Proposed Rule2024-01940
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Modification of Effective Date of Coverage for Employees With an Initial Opportunity To Enroll
Primary source
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Published
February 1, 2024
Issuing agencies
Personnel Management Office
Abstract
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to modify the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) regulations to allow for coverage to take effect as soon as an employee becomes eligible for coverage under the FEHB Program. This rulemaking is also applicable to the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program within the FEHB Program. The proposed changes would allow FEHB and PSHB coverage to become effective at the beginning of the pay period that the employee in pay status has an initial opportunity to enroll. This change would occur when the employee becomes eligible for FEHB or PSHB coverage, provided an appropriate request to enroll is received by the employing office within the initial pay period that the employee becomes eligible.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6436-6440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01940]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 22 / Thursday, February 1, 2024 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 6436]]
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 890
[Docket ID: OPM-2023-0037]
RIN 3206-AO47
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Modification of
Effective Date of Coverage for Employees With an Initial Opportunity To
Enroll
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to modify
the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) regulations to allow for
coverage to take effect as soon as an employee becomes eligible for
coverage under the FEHB Program. This rulemaking is also applicable to
the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program within the FEHB
Program. The proposed changes would allow FEHB and PSHB coverage to
become effective at the beginning of the pay period that the employee
in pay status has an initial opportunity to enroll. This change would
occur when the employee becomes eligible for FEHB or PSHB coverage,
provided an appropriate request to enroll is received by the employing
office within the initial pay period that the employee becomes
eligible.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and/or
Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) and title, by the following method:
<bullet> Federal Rulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
All submissions received must include the agency name and docket
number or RIN for this document. The general policy for comments and
other submissions from members of the public is to make these
submissions available for public viewing at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
as they are received, without change, including any personal
identifiers or contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith Gitangu, Senior Policy
Analyst, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d6bbb3a4b3b2bfa2bef8b1bfa2b7b8b1a396b9a6bbf8b1b9a0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2cfc7d0c7c6cbd6ca8cc5cbd6c3ccc5d7e2cdd2cf8cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 606-2678.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FEHB Program Background
The FEHB Program was established in 1960 and is the largest
employer-sponsored health insurance program in the United States. There
are approximately 8.2 million covered individuals in the FEHB Program.
Covered individuals, as defined in 5 CFR 890.101, include employees of
the Federal Government, annuitants, members of their families, former
spouses, and statutorily eligible groups enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 8901;
and tribal employees of tribal employers, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 1647b.
Currently, Postal Service employees, Postal Service annuitants, and
their family members are also eligible for health benefits under the
FEHB Program pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 1005. Section 101 of the Postal
Service Reform Act (PSRA) added new section 8903c to chapter 89 of
title 5, United States Code, and directed OPM to establish the PSHB
Program within the FEHB Program for Postal Service employees, Postal
Service annuitants, and their eligible family members. Under 5 U.S.C.
8903c(c)(3), except as otherwise set forth in 5 U.S.C. 8903c, the
provisions of chapter 89 ``applicable to health benefits plans offered
by carriers under section 8903 or 8903a shall apply to plans offered
under the'' PSHB Program.
Health benefits plans under the FEHB Program cover a wide range of
health services including routine physical exams, primary and
specialist doctors' visits, inpatient hospital care, surgery,
laboratory and diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, and mental health
services. Required benefits are listed in broad categories in the FEHB
statute at 5 U.S.C. 8904 and include hospital benefits, surgical
benefits, medical care and treatment, and obstetrical benefits, among
others. The benefits, coverage, and premium details of each plan in the
FEHB Program are negotiated with OPM each year.
Authority for This Rulemaking
OPM administers the FEHB Program in accordance with Title 5 Chapter
89, United States Code and implementing regulations (5 CFR parts 890
and 892 and 48 CFR chapter 16). The authority to modify the effective
coverage date for employees with an initial opportunity to enroll is
under OPM's authority at 5 U.S.C. 8913 to prescribe regulations
necessary to carry out administration of the FEHB Program. Based on
agency feedback and OPM's own analysis, which are discussed in more
detail in the next section, we are proposing changes to regulations
that would allow for coverage to be effective sooner for eligible
employees and act as a recruitment and retention tool that positions
the Federal Government as a model employer.
Discussion of the Proposed Changes
Modification of Effective Date of Coverage for Employees With an
Initial Opportunity To Enroll
OPM proposes to modify its FEHB enrollment regulations regarding
the effective date of coverage for employees with an initial
opportunity to enroll. An initial opportunity to enroll is the time
period in which employees are allowed to elect enrollment in FEHB and
may occur in the following circumstances: as a new employee, when an
employee changes from an excluded position to a position eligible for
FEHB coverage, or a temporary employee who completes one year of
service and is eligible to enroll under 5 U.S.C. 8906a. Currently,
under 5 CFR 890.301(a), an employee ``may elect to enroll or not enroll
[in FEHB] within 60 days after becoming eligible'' for FEHB coverage.
