Additional Groups Eligible to Apply!
Pursuant to section 561 of Public Law 108-136, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2004, signed into law by President Bush on November 24, 2003, three additional groups, and their qualified relatives, are now eligible to apply for this insurance:

• D.C. Government employees and retirees who were first employed by the D.C. Government before October 1, 1987
• Federal deferred annuitants who separate with title to a deferred annuity, even if they aren't yet receiving that annuity
• Retired "grey" reservists, even if they are not receiving their retired pay yet

Participation in Agency Retirement Seminars
Because the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is relatively new, we are requesting your assistance in ensuring that your retirement seminars include information that accurately presents all of its features. See Benefits Administration Letter 03-902 and a press release on this subject.

Payroll Deductions for FLTCIP Premiums
We have posted a new BAL that discusses payroll deductions for FLTCIP premiums.

Newsletter from LTC Partners
LTC Partners has begun a new series of e-newsletters, containing useful information about the Program. Take a look at the first edition which LTCP emailed to agency benefits officers.

"Adjustment" Bills for Uncollected Premiums Being Mailed Out
In the next few weeks, some employees and annuitants will receive direct bills for uncollected premiums mailed from Long Term Care Partners. These enrollees are paying FLTCIP premiums through a deduction from their Federal pay or annuity. However, for various reasons, Long Term Care Partners was unable to collect premiums for one or more months from their pay or annuity. Therefore, they will be billed directly for those uncollected premiums. Current and future premiums will continue to be deducted from their pay or annuity. The adjustment bills are for past due premiums. These enrollees will not be billed directly AND have a deduction for premiums covering the same time period. They will, however, continue to receive a direct bill for the uncollected premium amount, each month, until they pay off the balance.

If any employees contact you with questions about these bills, please ask them to call Long Term Care Partners at 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337), and choose option #3 for customer service; TTY 1-800-843-3557. Or they may email Long Term Care Partners at info@ltcpartners.com.

See the Notice to Employees and the Notice to Annuitants.

Employees of D.C. Government Courts Eligible to Apply
President Bush signed H.J.Res. 2 into law as Public Law 108-7 on February 20, 2003. Section 138 (a) of the law makes employees of the District of Columbia Courts eligible to apply for insurance under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. From May 1 through June 30, 2003, active District of Columbia Courts employees and their spouses will be able to apply with abbreviated underwriting. Annuitants and their spouses, and other qualified relatives may apply at any time (even after the special Open Season) with full underwriting.

New FAQs on the Flexible Spending Accounts Program
We added a new set of FAQs explaining those Long Term Care expenses that can be reimbursed through the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) program.

New FAQs on Call-Up to Active Duty
We have posted new frequently asked questions on how being called up to active duty may affect coverage under the Program.

Statistics on Success of Recent Open Season
Here's the PowerPoint presentation given at the March 11^th Benefits Officers Network meeting at OPM. It discusses the success of the recent open season, along with plans for 2003. Please note that the statistics in the presentation were current as of March 11. As more applications are processed, the statistics will change.

Brochure for Newly Hired and Newly Eligible Posted on Web
The new brochure for newly hired and newly eligible employees and their spouses, and newly married spouses of employees, is now available in the Resource Library at www.ltcfeds.com. Agency benefits officers may contact their account manager at Long Term Care Partners to request hard copies.

Interim Regulations Published
Interim regulations for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program were published in the Federal Register on February 4, 2003. The comment period ends on April 7th. They are available for download as a
[64 KB] or

New FAQs on Use of Abbreviated Underwriting We've added two new FAQs and slightly modified the one already posted about when employees called up to active duty in the reserves would have an opportunity to apply using the abbreviated underwriting application. The employee does NOT get an opportunity to apply for the insurance using the abbreviated underwriting application upon return to pay status in the Federal/Postal position (UNLESS the employee was in nonpay status in his/her Federal/Postal position for at least half of the Open Season).

New Call Center Hours
Now that Open Season is over, the call center is receiving significantly fewer phone calls. Therefore, the call center hours have changed, effective Saturday, January 18th. The NEW hours to speak to a certified long term care insurance consultant at 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) (TTY: 1-800-843-3557) are:

Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Eastern time
Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Eastern time
Closed on Sunday and Federal Holidays

As always, the automated voice response system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

THANK YOU!!
We sincerely thank you for all of your support and assistance in communicating important information to your employees during the recent Open Season for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. We couldn't have done it without you.

Open Season Is Over, But You Can Still Apply
Open Season ended on December 31, 2002.

• Anyone who still has an Open Season application can submit it in January, as long as Long Term Care Partners receives it by January 31. LTC Partners will process it using Open Season rules, as if it were submitted during the Open Season (e.g., the July 1 "age freeze").
• New and newly eligible employees (and their spouses); employees first returning from nonpay status after November 2, 2002, who were in nonpay status at least 3 months between July 1 and December 31, 2002 (and their spouses); and newly married spouses of employees can apply using the abbreviated underwriting application within 60 days of becoming eligible.
• Anyone else eligible who didn't apply during Open Season can apply now, but must use the full underwriting application.

We've archived the Open Season FAQs and materials. If you need to refer to them, take a look at our program background page.

What's Changed Now That Open Season Is Over?
Open Season is over, but those in the eligible groups can still apply. So what was the significance of Open Season, and what's changed now that it is over? There are several changes now that Open Season is over:

• Only those in the new and newly eligible employee/spouse groups who apply within 60 days of becoming eligible can use the regular, non-Open Season abbreviated underwriting application.
• Only some people in the new and newly eligible employee/spouse groups who apply using the abbreviated underwriting application within 60 days of becoming eligible may receive an offer of the Alternative Insurance Plan if they are not approved for the regular insurance.
• Premiums are now based on an applicant's age as of the date Long Term Care Partners receives the application. For Open Season applications, premiums were based on the applicant's age as of July 1.
• The intense publicity, marketing and education that occurred during Open Season has lessened. Long Term Care Partners will still be working with agencies on educational and promotional efforts, but not to the degree they did during Open Season. They will focus on promoting the Program to new employees and employees planning for retirement.

So When's the Next Open Season?
We will not have annual open seasons. But we do not know at this point how frequently we will have them and when the next one will be. We have to evaluate this open season first. So you really can't count on a future open season at any time soon. AND there is no guarantee that any future open season will offer abbreviated underwriting.