Benefits Newsletter: February, 2022

On January 10, 2022, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued FEHB Carrier Letter 2022-01 providing updated guidance on coverage for countermeasures against COVID-19, including over-the-counter tests, vaccines, and therapeutics.

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.  If you move between states, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and

Your eligibility to retire depends upon your age, years of creditable service, and the retirement system under which you are covered.   For information on the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS and CSRS-Offset).  For information on the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS, FERS-RAE and FERS-FRAE).

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If you are getting married or divorced, or you are having or adopting a child, those are qualifying life events (QLE) that will allow you to make certain changes to your benefits outside of the annual Benefits Open Season.   For information on the timelines and the process.

Family members eligible for coverage under your “Self Plus One” or “Self and Family” enrollment are your spouse and children under age 26*, including legally adopted children, recognized natural children, and stepchildren.  (*A child age 26 or over is also an eligible family member if he/she is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed before age 26.)

You may owe money to the retirement fund if one of the following applies to you:

• You performed temporary service not covered under the retirement system.  This is known as deposit service. (Employees covered under FERS can make deposits only for temporary service performed prior to January 1, 1989).

Employees who performed active duty military service after December 31, 1956 (after June 30, 1960, in the PHS Commissioned Corps), may need to pay a military deposit (including interest) to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) prior to retirement in order to receive retirement credit for their military service. The requirements are different for different retirement systems.