OPM Proposes New FEDVIP Rule, Eligibility Extension and Enrollment Clarifications
In a proposed rule announced on October 19, 2021, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is advising an expansion of employee eligibility for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). The program’s extension would include select temporary and seasonal workers, among others.
OPM’s new rule would extend to FEDVIP eligibility to include federal employees expected to work 130 hours per month for a period of 90 days, and their family members – this includes select employees on seasonal and intermittent schedules, or in temporary positions. Positions newly eligible also include seasonal and temporary employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS) who fit the above parameters, in addition to temporary firefighters and intermittent emergency response personnel who may not meet the hour requirements but are eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB).
Further, the proposed rule clarifies the eligibility for active-duty service members who become uniformed services retirees to reenroll in FEDVIP outside of open season.
Current regulations state an individual may enroll within 60 days of becoming eligible. Enrollment becomes effective the pay period after the Program Administrator receives registration – this could cause a 30-day severance of coverage. OPM’s proposal allows active-duty service members to change their status to uniformed services before losing their benefits and their eligibility to enroll begins. The effective date of those enrolling outside of open season will be no earlier than the active-duty service member lost other coverage.
OPM will also add qualifying life events for enrollees to cancel a FEDVIP enrollment and decrease an enrollment type. New provisions would allow sponsors can change enrollment status for deployed active military duty, and enrollees to cancel FEDVIP enrollment or decrease enrollment type if eligible to receive VA dental and or vision services.
The estimate of employees be newly eligible to enroll in FEDVIP under the proposed rule is approximately 86,000. Nearly 5.4 million individuals are enrolled in FEDVIP with 7.3 million covered participants.
The public can comment on the proposed rule on the Federal Register through December 20, 2021.
