section 8986, by adding at the end the following: (d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a vision benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage under the vision benefits plan shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due to the lapse in appropriations. ; and (3) in section 9003, by adding at the end the following: (e) Effect of Government shutdown With respect to an employee or member of the uniformed services enrolled under a master contract for long-term care insurance under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropriations, coverage under the master contract shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due to the lapse in appropriations. . (b) Regulations The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations under which premiums for supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States Code, (as amended by subsection (a)) that are unpaid by an employee or member of the uniformed services (as the case may be), as a result of that employee or member being placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropriations, are paid to the applicable carrier from back pay made available to the employee or member as soon as practicable upon the end of the lapse in appropriations. (c) Application The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to any contract for supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States Code, entered into before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.