Employee Benefits - NIH Benefits Information - Did You Know? February 2008
What’s New?
Topics Of Interest:
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions About My Benefits?
1. BENEFITS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2. ANNUAL THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN (TSP) STATEMENTS WILL BE MAILED SOON!
Starting this month, the TSP will begin mailing annual TSP statements to all participants. Your annual statement will summarize the activity in your account during 2007 and provide other helpful account information such as a list of your designated beneficiaries and your account number. A special January/February Highlights will also be mailed with your annual statement. For information on TSP or to access your TSP Account, visit the TSP website.
3. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE TSP UPDATES VIA E-MAIL?
The TSP offers a free e-mail subscription service. This service allows participants to automatically receive notifications by e-mail when new or updated information is available on the TSP Website.
4. THE TSP WILL SOON IMPLEMENT RESTRICTIONS ON INTERFUND TRANSFERS!
As a result of some TSP participants engaging in excessive trading, the TSP will soon limit (TSP) the number of interfund transfers a participant can make each month.
5. HOW DO I OBTAIN A COPY OF A PRIOR YEAR’S W-2?
A duplicate copy of a prior year’s W-2 may be requested by mailing a Duplicate W-2 Request Form (.doc) to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch, Bldg 31/Rm B3C23. Your request will then be forwarded to DHHS for processing. Please make sure that the current address and the address to which the W-2 should be sent is correct on the form.
6. HAVE YOU BEEN A RECIPIENT IN THE VOLUNTARY LEAVE TRANSFER PROGRAM (VLTP)?
If you requested donated leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) between 1999 through 2005 and are no longer in that program, please check your Leave and Earning Statement (LES) to see if you have a remaining balance of donated leave. If you do, that means DFAS still shows you as a recipient in that system. This can cause problems if you need to be in the VLTP again or if you wish to donate leave to another employee. Contact your IC’s ITAS Coordinator and that individual can assist with removing you from VLTP in DFAS. You can view your LES in myPay (DFAS).
7. WHAT HAPPENS TO MY CHILD’S HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE COVERAGE WHEN HE/SHE TURNS AGE 22?
Did you know that when your child reaches age 22 (or marries before age 22) he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your Federal health benefits enrollment? This is true even if your child is still in school. You have 60 days from the date he/she marries or turns age 22 (whichever occurs first) to notify your Benefits Contact. We will give you information on how your child may enroll in his/her own right for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) (OPM).
The TCC enrollment can be for up to 36 months and the child will have to pay the full premium (no government contribution), plus a 2% administrative charge. TCC enrollments are also available to you (coverage for up to 18 months) should you leave the government and for a former spouse should you get divorced (coverage for up to 36 months). All TCC enrollments must be submitted within 60 days of the event allowing the enrollment. If you have specific questions, please notify your Benefits Contact.
With regard to Option C (Family) coverage under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program, when your dependent child reaches age 22, he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your FEGLI family option. To determine if you have Option C, review your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or your Leave and Earnings Statement in myPay (DFAS). If your two-digit Life Insurance code ends in number 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 then you are carrying Option C.
If your child loses coverage under your health and/or life insurance policy and this child is your last eligible family member, you must also submit a request to change your enrollment under both programs from a family to a self-only policy. This is not automatic. Please notify your Benefits Contact if you have questions.
8. WHY DO I NEED A myPAY PIN?
It is very important to have access to your myPay account so that you can view your Leave and Earnings Statement each pay day. You must also use myPay to make changes to your home address, TSP contributions, direct deposit of pay, allotments, and Federal and state tax withholdings. Additionally, all open season health insurance elections must be accomplished using myPay. If you have misplaced your myPay PIN, you may request a new one in one of two ways. One of which is by selecting “New Pin” on the myPay (DFAS) website. Please make sure you use the “Go” button to finalize your request. Using this method your PIN will be mailed to your current address of record within 7 to 10 business days.
If you need it sooner, your second option is to send a fax to 216-367-3549. You will need to include in your request your name, a daytime phone number, and a copy of your NIH ID, and you must sign the fax. Upon receiving your fax, the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) will reset your PINusing the last 5 numbers of your SSN as your temporary PIN. You will then be able to log in within 3 days using your temporary PIN. Upon logging in, you will be prompted to reset your PIN.
If you encounter problems with your PIN or technical issues using myPay (DFAS), contact the DFAS Centralized Customer Support Unit toll-free at 1-888-332-7411. This support line is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. The Centralized Customer Support Unit can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. The Centralized Customer Support Unit will also provide support for establishing and changing your PIN.
9. HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH MY BENEFITS CONTACT?
Your contact in the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch will be able to help you with a variety of issues pertaining to the health and life insurance programs, designating beneficiaries, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), calculating your retirement annuity estimate, working with you to pay a redeposit for prior civilian service if you previously withdrew your retirement funds, paying a deposit for prior civilian or military service for which retirement deductions were not withheld, etc. To find your benefits contact, review our list of contacts. In addition, the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (BPLB) website has a wealth of information regarding your Federal benefits. Human resource topics not related to your benefits are normally handled by your Client Services Division HR Representative.
