The 2016 open season for the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and
the Federal Flexible Spending Accounts Program runs through Dec. 14.
During open season, employees and retirees will have the
chance to review their current plans and make any changes they desire. For the
first time, plan participants may now choose a “self plus one” option.
The self plus one option allows enrollees to cover
themselves and one eligible family member. Eligibility for the self plus one
option is the same as for the self and family enrollment. Eligible family
members include spouses and children under age 26; however, a child with a
mental or physical disability that existed before age 26 is also eligible for
enrollment as a family member.
“In many cases plan participants will see a savings in
choosing self plus one coverage over self and family coverage, but that is not
true in all cases,” said Erica Cathro, an Air Force Personnel Center human
resources specialist. “The formula used to calculate the government
contribution is based on the average of all plan premiums and requires that the
Office of Personnel Management calculate a maximum contribution for each
enrollment type. If a plan’s premium costs exceed the government’s allotted
contribution for a self only, self plus one, or self and family enrollment, the
employee must pay the remaining amount.”
Cathro cautioned employees to pay close attention and
compare the rates for FEHB self plus one versus self and family before making
their coverage election for 2016.
OPM will open a “special enrollment period” in the month of
February to allow active FEHB participants who would have been better served
switching to self plus one coverage more time to make the change.
Some plans are leaving the FEHB program at the end of 2015
or reducing their service areas and terminating their enrollment codes.
Employees in the terminating plans must enroll in another health plan to ensure
they have health benefits for 2016.
Health care and limited expense flexible spending accounts
will no longer have a grace period. Qualifying participants will now be able to
carryover up to $500 of unused funds. To be eligible for carryover,
participants must have enrolled during open season or as a new hire during the
year and must meet the following requirements:
• Be actively employed by a FSAFEDS participating agency and
contributing to a FSA account through Dec. 31.
• Re-enroll for the next benefit period. If the employee
does not re-enroll, the right to carryover funds will be forfeited.
• Dependent care FSAs will continue to have a grace period
each year and are not eligible to carryover funds from one year to the next.
There are no significant changes to the Federal Employee
Dental and Vision Insurance Program.
Employees can make health benefits elections through the
Employee Benefits Information System, which can be accessed through the
“Civilian Employee” homepage of the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil/.
For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go
to the myPers website. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request
one by following the instructions on the Air Force Retirees Services website at
http://www.retirees.af.mil/mypers/index.asp.