Benefit Bits--The benefits topic this month covers two areas of the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 16:26:49 -0400 To: "USGS Employees" From: "Cindy S. Wylie" Subject: Benefits Bits In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 601 MEMORANDUM Supervisors, Managers, and Team Leaders: Please ensure that employees without access to e-mail receive a copy of this message. To: All USGS Employees From: Robert Hosenfeld Personnel Officer Subject: Benefit Bits The benefits topic this month covers two areas of the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Temporary Employees Under current regulation, temporary employees who have completed 1 year of current, continuous employment, excluding any break in service of 5 days or less, are permitted to enroll in the FEHBP. When determining the 1 year of current continuous employment needed for eligibility, periods of intermittent time are counted if they are preceded by full or part-time service without a break in service of more than 5 days. An employee who works a mixed tour, combining periods of full time, part-time and intermittent work during the course of a year, may be eligible to enroll. Temporary employees who have questions regarding eligibility for health benefits should contact their servicing personnel office. An employee has 60 days from the date 1 year is completed to enroll in the FEHBP. If the employee elects not to enroll at that time, the next period of eligibility is the subsequent open season. The law requires that temporary employees who become eligible for health benefits must have the full health benefits premium withheld from their pay; there is no Government contribution. Temporary Continuation of Coverage Temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) is a feature of the FEHBP that allows 3 groups of people to temporarily continue their health benefits coverage after regular coverage ends. The three groups of people are: (1) employees who separate from the Federal service who are not eligible for an immediate annuity; (2) children covered under an employee's health plan who turn 22; and (3) former spouses who lose coverage under an employee's health plan due to divorce or annulment of the marriage. If you lose coverage as a separated employee, you are eligible for TCC unless the separation is involuntary due to gross misconduct. Employees who separate have a 31-day temporary extension of coverage, at no cost, in the same health benefits plan held at the time of separation. An employee's TCC coverage takes effect on the day that the 31-day temporary extension ends. You may elect any plan or option for which you are eligible. Election of the TCC continues up to 18 months, but can be cancelled at any time within that period. Election of TCC coverage would be made through your servicing personnel office within 60 days of separation. If you wish to have your child continue health benefits under the TCC, you must contact your servicing personnel office within 60 days after the child turns 22. TCC can be continued for up to 36 months. Former spouses may be eligible for TCC if they do not meet the provisions of continuation of health benefits under the Spouse Equity Provisions. These provisions allow the former spouse of an employee to enroll in the FEHB if the spouse was covered as a family member at some time during the 18 months before the marriage ended, and if there is a qualifying court order which awards the former spouse future entitlement to an employee's retirement. If former spouses do not fall within the Spouse Equity Provisions, they are eligible to enroll in the TCC. Enrollments under TCC can continue up to 36 months. Eligibility questions should be directed to the employee's servicing personnel office. A former spouse must enroll in TCC within 60 days from the dissolution of the marriage. Any person enrolling in health benefits under the TCC provision is required to pay the total premium plus a 2 percent administrative fee. Employees are reminded that an excellent resource for federal benefits can be found on the Office of Personnel Management's website at www.opm.gov/asd/index.htm.