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Department of the Navy Human Resources
Service Center Benefits Bulletin No.
2003-12 |
2004 ANNUAL
BENEFITS INFORMATION DID YOU
KNOW? |
Did
you know it is your responsibility to verify your benefit elections on your
Leave and Earning Statement (LES) each pay period and notify a benefits Customer Service
Representative (CSR) of any problem. In
some cases, an error in deductions may result in an indebtedness to the
government that you will be required to repay.
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FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS (FEHB) |
Open Season Changes. If you elect or change your
health insurance during the FEHB Open Season (10 November through 8 December
2003), your coverage is effective 11 January 2004. This means your new health coverage premiums and FEHB code are
reflected on your LES that you receive on 30 January 2004.
In addition to the open season period, employees may be eligible to
change health benefits outside an open season, if they have a Qualifying Life Event
(QLE). The table of life events is
available on the OPM homepage at http://www.opm.gov/wrkfam/LEindex.asp
Premium Conversion. Premium
Conversion is a “pre-tax” arrangement, meaning that the part of your salary
that goes for health insurance premiums will become non-taxable. This means that you save on Federal income
tax and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare taxes). In most cases, you'll also save on State
income tax and local income tax. You can elect to waive or
participate in Premium Conversion only during FEHB open season or in
conjunction with a qualifying life event.
If you elect to participate in FEHB Premium Conversion you cannot cancel
your health insurance enrollment (or change from a self and family enrollment
to a self only enrollment) unless you make the change during open season or in
conjunction with a qualifying life event.
Additional information about FEHB Premium
Conversion is available on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) homepage at
http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/pretaxfehb/index.asp.
Child Reaches Age 22. When your child reaches age
22, he/she is no longer covered under your FEHB. However, your child has 31 days of temporary coverage at no cost
from their 22nd birthday and has the option to enroll in Temporary
Continuation of Coverage (TCC) under the FEHB program. Their election must be made within 60 days
from the date the child reaches age 22.
Additionally, if a child turning age 22 is incapable of self-support;
the child may also qualify for coverage under your plan. If the child turning age 22 is the last
family member included on your self and family enrollment you must initiate a
change to a self and family enrollment through The Benefits Line or the
Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS).
The change to a self-only enrollment is not automatic.
Coverage For Temporary Employees. If you’re a temporary employee on a Not-to-Exceed
(NTE) Appointment, you are eligible to enroll in the FEHB Program after one
year of employment.
Temporary employees must pay the total FEHB premium. There is no government contribution.
Eligibility For Medicare. Employees who are
approaching age 65 have the right to apply for Part A and Part B of
Medicare. To avoid a 10 percent
surcharge for Part B, employees must apply between 3 months prior to their 65th
birthday and 3 months after the month they become 65. The application forms are provided by the Social Security
Administration and are available at any Social Security Office.
If you
are enrolled in FEHB you may change from one FEHB plan to another or change
options at any time beginning 30 days before you become eligible for
Medicare. The opportunity to change
FEHB enrollment based on becoming eligible for Medicare may be used only once. Additional
information about Medicare and the FEHB program is available at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/medicare/index.asp.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (FSA)
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Employees can set up a health care FSA to use for out-of-pocket costs including co-payments and deductibles and for health care expenses not covered by insurance, such as dental services and eye-care. Employees can also set up an account for dependent-care expenses for children and aging parents. There is an annual FSA open season that coincides with the FEHB open season. Open Season for the 2004 plan year will be from 10 November through 8 December.
You cannot
change or revoke an FSA election - unless you
experience a Qualified Status Change (for example, marriage, divorce, add a new
child through birth or adoption, death of spouse or a child, and other such
events allowed under the Internal Revenue Code and this Plan).
Additional information is available on the FSA homepage at https://www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds/. If you have questions about FSAs you should
call SHPS at 1-877-FSAFEDS (1-877-372-3337).
FSA program counselors are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until
9 p.m. EST, or email any questions to FSAFEDS@shps.net. The TTY/TDY number for hearing impaired
employees is 1 800 952-0450.
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FEDERAL LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE PROGRAM (FLTCIP) |
New employees, in an appointment that provides eligibility for FEHB, have 60 days from the date of their appointment to elect to participate in FLTCIP using abbreviated underwriting procedures. After the initial 60 days, employees may still apply but must use the full underwriting application. You make your FLTCIP election with the Long Term Care Partners. This is the only long-term care insurance program with the full faith and backing of the Federal government and is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Applications
and additional information about FLTCIP are available at http://www.ltcfeds.com/.
Questions about FLTCIP can be directed to the LTC Partners by telephone
at 1‑800‑LTC‑FEDS (1-800-582-3337) or by email at
info@ltcpartners.com. The TTY number
for the hearing impaired is 1-800-843-3557.
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FEDERAL EMPLOYEES GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (FEGLI) |
Term Insurance. The (I think you should
discuss when they can enroll.)
FEGLI
Program provides group term insurance.
