Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/04/19/2010-8957/federal-employees-health-benefits-program-miscellaneous-changes
Timestamp: 2017-08-20 21:19:24
Document Index: 239842526

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 890', 'arts 890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', '§\u2009890', 'art 892', '§\u2009892', '§\u2009892']

Federal Register :: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Miscellaneous Changes
A Proposed Rule by the Personnel Management Office on 04/19/2010
OPM must receive comments on or before June 18, 2010.
20314-20316 (3 pages)
3206-AL95
Senate Restaurants Employees
Change in Options Offered
List of Subjects in 5 CFR Parts 890 and 892
Subpart B—Health Benefits Plans
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2010-8957 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2010-8957
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing to amend its regulations to provide for continuation of Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage for certain former Senate Restaurant employees who transferred to employment with a private contractor. We are also proposing to change the annual FEHB Program Open Season from the Monday of the second full workweek in November through the Monday of the second full workweek in December, to November 1st through November 30th of each year. We are also adding a new opportunity for eligible employees to enroll in the FEHB Program or to change enrollment from self only to self and family under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. Finally, we are proposing to allow FEHB plans to offer three options, without the requirement that one of the options be a high deductible health plan.
Send written comments to Ronald L. Brown, Healthy Policy, Planning & Policy Analysis, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-3666; or deliver to OPM, Room 3425, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC or FAX to (202) 606-0633.
Ron Brown, (202) 606-0004, or e-mail at ronald.brown@opm.gov.
Public Law 110-279, enacted July 17, 2008, provides for certain Federal employee benefits to be continued for certain employees of the Senate Restaurants after the operations of the Senate Restaurants are contracted to be performed by a private business concern. The law provides that a Senate Restaurants employee who was an employee of the Architect of the Capitol on the date of enactment and who accepted employment by the private business concern as part of the transition, may elect to continue Federal benefits during continuous employment with the business concern. We are proposing to conform the regulations to these provisions of Public Law 110-279.
Public Law 111-3, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2009 (the Act), enacted on February 4, 2009, allows States to subsidize health insurance premium payments for certain low-income children who have access to qualified employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. FEHB-eligible enrollees who meet the criteria for child health assistance are eligible to receive State premium subsidy assistance payments to help them pay for their FEHB plan premiums. Current FEHB Program regulations already allow an eligible enrollee who loses coverage under the FEHB Program or another group health plan, including loss of eligibility or assistance under Medicaid or CHIP, to enroll or change enrollment from self only to self and family within the period beginning 31 days before and ending 60 days after the date of loss of coverage. The Act provides new opportunities for eligible employees to enroll in the FEHB Program or to change enrollment from self only to self and family when the employee or an eligible family member becomes eligible for premium assistance under CHIP. Employees must request the change in enrollment within 60 days after the date the employee or eligible family member is determined to be eligible for assistance. Employees may make these Start Printed Page 20315enrollment changes regardless of whether they are covered under premium conversion (pay premiums with pre-tax dollars).
The current regulations state that an FEHB plan shall not have more than two options and a high deductible health plan. We are proposing to revise the regulations to allow employee organization plans and health maintenance organizations to both offer two options and a high deductible health plan or to offer three options, without the requirement that one of the options be a high deductible health plan. This will provide for more flexibility in contracting with health plans for modern types of benefits.
Accordingly, OPM is proposing to amend 5 CFR parts 890 and 892 as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8913; § 890.301 also issued under sec. 311 of Pub. L. 111-03, 123 Stat. 64; § 890.111 also issued under section 1622(b) of Pub. L. 104-106, 110 Stat. 521; § 890.112 also issued under section 1 of Pub. L. 110-279, 122 Stat. 2604; 5 U.S.C. 8913; § 890.803 also issued under 50 U.S.C. 403p, 22 U.S.C. 4069c and 4069c-1; subpart L also issued under sec. 599C of Pub. L. 101-513, 104 Stat. 2064, as amended; § 890.102 also issued under sections 11202(f), 11232(e), 11246 (b) and (c) of Pub. L. 105-33, 111 Stat. 251; and section 721 of Pub. L. 105-261, 112 Stat. 2061.
2. Add § 890.112 to subpart A to read as follows:
§ 890.112
Continuation of coverage for certain Senate Restaurants employees.
3. Revise § 890.201(b)(3) to read as follows:
(3)(i) Have more than two options and a high deductible health plan (26 U.S.C. 223(c)(2)(A)) if the plan is described under 5 U.S.C. 8903(1) or (2); or
(ii) Have either more than three options, or more than two options and a high deductible health plan (26 U.S.C. 223(c)(2)(A)) if the plan is described under 5 U.S.C. 8903(3) or (4).
4. Amend § 890.301 as follows:
a. Revise paragraph (f)(1) to read as set forth below.
b. Add a new paragraph (m) to read as set forth below.
(f) * * * (1) An open season will be held each year from November 1st through November 30th.
(m) An employee or eligible family member becomes eligible for premium assistance under Medicaid or a State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). An eligible employee may enroll and an enrolled employee may change his or her enrollment from self only to self and family, from one plan or option to another, or make any combination of these changes when the employee or an eligible family member of the employee becomes eligible for premium assistance under a Medicaid plan or CHIP. An employee must enroll or change his or her enrollment within 60 days after the date the employee or family member is determined to be eligible for assistance.
5. The authority citation for part 892 is revised to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C 8913; 5 U.S.C. 1103(a)(7); 26 U.S.C. 125; § 892.101 also issued under sec. 311 of Pub. L. 111-3, 123 Stat. 64.
6. In § 892.101, amend the definition of qualifying life event by adding a new paragraph (13) to read as follows:
Qualifying life event * * *
(13) An employee or eligible family member becomes eligible for premium assistance. An eligible employee may enroll and an enrolled employee may change his or her enrollment from self only to self and family, from one plan Start Printed Page 20316or option to another, or make any combination of these changes when the employee or an eligible family member of the employee becomes eligible for premium assistance under a Medicaid plan or a State Children's Health Insurance Program. An employee must enroll or change his or her enrollment within 60 days after the date the employee or family member is determined to be eligible for assistance.
[FR Doc. 2010-8957 Filed 4-16-10; 8:45 am]