Coverage is effective on the first day of the first pay period that
begins after the date the employing office receives an appropriate
request to enroll, and that follows a pay period that the employee is
in pay status as described in 5 CFR 890.301(b). OPM is proposing to
allow newly eligible employees the opportunity to have their FEHB
coverage effective at the beginning of the pay period the employee
becomes eligible, provided they are in pay status; have an initial
opportunity to enroll in FEHB coverage; and have submitted, with their
employing office having received, an appropriate request to enroll in
FEHB coverage during that first
[[Page 6437]]
pay period of eligibility. An appropriate request is defined in 5 CFR
890.101(a) as a properly completed health benefits election form, such
as Standard Form 2809, or an alternative method acceptable to both the
employing office and OPM.
In 5 CFR 890.101, a pay period is defined as ``the biweekly pay
period established pursuant to section 5504 of title 5, United States
Code, for the employees to whom that section applies and the regular
pay period for employees not covered by that section.'' Across most
Federal agencies, the general standard is for two-week pay periods to
begin on Sunday and run until Saturday of the following week.
Recognizing there may be some variance in agency approaches and seeking
to ensure an equitable application of the rule to employees, OPM seeks
comments on current business processes to effectuate and document an
employee's entry on duty. For example, what is the process if a new
employee arrives for orientation on Monday, August 28, 2023, and the
start of the pay period is Sunday, August 27, 2023?
Changes proposed in this rulemaking, if finalized, would be
required to be applied by the employing office to all employees with an
initial opportunity to enroll, not solely to new employees or only on
an individual, case-by-case basis. For example, if an employing office
receives appropriate requests to enroll from two employees with an
initial opportunity to enroll within the pay period these employees
become eligible, the employing office may not allow one of the eligible
employees' coverage retroactive to the start of the pay period when
they become eligible and force the other eligible employee to wait
until the first day of the next pay period. All employing offices are
required to implement the proposed changes to achieve an equitable
result for all eligible employees. OPM seeks comment on this approach
to avoid circumstances where employees of one agency could be offered
the earliest possible effective date of coverage based on the agency's
capabilities but an employee at another agency is not offered the same
effective date of coverage because that agency's systems and processes
are not updated accordingly. OPM also invites comments on any
administrative or operational differences in applying the proposed
changes to new employees and other employees with an initial
opportunity to enroll (i.e., employee who experiences a qualifying life
event).
OPM estimates approximately 230,000 employees with an initial
opportunity to enroll submit appropriate requests and are newly
enrolled in FEHB each year. The most common example of an employee with
an initial opportunity to enroll is in the case of new employees.
Another example of an employee with an initial opportunity to enroll
would be in the case of an employee excluded from coverage, as
described in 5 CFR 890.102(c), who moves from a position that was
excluded from coverage to a position that conveys coverage. Using the
example of a new employee, under the current regulatory structure, the
new employee who submits an FEHB enrollment request on their start
date, or sometime during the first pay period the new employee is in
pay status, must wait until the first day of the following pay period
for FEHB coverage to become effective. A gap in coverage may result if
the new employee has not extended previous group coverage under any
applicable rules permitting such extension or does not have individual
coverage. Gaps in coverage may further result in costly medical
expenditures that must be borne by the individual. OPM takes its agency
responsibilities under recent Executive Order 14070 \1\ earnestly and,
in furtherance of the E.O. goals, has identified modification of the
effective date of FEHB as an action that expands access to quality
coverage. The changes proposed in this rulemaking can work to ensure
more timely access to health insurance which may in turn assist in
reducing financial burdens for care received while uninsured and
removing barriers to consistent care for services such as mental health
services, vaccines, and contraceptives. OPM believes that permitting
health insurance coverage to become effective at the start of
employment could reduce the risk of new employees enduring coverage
gaps and potentially costly medical bills associated with such gaps and
also act as an attractive recruitment tool in building a well-
qualified, robust workforce.
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\1\ See E.O. 14070 (available at: <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/08/2022-07716/continuing-to-strengthen-americans-access-to-affordable-quality-health-coverage">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/08/2022-07716/continuing-to-strengthen-americans-access-to-affordable-quality-health-coverage</a>).
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This proposed rule would align the FEHB Program with the practices
of some nonfederal employers that provide first-day coverage and the
current practices of the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance
(FEGLI) Program. Under FEGLI regulations at 5 CFR 870.501, FEGLI Basic
coverage begins on the day the new employee enters on duty in pay
status. Health insurance is an influential factor on employee
recruitment, retention, and satisfaction, and is a benefit offering
critical coverage, in sometimes life or death circumstances; therefore,
OPM prioritizes the FEHB Program for proposed effective date changes.
This proposed rule would not impact the effective date of coverage for
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) under 5
CFR 894.504 or Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) under
5 CFR 875.404. OPM invites comment on whether similar modifications to
the effective date of the FEDVIP would be beneficial.
