Subject:

The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season for 2002 and the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

As you know, the FEHB open season for 2002 runs from November 12 to December 10, 2001. The 2002 FEHB plan guides (RI 70-1, RI 70-5, etc.) and health plan brochures contain a one-page announcement about the new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. A copy of that announcement is attached to this BAL. The format looks slightly different, but the content is the same. The 2002 FEHB open season webpage (www.opm.gov/insure/02) contains a link to this announcement (www.opm.gov/insure/ltc/about/index.htm).

As your employees review the guides and brochures, they may have questions about this announcement and the FLTCIP. So we prepared a short list of frequently asked questions that also appears on the web (www.opm.gov/insure/ltc/about/faq.htm), with a link from the announcement page. A copy of these questions and answers is attached to this BAL. Again, the format looks slightly different, but the content is the same. We will also link to the announcement directly from the FLTCIP page (www.opm.gov/insure/ltc).

The announcement says the FLTCIP will be effective in October 2002. That's because when we drafted it, we had not yet received proposals from insurance companies. We didn't know then if it could be available sooner. Yes, it can be! We will have an early enrollment/acceptance opportunity some time in early 2002, when eligible individuals who already know about long term care insurance and don't need our educational materials can apply for the insurance. We will hold a regular open season sometime around late summer/early fall 2002, following extensive education and marketing.

As always, we appreciate your help as we gear-up to launch this exiting new program. If you have any questions, please call Laura Lawrence at 202-606-1433.

Frank D. Titus Assistant Director    for Long Term Care

Attachments

FLTCIP Fact Sheet

FLTCIP and FEHB FAQ

Download Letter and Attachments as PDF File: