U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce
2003 Benefits Administration Letters
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has Government wide responsibility and oversight for Federal benefits administration. These pages contain the Benefits Administration Letters (BALs) used for program administration. The BALs provide guidance to agencies on various aspects of Federal benefits administration.
BAL Number |
Date |
Subject |
Format |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
100 Series |
|
Retirement Policy and Process Issues |
|
||
|
03-101 |
01/9/03 |
Annual Changes |
 |
 [129 KB] |
|
|
Attachment A - Benefits Changes Chart |
| [89 KB] |
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|
03-102 |
01/22/03 |
Crediting Service with a DoD or Coast Guard Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentality for CSRS or FERS Immediate Retirement Under Public Law 107-107, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 |
| [125 KB] |
|
|
Attachment 1 - Examples: Who Can Elect to Use NAF Service to Qualify for CSRS or FERS Immediate Retirement under Section 1132 of Public Law 107-107 and Who Cannot |
 [53 KB] |
[108 KB] |
|||
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Attachment 2 - Computing Annuity Estimates When NAF Service is Used to Qualify for Immediate Retirement under Section 1132 of Public Law 107-107 |
[780 KB] | [666 KB] |
|||
|
Attachment 3 - Election Form RI 38-145 |
[62 KB] | [84 KB] |
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|
Attachment 4 - Model Request for Verification of NAF Service; Names and Addresses of NAF Employers; Verification of NAF Service Form (revised 2/11/03) |
[79 KB] | [111 KB] |
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|
Attachment 5 - NAF Service Credit Flag |
[34 KB] | [81 KB] |
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|
Attachment 6 - Charts |
[234 KB] | [175 KB] |
03-103 |
02/26/03 |
Benefit Officers Resource Center (BORC) Emergency Customer Service |
| [127 KB] |
|
Attachment A - BORC Emergency Operations Liaison Designations |
[160 KB] | [105 KB] |
03-104 |
04/15/03 |
Retirement Coverage Error Correction: Correction of Errors that do not Provide an Election |
| [172 KB] |
|
Attachment A - Common Retirement Plans & Corresponding Codes |
[35 KB] | [59 KB] |
|||
|
Attachment B - Examples of Distribution of Monies Between Retirement & Social Security |
[423 KB] | [89 KB] |
|||
|
03-105 |
06/25/03 |
Computing the Post-1956 Military Deposit for Employees On LWOP-US Who Receive Civilian Pay During Their Active Military Duty |
| [129 KB] |
|
|
Attachment A - Sample Request for Estimated Military Earnings |
[65 KB] | [126 KB] |
|||
|
03-106 |
07/30/03 |
Federal Physicians Comparability Allowance Amendments of 2000 |
| [49 KB] |
|
|
200 Series |
|
Insurance Policy and Process Issues |
|
||
|
03-201 |
01/31/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Opportunity for Certain Former CareFirst Blue Choice and Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Service Benefit Plan Members to Change Enrollment |
| [92 KB] |
|
|
03-202 |
02/11/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Opportunity for Affected Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Service Benefit Plan Members in Tennessee, Enrollment Codes 104, 105, 111, and 112, to Change Enrollment (The HCA Hospitals are located in the Chattanooga/Nashville area.) |
| [123 KB] |
|
|
03-203 |
02/11/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Opportunity for Certain Former Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Service Benefit Plan Members in Florida, Enrollment Codes 104, 105, 111, and 112, to Change Enrollment (The BayCare Health System is located in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area.) |
| [92 KB] |
|
|
03-204 |
03/18/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Level Orange Alert |
| [140 KB] |
|
|
03-205 |
03/25/03 |
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance: Effect of the Retroactive Pay Raise on the Amount of FEGLI Coverage and on Life Insurance Certifications |
| [149 KB] |
|
|
03-206 |
06/06/03 |
