Attachment to BAL 01-903

 

 

[Signed May 4, 2001]

 

 

MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND INDEPENDENT

AGENCIES

 

FROM: STEVEN R. COHEN

Acting Director

 

Subject: Long Term Care Implementation Coordinators

 

I need your help in identifying an agency coordinator who can work with us as we implement the new long term care insurance program.

 

As you know, the Long Term Care Security Act authorized the Office of Personnel Management to contract for a long term care insurance program for the Federal family - active employees, members of the uniformed services, civilian and military retirees, their survivors, spouses and a host of other qualified relatives.

 

Since the passage of the law in September 2000, we have been meeting with stakeholder groups, industry representatives, and independent experts. One result is a tentative product design that we have posted at www.opm.gov/insure/ltc. Another is gaining an understanding of the critical importance of active employer support and endorsement to ensure a successful group long term care insurance offering. While our education and marketing plans will not be fully developed until we have selected our long term care insurance partner(s) this October, I expect that they will include opportunities for your personal involvement. I am writing to request your active support and participation as we develop our plans.

 

We already know that we will need support in many areas, including:

                 arranging for the distribution of educational and marketing materials,

                 setting up employee briefings,

                 participating in satellite broadcasts, and

                 interacting with our insurance partners and us during the open enrollment period.

 

To that end, I am asking you to identify a Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) Implementation Coordinator who can direct and coordinate implementation and roll-out activities in your agency. Benefits Officers for the retirement and insurance programs already exist in all agencies. We expect LTCI Implementation Coordinators to become supporters of the product and to be available throughout the enrollment period that will begin in 2002 and may extend into 2003. We will work with a representative team of Implementation Coordinators to develop a roll-out strategy that will be successful and doable from an agency perspective.

 

While the LTCI program will not be operational until October 2002, we are developing an email listserv of the designated Implementation Coordinators now, so that we can interact with them throughout the planning process. We also encourage Coordinators to ask their field installations to subscribe to the listserv to receive information about the upcoming open enrollment period. Instructions on how to subscribe are attached.

 

We appreciate and thank you for your support of this very important benefits program. If you have any questions, please call Frank Titus, Assistant Director for Long Term Care, or a member of his team at 202-606-1413.

 

 

Attachment

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Attachment

 

How to Subscribe to the New Listserv for Long Term Care Insurance

 

 

1. Send an email to listserv@listserv.opm.gov

 

a. Put whatever you want in the subject line of your email. The subject is not used in the subscription process.

 

b. In the BODY of the message type:

SUBSCRIBE LTCINFO firstname lastname, substituting your own first and last names.

 

c. Do not put anything else in the body of the email.

 

d. The computer stores the email address that you used to send the message as the email address that you wish to receive the listserv emails. So if your outgoing email address is different from the address you want to receive the incoming email, you cannot subscribe this way. Instead you must send an email to Laura Lawrence at ljlawren@opm.gov and explain the problem. She can add you to the list manually.

 

2. You should receive a CONFIRMATION email soon after sending your SUBSCRIBE email. If you do not, then there is something wrong with your outgoing email message. Please double-check that you followed the instructions exactly. If you continue to have problems, please email Laura Lawrence at ljlawren@opm.gov.

 

3. Follow the instructions in the Confirmation email reply exactly. You will not be subscribed to the listserv until you reply to the Confirmation email as stated in that message. The Confirmation email will also contain instructions on how to cancel your subscription.

 

4. Encourage other human resources professionals to subscribe. This listserv will operate well into 2003, so please make sure that new HR personnel subscribe when they come onboard. We need your support to make this work!

 

 

If you have any questions, please call Ms. Lawrence at 202-606-1433.