Benefits Newsletter: August, 2021

When your child reaches age 22, he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) enrollment, unless your child is incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical disability that existed before age 22. If your child turning age 22 means that you have no other eligible covered family members, or you have only one remaining eligible family member under your “Self and Family” enrollment, you must notify BENEFEDS at 877-888-3337.

When your child reaches age 22 (or marries before age 22) he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your life insurance family enrollment, except as indicated below. This is true even if your child is still in school.

When your child reaches age 26, he or she is no longer eligible to be covered under your health benefits enrollment, unless your child is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed before age 26.

myPay is the self-service system that allows you to make a number of employee elections, such as changes to your home address, TSP contributions, direct deposit of pay, allotments, tax withholdings, and Open Season health benefits elections. When entering elections into myPay, carefully read the important information contained on the entry pages.

When was the last time you checked the tax withholdings on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for accuracy? Confirming that state taxes are being withheld for the correct state is extremely important. If you fail to make a state tax withholding election, the withholdings automatically default to the state of Maryland. An address change from one state to another completed in myPay does not automatically change your state tax withholding.

Do you have questions about the terms on LES?

• View the LES terms and definitions
• Additionally, you can view the LES overview video (HHS).

It is very important and your responsibility to review your LES each pay day to ensure that proper deductions are being withheld. You can access your LES at any time in myPay. Should you discover a benefits withholding problem, notify your Benefits Contact immediately. For other withholding problems, contact your timekeeper or Administrative Officer for assistance.

On April 15, 2021, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 21-202 regarding the documentation requirements for verifying family members who are eligible for coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. 

The BAL provides guidance to Federal agencies on the following:

The cost for Basic insurance is shared between you and the Federal government, and your age does not affect the cost for Basic coverage. You pay the full cost for any Optional insurance and the cost depends on your age. The change in premiums resulting from age begins at age 35 and continues to increase in five year increments. If you notice a change in your FEGLI premiums on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), you should verify the cost based on your salary and age.