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U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Information for Federal Benefits Officers

What's Hot in Federal Benefits

OPM developed the Federal Ballpark Estimate: a savings goal worksheet. You can use the Federal Ballpark Estimate to automatically calculate estimates of future Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirement benefits and Thrift Savings Plan account balances. It will also let you know how well you are doing in meeting your savings goal. The Federal Ballpark Estimate was developed in partnership with the American Savings Education Council (ASEC) of the Employee Benefits Research Institute.

Retirement Financial Literacy and Education Strategy

OPM has developed a retirement financial literacy and education strategy for Federal employees. The plan is designed to educate Federal employees on the need for retirement savings and investment, provide information on how to plan for retirement and how to calculate the retirement investment needed to meet their retirement goals.

mymoney.gov. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission website www.mymoney.gov is dedicated to helping Americans understand more about their money—how to save it, invest it, and manage it to meet your personal goals.

The Social Security Administration has developed a chart showing the maximum monthly amount that social security benefits can be reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) if a person has less than 30 years of substantial earnings. The chart can be found at: www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/wep-chart.htm.

INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF RETIREMENT COVERAGE ERROR CORRECTIONS LEGISLATION

The online FERCCA Database is now closed. Agencies are encouraged to continue to notify and educate employees on FERCCA and to review employee's personnel records as needed. Agencies are reminded to notify your agency's headquarters level Benefits Officer if you identify any individual(s) who have a retirement coverage error and are eligible for relief under FERCCA; the Benefits Officer will then notify OPM.

Visit our FERCCA Home Page for further information and to view the FERCCA FAQ's. The FERCCA Homepage provides you with everything you need to know about FERCCA and it's implementation. We suggest that you bookmark it for future reference.

Visit www.opm.gov/insure/ltc for more information on the other part of this legislation, long-term care insurance.

"QUICK-CLICK" FOR BENEFITS PRODUCT INFORMATION AND ORDER FORM

You're just a mouse click away from the Benefits Administration Letters on the Let's Talk Benefits, Stepping into Retirement , and Benefits...Get Serious videos, and information about the many other benefits information resources available to you.

BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ONLINE MAILING LIST

Are you registered for the Benefits Administration Information (BENEFTS INFO) online mailing list? The Benefits Administration Information list emails information, primarily Benefits Administration Letters (BAL), to subscribers. While the primary customers for the Benefits Administration Information list are agency benefits officers, anyone, anywhere can subscribe to the list. Benefits Administration Letters will be sent to list subscribers automatically. Details on subscribing to the mailing list can be found in BAL 00-701. WEB PDF [24 KB]

New in Federal Benefits

August 1, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-402 - 2008 Federal Benefits Open Season: Rider Information
WEB PDF [36.6 KB]

July 31, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-401 - 2008 Federal Benefits Open Season: Announcement
WEB PDF [52 KB]

May 29, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-102 - Annual Changes
WEB PDF [57.5 KB]

January 14, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-201 - The Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act
WEB PDF [56 KB]

April 30, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-101 - Application for Death Benefits (Civil Service Retirement System), Standard Form 2800, dated June 2006 Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits (Civil Service Retirement System) When Deceased Was an Employee at the Time of Death, Standard Form 2800A, dated June 2006 Applying for Death Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System, Standard Form 2800-1, dated October 2006
WEB PDF [32 KB]

April 29, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-202 - Orientation Materials for New/Newly Eligible Employees
WEB PDF [30 KB]

January 17, 2008: Benefits Administration Letter 08-801 - The Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS): 2008 Administrative Fees
WEB PDF [48 KB]

December 13, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-206 - Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program: Requests for Information
PDF [48 KB]

November 30, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-205 - Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) and Premium Pay
PDF [46 KB]

October 30, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-405 UPDATED - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: Overall Program Changes including FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes (UPDATED to include corrections and revisions that occurred after October 15, 2007)
WEB PDF [53 KB]

October 24, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-204 - California wildfires and the FEHB, FEGLI, FEDVIP, FLTCIP and FSAFEDS Programs
PDF [35 KB]

October 15, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-405 - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: Overall Program Changes including FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes
WEB PDF [53 KB]

