Federal Employee Health Benefit Program

70-2in For United States Postal Inspectors and Office of Inspector General Employees

USPS Flexible Spending Accounts

Any of these expenses in your future?

Doctor visits. Orthodontia. Eye exams, contacts and eyeglasses. Laser vision surgery. Medical and dental deductibles and co-pays. Prescription and over-thecounter drugs. Nursery school. Day care. Summer day camp. Day care for a dependent parent.

Plan ahead and save money.

Set aside dollars in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). They're tax free. And, FSAs cover eligible expenses for you and your eligible dependents.

Start saving now.

Whether you're selecting a new health benefits plan, or keeping the same one you have now, plan to cover your out-of-pocket health care expenses, including dental and vision expenses, with a Health Care FSA. Enroll in the FSA program during the current open season and your full annual Health Care FSA contribution will be available to you beginning Jan. 1, 2006, even though your payments are spread out over the 2006 pay dates.

What a difference an FSA makes!

You won't pay federal income, Social Security or Medicare taxes on the amount you contribute to an FSA. When you take the tax savings into consideration, an FSA can make a big difference in the amount of money you spend on your family's health.

• Without an FSA you might spend $400 next year on prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. With an FSA you may only pay $250.
• Without an FSA you'll pay about $325 for eyeglasses compared to $200 with an FSA.
• Without an FSA, you could pay your dentist or orthodontist $2,000 next year. An FSA can help trim that cost down to about $1,250.

Better hurry.

FSA open season ends 5 p.m. Central Time, Dec. 31, 2005. An FSA brochure coming soon to your mailbox will explain more about how you can save with FSAs.

Enroll now!

Call 1-800-842-2026 for more information on how an FSA can work for you and your family and to make sure the expenses you're planning to cover are eligible. Then use convenient PostalEASE to enroll.

FSAs and HSAs
Please note that you are not eligible to enroll in a Health Care FSA if you have a Health Savings Account (HSA). To have an HSA, you must enroll in one of the "High Deductible Health Plans" listed at the end of this Guide. If you have an HSA, you may enroll in a Dependent Care FSA as long as you are otherwise eligible.

Now when you access PostalEASE by phone or on the Web, instead of your Social Security Number, use your eight-digit employee ID - found at the top of your earnings statement - and your USPS PIN.

The change helps safeguard your Social Security Number by reducing its exposure on printed documents and other media, and that helps protect your privacy.

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