Term life insurance does not have any cash value and you cannot borrow
against your coverage. The only
opportunities to get money from your coverage while you are still living are: (1)
if you are terminally
ill and qualify for Living Benefits or (2) if you are terminally or chronically
ill and assign your coverage to a viatical settlement firm.
Electing FEGLI Coverage. You may elect life insurance by passing a physical. Pre-existing physical
conditions will not prevent you from electing the FEGLI coverage when given the initial opportunity to elect
(usually when you are first appointed). If
you waived life insurance (Basic coverage) or did not elect
additional options, you may elect coverage (or increase coverage) if: 1) It has been one year
since your last
election, 2) You successfully pass a
physical (at your own expense) and 3) Are approved by the
Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI). You cannot elect Option C – Family by taking
a physical. If
you want to apply for FEGLI coverage by taking a physical please call The
Benefits Line at 1-888-320-2917 and select menu option 4 to talk to a CSR.
There
are various life events such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc., that allow changes to
FEGLI throughout the year. The changes
must be made within 60 days of the event.
Certain life events will allow you to elect Option C – Family. The table of life events is available on the
OPM homepage at http://www.opm.gov/wrkfam/LEindex.asp.
Premiums. The premiums for Basic life insurance increase as your salary
increases; so when you receive a pay increase sufficient enough to raise your
pay to the next $1,000 bracket, you will notice a change in the premium
deductions from your paycheck. For
Optional life insurance coverage (Options A, B & C), the rates increase
based on your age group. The age groups
are in increments of 5 years so when you reach age 45 or 50, etc., you will
notice an increase in the amount of premiums you are paying - at some age
groups your premiums can double. A
calculator to determine FEGLI value and cost is available on the OPM homepage
at http://www.opm.gov/calculator/worksheet.asp.
The
Family Option (Option C) does not automatically stop when you no longer have
eligible family members (a spouse or children under age 22). You must initiate a change through The
Benefits Line or the EBIS.
No Annual Open Season. There is no annual open season for life insurance. If OPM announces a special open season you
will receive an announcement from the HRSC.
For more information about FEGLI, go to http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/.
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DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY |
The
purpose of a designation of beneficiary is to determine how your benefits are
distributed in the event of your death.
It is your responsibility to
ensure that your beneficiary forms remain accurate and reflect your
intentions. Benefits will be paid based
on a valid designation, regardless of whether that designation still reflects
your intentions. Changes in family
status (such as marriage or divorce), without a corresponding change in
designation of beneficiary, could result in benefits not being paid as you have
previously designated even if your wishes have changed. A divorce does not invalidate a designation
that names your former spouse as your beneficiary.
A
listing of each type of beneficiary is described below. You do not need to complete a designation of
beneficiary if you want the benefits distributed according to the standard
order of precedence described on the back of each form. Be sure that two people witness and sign the
completed form. Forms are available by
calling The Benefits Line or from the web site as indicated below.
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FORM NUMBER |
PURPOSE OF DESIGNATION |
DOWNLOAD FORM FROM |
MAIL FORM TO |
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SF 2823, Designation For FEGLI |
Determines how proceeds from
the life insurance are distributed. |
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HRSC that services you. |
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SF 1152, Designation For
Unpaid Compensation |
Determines how any unpaid
salary and lump sum annual leave are distributed. |
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HRSC that services you. |
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SF 3102, Designation For FERS |
Designates who is to receive a
lump-sum payment which may become payable under the FERS. It does not affect the right of any person
who is eligible for survivor annuity benefits. |
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HRSC that services you. |
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TSP-3, Designation For TSP |
Determines how any money that
is invested in TSP is distributed. |
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Thrift Savings Plan Service
Office National Finance Center P. O. Box 61135 New Orleans, LA 70161-1135 |
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SF 2808, Designation For CSRS |
Designates who is to receive a
lump-sum payment which may become payable under the CSRS. It does not affect the right of any person
who is eligible for survivor annuity benefits. |
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Office of Personnel Management Retirement Operations Center P. O. Box 45 Boyers, PA 16017-0045 |
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THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN (TSP) |
Open Season. There are two
TSP open seasons a year 15 October - 31 December and 15 April
- 30 June and 15
October - 31 December. All employees covered by
FERS or CSRS are eligible to participate in the TSP, and may make contribution
elections.
During
the current TSP open season CSRS and CSRS Offset employees can contribute up to
9% of basic pay and FERS employees can contribute up to 14% of basic pay. The total amount of TSP
contributions cannot exceed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annual limit for
elective deferrals. To view the
TSP Fact Sheet on annual deferral limits, which includes a worksheet to help you
maximize your contributions, go to
http://www.tsp.gov/cgi-bin/byteserver.cgi/forms/ocfs91-13.pdf. The IRS elective deferral limit for 2004 is
$13,000. Because 2004 is a leap year, there are 27 pay
dates. The first TSP effective date is
14
December 2003.
You
can stop contributions at any time.
