Benefit Program

Note the deadlines…

Find out about eligibility and options …

Prepare for and make your elections…

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Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)

Program

Opens: 11/10

Closes: 12/09

5:00 p.m. CT

or

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

Guides to Benefits

Updates coming soon.

• Career Employees.
• Postal Inspectors & OIG Employees.
• Postal Nurses.
• Noncareer Employees.

Prepare

PostalEASE FEHB

Worksheet

Use

PostalEASE

• You must enter dependents if electing a new Self and Family plan.
• Individual plan brochures are available at www.opm.gov/insure or by calling the health plan.

Coming to you in the mail: Guide to Benefits (program summary) with PostalEASE FEHB Worksheet.

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

Opens: 11/10

Closes: 12/08

11:59 p.m. ET

or

Qualifying Life Event (through FEDVIP, not HRSSC)

Use

www.benefeds.com

877-888-3337

TTY 877-889-5680

• If you are eligible to participate in FEHB, you are eligible to enroll in FEDVIP, even if you are not enrolled in FEHB.
• USPS does not contribute.
• You pay full cost of premiums on a pre-tax basis.
• You may enroll in a dental plan, a vision plan, or both.
• You may enroll in a plan for Self Only, Self Plus One, or Self and Family coverage.
• Rules for the eligibility of family members in FEDVIP are the same as those for their eligibility in FEHB.

Coming to you in the mail: FEDVIP Guide.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Opens: 11/10

Closes: 12/28

5:00 p.m. CT

or

Qualifying Life Event (through HRSSC)

FSA Brochure

Update coming soon.

Prepare

PostalEASE FSA

Worksheet

Use

PostalEASE

• Health Care FSA maximum is $5,000.
• Dependent Care (day care) FSA maximum is $5,000.
• Over-the-counter medicines and drugs are eligible.

Coming to you in the mail: Post cards, leaflet, and brochure.

Annual Leave Exchange (ALE)

Opens: 11/15

Closes: 12/15

11:59 p.m. CT

Letter mailed to eligible employees.

Prepare

PostalEASE ALE

Worksheet (mailed

to eligible employees)

Use

PostalEASE

• Most career nonbargaining unit employees from Rate Schedule Codes (RSCs) E, F, S, V, U, and Z may exchange from 8 to 128 hours in whole-hour increments if their annual leave balance is at least 160 hours as of close of business on January 2, 2009.
• Bargaining unit employees from RSCs C, K, M, N, P, T, and Y may exchange from 8 to 40 hours in whole-hour increments if their annual leave balance is at least 440 hours and if they have used less than 75 hours of sick leave for the leave year as of close of business on January 2, 2009.
• For bargaining unit employees, the lump sum is calculated on salary as of January 3, 2009, and included in the January 23, 2009, paycheck. For nonbargaining unit employees, the lump sum is cal­culated on salary as of January 17, 2009, and included in the February 6, 2009, paycheck. These lump sum payments are taxable in 2009.

Coming only to eligible employees in the mail: Letter about annual leave exchange.

Allotments/

Net-to-Bank (Direct Deposit)

Any time

Processed at

3:59 a.m. CT,

2nd Wednesday

of pay period

Prepare

PostalEASE Net-to-Bank

Worksheet

Use

PostalEASE

• You must provide your financial institution’s routing number and your account number.

Thrift Savings Plan Regular Contributions

Any time

Processed at

3:59 a.m. CT,

2nd Wednesday

of pay period

www.tsp.gov/forms/tspbk08.pdf

Prepare

PostalEASE TSP

Worksheet

Use

PostalEASE

• The IRS annual limit on elective deferrals has not yet been announced for 2009 (it is $15,500 for 2008).
• FERS employees who want to maximize contributions while avoiding the loss of USPS match­ing contributions should make a whole dollar contribution per pay period equal to the announced maximum divided by 26.

Coming to you in the mail: TSP enrollment information letter and PostalEASE TSP Worksheet.

TSP 50+

Catch-Up Contributions

Any time

Processed at

3:59 a.m. CT,

2nd Wednesday

of pay period

www.tsp.gov/forms/tspbk08.pdf

Prepare

PostalEASE TSP 50+

Catch Up Worksheet

Use

PostalEASE

• If you are age 50 or older during 2009, you may contribute an additional amount up to the IRS limit, which has not yet been announced for 2009 (it is $5,000 for 2008).
• Catch-up contribution elections for 2009 will be accepted begin­ning at 12:01 p.m. CT on December 17, 2008. You must certify your regular TSP contribu­tions will reach the IRS maximum.

Coming only to eligible employees in the mail: TSP enrollment information catch-up letter and PostalEASE TSP Catch-Up Worksheet.

TSP Investment Choices

Any time

www.tsp.gov/forms/tspbk08.pdf

Use

www.tsp.gov

Have TSP acct. no. or

Custom User ID

Have Web password

877-968-3778

TDD 877-847-4385

Have TSP acct. no.

Have TSP PIN

Mail form TSP-50

(available from HRSSC)

to TSP

• Via the ThriftLine you may request:
• A new TSP PIN.
• A new 8-character Web password.
• A copy of your TSP account num­ber.
• Quarterly participant statements.
• Via www.tsp.gov you may request:
• A new 8-character Web password.
• A copy of your TSP account number.
• A custom User ID.
• Printable views of quarterly participant statements.
• Cancellation of request to have quarterly participant statements mailed.

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

You may apply any time —

underwriting required

www.ltcfeds.com/usps

Choose your correct category of eligibility,

then click your desired files under “Information Kit Materials.”

Use

www.ltcfeds.com/usps

Choose your correct category of eligibility,

then click your desired files under “Application.”

• New/newly eligible employees may enroll with the abbreviated application within the first 60 days of becoming eligible.
• You may download the informa­tion kit and the application or have them mailed to you.

Commuter Program

Any time

Processed at 11:59 p.m. ET, 10th day of the month

www.wageworks.com

Use

www.wageworks.com

888-924-3967

TTY 866-361-8017

M–F 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET

• New career employees receive a brochure in the mail and must allow up to 30 days for informa­tion to be entered in the Wageworks system.
• Other employees can enroll at any time.
• Elections, changes, and cancella­tion for Commuter Program take effect 2 months after processing deadline.

Using PostalEASE

It is easier to use the PostalEASE Employee Web than to use the telephone to make open season elections.

By Employee Web, access the system in any of these ways:

• On the Internet at https://liteblue.usps.gov. Under “Employee Self Service,” select PostalEASE.
• At an employee self-service kiosk.
• On the Intranet at http://blue.usps.gov. Under “Employee Resources,” select Employee Self Service and then PostalEASE.

By telephone, call the Employee Service Line at 877-4PS-EASE (877-477-3273, option 1 for PostalEASE).

Finding Your USPS ID and PIN

You must use:

• Your Employee ID — all eight digits, even if the first one is 0 — printed at the top of your earnings statement
• Your USPS PIN. If you have forgotten your PIN, request a letter by either:
• Employee Web on the Intranet at http://blue.usps.gov or at an employee self-service kiosk (follow instructions).
• Telephone (option 1 for PostalEASE; when asked to enter PIN, wait; you will then hear an option to request a letter).

Your PIN is usually mailed to your address of record the next business day.