October 12, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-104 - New Nationwide FEDMER procedures
WEB PDF [117 KB]

October 4, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-404 - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: Conducting the Open Season
WEB PDF [65 KB]

August 28, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-403 - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: Ordering and Distribution of Materials
WEB PDF [78 KB]

August 21, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-402 - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: Rider Information
WEB PDF [33 KB]

August 21, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-401 - 2007 Federal Benefits Open Season: What's New
WEB PDF [41 KB]

July 31, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-203 - Benefits Administration Letter 07-203 - Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program: New and Redefined SF 50 Codes
PDF [35.3 KB]

July 2, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-103 - Retirement Financial Education Plans
PDF [33 KB]

June 20, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 07-201 - Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Pre-tax treatment of FEHB and FLTCIP premiums for Retired Public Safety Officers under section 845 of the Pension Protection Act of 2006
WEB PDF [30 KB]

April 23, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-102 - Hatch v OPM: Allowing Full-Time Credit for Employees on Workers Compensation Who Work Part-Time but Have a Full-Time Appointment
WEB PDF [50 KB]

April 6, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-202 - Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Pre-Tax Health Savings Account Allotments for Federal Employees
PDF [30 KB]

March 12, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-201 - Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: The Pension Protection Act of 2006
WEB PDF [30 KB]

January 2, 2007: Benefits Administration Letter 07-101 - Annual Changes
WEB PDF [56 KB]

December 21, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-208 - Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006
WEB PDF [34 KB]

December 19, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-108 - Retirement Financial Education – Network of Government Partners with Education Materials/Speakers
WEB PDF [45 KB]

December 12, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-207 - Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Loss of TRICARE Reserve Select for Selected Reserve Members Eligible for FEHB Enrollment
WEB PDF [34 KB]

November 22, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-406 - 2006 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season: Conducting the Open Season
WEB PDF [55 KB]

November 2, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-206 - Cancellation of Expanded FEHB Enrollment Code Project
WEB PDF [31 KB]

October 30, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-405 - 2007 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season: Significant Plan Changes (Updated 11/14/06)
WEB PDF [133 KB]

October 25, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-107 - Guide to Financial Education Fairs
WEB PDF [154 KB]

October 26, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-603 - Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) 2006 Open Season: Distribution of Materials
WEB PDF [50 KB]

October 10, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-305 - 2007 FEHB Withholdings and Contribution Rates
WEB PDF [32 KB]

October 6, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-404 - 2006 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season: Ordering and Distribution of Material
WEB PDF [56 KB]

October 6, 2006: Benefits Administration Letter 06-602 - The Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP): Program Overview and Agency Responsibilities
WEB PDF [102 KB]

Guidance to Agencies on Federal Benefits Administration

Other Resources for Agencies and Employees

Directory of headquarters level agency Benefits Officers designated to provide benefits administration information and guidance to employees of their respective agencies.

Interactive Programs:

Non-appropriated Funds Program

Other OPM and World Wide Web Sites

OPM Pages for Employees and Annuitants:

OPM Electronic Forms Page -- information and various automated forms templates that may be used for benefits administration.
Retirement Page -- more information concerning annuitants and survivors
Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections — implementation of the Federal Erroneous Retirement Corrections Act (FERCCA)
Health Insurance Page -- information about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program.
FEHB Premium Conversion — employee payment of health benefit premiums from pre-tax dollars
Life Insurance Page -- for information on the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program
Long Term Care Insurance Program — information on the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program for Federal employees, annuitants, and their families
Flexible Spending Accounts — information on Flexible Spending Accounts, a pre-taxed benefit for federal employees (FSAFEDS)

Other OPM Pages for HR Benefits Personnel:

Other Agency Pages:

Social Security Administration -- information about social security benefits.
Thrift Savings Plan -- information about investing in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation -- information about injuries on the job.
Id Theft -- information on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Additional information is added to the Federal Benefits Page on a regular basis. Suggestions for information and services that you would like to see added to these pages, should be directed to the Benefits Officers Training and Development Group at benefits@opm.gov.

Insurance Programs | Life Insurance | Long Term Care Insurance | Retirement

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | (202) 606-1800 | TTY (202) 606-2532