FEHB Program: Opportunity for Enrollees of PrimeHealth of Alabama, Inc., Enrollment Code AA, to Change Enrollment |
| [47 KB] |
|
|
03-207 |
06/10/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: Table of Permissible Changes for Employees Electing Premium Conversion |
| [80 KB] |
|
|
Attachment A - Permissible Changes Table |
| [45 KB] |
|||
|
03-208 |
10/21/03 |
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance: New Option B Premiums |
| [41 KB] |
|
|
03-209 |
10/29/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB): The FEHB Clearinghouse |
| [64 KB] |
|
|
300 Series |
|
Payroll and Financial Management Guidance |
|
||
|
03-301 |
01/9/03 |
Preliminary Information about Flexible Spending Accounts |
| [162 KB] |
|
|
03-302 |
01/15/03 |
Cost Factors for First Quarter of FY 2003 |
| [179 KB] |
|
|
03-303 |
02/10/03 |
March 2003 Headcount |
| [94 KB] |
|
|
03-304 |
03/18/03 |
FEHB Imputed Cost Factor for the Second Quarter of FY 2003 |
| [25 KB] |
|
|
03-305 |
03/26/03 |
2003 Retroactive Pay Raise - Effect on CSRS/FERS and FEGLI |
| [152 KB] |
|
|
03-306 |
03/31/03 |
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Program: Payroll Specifications |
| [160 KB] |
|
|
03-307 |
06/13/03 |
Disposition of Individual Retirement Records when Discontinuing Payroll Services |
| [47 KB] |
|
|
03-308 |
06/17/03 |
Imputed Cost Factor Related to the FEHB for the Third Quarter of FY 2003 |
| [123 KB] |
|
|
03-309 |
9/15/03 |
Fiscal Year 2003 Factors for Calculating Imputed Costs |
| [95 KB] |
|
|
03-310 |
10/15/03 |
2004 FEHB Withholdings and Contribution Rates |
| [38 KB] |
|
|
03-311 |
11/21/03 |
Calendar Year 2004 Interest Rate |
Letter |
| [50 KB] |
|
Attachment |
 [38 KB] | [87 KB] |
|||
|
03-312 |
12/1/03 |
New Option B Withholding Rates |
| [36 KB] |
|
|
03-313 |
12/18/03 |
Imputed Cost Factors for First Quarter of FY 2004 |
| [51 KB] |
|
|
400 Series |
|
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season Guidance |
|
||
|
03-402 |
09/17/03 |
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season 2003 Rider Information |
| [56 KB] |
03-403 |
11/3/03 |
2003 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season: Significant Plan Changes |
| [56 KB] |
|
Attachment - Changes |
[247 KB] | [161 KB] |
|||
|
03-404 |
09/04/03 |
2003 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Open Season: Ordering and Distribution of Material |
| [60 KB] |
|
|
500 Series |
|
Reserved for Future Use on Retirement and Insurance Handbook Issues |
|
||
|
600 Series |
|
Reserved for Future Use on Retirement and Insurance Regulations |
|
||
|
700 Series |
|
Miscellaneous Issues |
|
||
|
800 Series |
|
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Issues |
|
||
|
03-801 |
04/25/03 |
Federal FSA Program: Information for Agency Human Resources Staff |
| [154 KB] |
|
|
03-802 |
05/19/03 |
The Federal FSA Program Open Season |
| [92 KB] |
|
|
03-803 |
06/03/03 |
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts and other Child Care Subsidies |
| [34 KB] |
|
|
03-804 |
06/16/03 |
Enrollments Begin for the Federal FSA Program |
| [52 KB] |
03-805 |
06/19/03 |
Billing Process for FSA Fees Paid By Agencies |
| [52 KB] |
|
Attachment 1 - FAX Response Form |
[28 KB] | [14 KB] |
|||
|
Attachment 2 - Invoicing Procedural Process |
[226 KB] | [1.8 MB] |
|||
|
900 Series |
|
Long Term Care Insurance Issues |
|
03-901 |
11/10/03 |
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program: Payroll/Annuity Deduction Information |
| [62 KB] |
03-902 |
11/12/03 |
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program: Participation in Agency Retirement Seminars |
| [40 KB] |
|
Attachment - Memorandum from Director James |
|
[107 KB] |
|||
|
1000 Series |
|
Federal Work Life Programs Issues |
|
||
|
03-1001 |
06/13/03 |
Federal Work Life Programs |
| [68 KB] |
|
The Office of Personnel Management program office responsible for the maintenance of this page is the Benefits Officers Resource Center in the Retirement and Insurance Service. Questions or feedback regarding the contents of this page should be forwarded to: benefits@opm.gov.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | (202) 606-1800 | TTY (202) 606-2532