The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is making changes in benefits to help employees affected by the recent tornado in Oklahoma.
These changes include:
Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI).
The Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) has instituted expedited payment procedures for deaths or accidental dismemberments of covered persons.
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP).
FLTCIP enrollees who live in the affected areas and miss premium payments during this time of crisis will not have their coverage cancelled. Long Term Care Partners will work with these enrollees at a later time to bring their accounts up to date.
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB).
OPM has contacted FEHB carriers to ask them to demonstrate maximum flexibility under their OPM contract, including the following:
- Fee-for-service carriers will relax certain provisions such as their pre-certification requirement that the plan must be notified within two business days of an emergency admission.
- Fee-for-service and Health Maintenance Organizations will relax requirements concerning notification and levels of benefit payment if members are taken to non-plan and/or non-Preferred Provider Organization hospitals or other treatment centers.
- OPM expects plans to make certain that FEHB members get additional supplies of medications as backup for emergency situations, if necessary.
Though charges for work-related injuries sustained by employees are payable by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), OPM is encouraging FEHB plans to provide immediate payment and seek subsequent reimbursement from OWCP.
That was Fast for a goverment that works slow.