However, if you stop outside an open season you must wait until the
second open season after you stop before you can begin contributing again. If you stop contributing during an open
season, you must wait until the next open season to start again.
Agency Contributions For FERS Employees. Employees (YOU SHOULD ALSO DISCUSS MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS HERE)
appointed or reappointed to a position covered by FERS become eligible to
receive agency automatic 1% contributions on the second election period
following the effective date of their appointment. Employees will also be eligible for Agency Matching Contributions
once they are eligible for them
and are contributing to the TSP.
Matching contributions apply to the first 5 percent of pay that you
contribute each pay period. Your
contributions are matched dollar-for-dollar for the first 3 percent of pay you
contribute each pay period and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2 percent of
pay. Your agency will not match the contributions that
you make above 5 percent of your pay each pay period.
Changes To How Your TSP Is Invested. You can allocate any whole percentage of future
payroll contributions to any of the five investment funds by making a
contribution allocation and can redistribute existing account balances among
the five investment funds by making an interfund transfer. You can make a fund change by accessing the
TSP web site at http://www.tsp.gov or the TSP
ThriftLine at (504) 255-8777.
Rollover To TSP From An IRA. TSP participants with an open
account can transfer or rollover monies from an eligible retirement plan or a
traditional IRA account into their TSP account. Read and complete the form, TSP-60, and send it directly to TSP
Service office for processing. The
TSP-60 can be downloaded from the TSP web site at http://www.tsp.gov/forms/tsp-60.pdf.
TSP Catch-Up Contributions.
Public Law 107-304, permits eligible TSP participants who are age
50 or older or become 50 during the calendar year to make tax deferred
“catch-up” contributions from their basic pay to their TSP accounts. The TSP Catch-up annual IRS limit is $3,000
for 2004. Employees must make a new
election each year because the annual limit changes. For more information, please see the TSP Catch-up Fact sheet at http://www.tsp.gov/forms/oc03-03.pdf. Because 2004 is a leap year, there are 27
pay dates.
Only those employees who are
eligible or who will become eligible for the TSP Catch-up will be able to
make their catch-up elections
through the automated benefit systems
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USING THE AUTOMATED BENEFIT SYSTEMS TO MAKE CHANGES |
Employees
wanting to make benefit elections must do so by using one of the automated
benefit systems listed below (paper
forms will not be accepted):
·
EBIS is an Internet based
application located at http://www.donhr.navy.mil/. Click on EBIS to
access
the application. Your Social Security
Number (SSN) and password are used to log into EBIS. If you are a new EBIS user it is helpful to have a copy of your
last SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action, or your Leave and Earnings
Statement (LES). The following
information can be found on these documents and is needed to create your EBIS
password: Service Computation Date for Leave, Pay Plan, Grade and Step. You must also establish a Personal
Identification Number (PIN) if you have not previously created one in EBIS or
The Benefits Line. Your initial PIN is your
month and year of birth (MMYY). The system will require you to change the
4-digit PIN to a 6-digit PIN of
your choosing.
·
The Benefits Line is a telephone interactive voice response system. You access
The Benefits
Line
by calling 1-888-320-2917. To log into
The Benefits Line you use your SSN and PIN. This is the same PIN that you created in
EBIS. If you have not created a PIN,
your initial PIN is your month and year of birth (MMYY). The system will require you to change the
4-digit PIN to a 6-digit PIN of your choosing.
This 6-digit PIN will also be used to access EBIS.
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WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS? |
If you
have any questions about your benefits, please
call The Benefits Line
at 1-888-320-2917. Select option
4 to speak to a CSR. CSRs are available
7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (Eastern Time). Hearing impaired
employees should call the TTY line for their servicing Human Resources Service
Center.
Overseas employees who have access to DSN service can connect to
The Benefits Line by dialing the DSN number to Randolph AFB (RAFB),
487-1110. Once the RAFB operator
answers please indicate that you want to make an "official off net
call." The employee must provide
The Benefits Line number, 888‑320‑2917.
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HRSC ADDRESS LISTING |
To determine your servicing HRSC, please
refer to block 48 on your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action and match it
to the corresponding 4-digit number below:
2416
HRSC Northwest
3230 Randall Way, Code 51 Silverdale, WA 98383-7952 |
2414
HRSC Southwest
525 B
Street, Suite 600, Code 43
San Diego, CA 92101-4418 |
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2412 HRSC
Northeast ATTN:
Code 51.1, Benefits Branch 111 S Independence Mall East Philadelphia, PA 19106-2598 |
2417
HRSC Southeast
9110 Leonard Kimble Road, Code 43 Stennis Space Center, MS 39522-0002 |
2418
HRSC Pacific (512)
78 Main Street, Bldg. 499 Honolulu, HI 96818-4048
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2413
HRSC East
NNSY,
Bldg. 17, Code 43 Portsmouth, VA
23709-5000
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2445 HRSC Europe (For FedEx) Code 50 Benefits Team Block 2, Spur 2 MOD Complex, Lime Grove Rd Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 8BS |
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