Under this proposed rule, FEHB coverage could become effective at
the beginning of the initial pay period in which the employee with an
initial opportunity to enroll meets the criteria of becoming eligible
for FEHB coverage, being in pay status, and providing an appropriate
request to enroll that is received by the employing office within the
initial pay period the employee becomes eligible. If the appropriate
request to enroll is not received by the employing office within the
initial pay period the employee becomes eligible, then the newly
eligible employee still has the remainder of the 60 days to enroll in
FEHB. However, the effective date then becomes the first day of the
first pay period that begins after the date the employing office
receives an appropriate request to enroll or change the enrollment and
that follows a pay period during any part of which the employee is in
pay status. The following examples illustrate the scenarios described
in this paragraph for a new employee entering on duty and for an
excluded employee that becomes newly eligible for coverage:
Example 1. The pay period begins on Sunday, August 27, 2023, and
runs until Saturday, September 9, 2023. A new employee enters on duty
and commences pay status at an agency on Monday, August 28, 2023. The
new employee submits an appropriate request to enroll, including family
member eligibility documentation, and it is received by the employing
office on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, which is within the initial pay
period of the employee's initial opportunity to enroll. FEHB coverage
for the new employee and their eligible family member(s) would be
effective retroactively to Sunday, August 27, 2023.
Example 2. The pay period begins on Sunday, August 27, 2023, and
runs until Saturday, September 9, 2023. A new employee enters on duty
and commences pay status at an agency on Monday, August 28, 2023. The
new employee submits an appropriate request to enroll, including family
member eligibility documentation, and it is received by the employing
office on
[[Page 6438]]
Tuesday, September 12, 2023, which is not within the initial pay period
of the employee's initial opportunity to enroll. FEHB coverage for the
new employee and their eligible family member(s) is effective Sunday,
September 24, 2023, which is the first day of the first pay period that
begins after the date the employing office receives an appropriate
request to enroll.
Example 3: The pay period begins on Sunday, August 27, 2023, and
runs until Saturday, September 9, 2023. An employee formerly in a
position that was excluded from coverage moves to a position that
conveys coverage and is a newly eligible employee in pay status on
Monday, August 28, 2023. The newly eligible employee submits an
appropriate request to enroll, including family member eligibility
documentation, and it is received by the employing office on Tuesday,
September 5, 2023, which is within the initial pay period of the newly
eligible employee's initial opportunity to enroll. FEHB coverage for
the newly eligible employee and their eligible family member(s) would
be effective retroactively to Sunday, August 27, 2023.
Example 4: The pay period begins on Sunday, August 27, 2023, and
runs until Saturday, September 9, 2023. An employee formerly in a
position that was excluded from coverage moves to a position that
conveys coverage and is a newly eligible employee in pay status on
Monday, August 28, 2023. The newly eligible employee submits an
appropriate request to enroll, including family member eligibility
documentation, and it is received by the employing office on Tuesday,
September 12, 2023, which is not within the initial pay period of the
newly eligible employee's initial opportunity to enroll. FEHB coverage
for the newly eligible employee and their eligible family member(s) is
effective Sunday, September 24, 2023, which is the first day of the
first pay period that begins after the date the employing office
receives an appropriate request to enroll.
OPM seeks comment on effectuating the proposed changes, including
whether it is preferable to begin coverage effective retroactively to
the start of the pay period in which the employee becomes eligible or
to begin coverage effective retroactively to the date of entry on duty
in pay status or other initial opportunity to enroll.
Employing offices would be required to implement the new
requirements when this rulemaking is finalized and have their
enrollment and payroll systems accommodate coverage effective
retroactive to the start of the initial pay period in which the
employee becomes eligible and is in pay status, and the appropriate
request to enroll is received by the employing office. While some
employing offices have the current system capability to implement this
change immediately upon finalization of this rulemaking, others may
not. As a result, OPM is allowing additional time for compliance by
proposing that all employing offices implement the changes outlined in
this rulemaking no later than 18 months after the publication date of
the final rule. Those employing offices that can implement sooner are
encouraged to do so.
Proposed Changes by Section
OPM proposes to amend the FEHB regulations at 5 CFR 890.301 to
permit FEHB coverage to become effective at the beginning of the
initial pay period that the employee with an initial opportunity to
enroll becomes eligible for FEHB coverage and is in pay status,
provided an appropriate request to enroll is received by the employing
office within the initial pay period the employee becomes eligible.
This proposed rule would redesignate 5 CFR 890.301(b) as paragraph
(b)(1) to allow the addition of a new paragraph (b)(2) that outlines
the changes discussed in the previous section. Specifically, paragraph
(b)(2) pertains to employees with an initial opportunity to enroll,
allowing for FEHB coverage to be effective the same pay period the
employee becomes eligible.
Under existing regulations at 5 CFR 890.301(a), an employee with an
initial opportunity to enroll may elect to enroll or not to enroll
within 60 days after becoming eligible. This rulemaking does not change
the eligibility period, and instead proposes that FEHB coverage for
employees with an initial opportunity to enroll will be effective
retroactively to the start of the initial pay period the employee first
becomes eligible and is in pay status if the employee submits, and the
employing office receives, the appropriate request to enroll within the
initial pay period the employee becomes eligible. If the employee does
not submit and the employing office does not receive an appropriate
request to enroll within the initial pay period the employee first
becomes eligible, then coverage will be effective on the first day of
the first pay period that begins after the date the employing office
receives an appropriate request to enroll or change the enrollment and
that follows a pay period that the employee is in pay status. OPM
guidance \2\ directs employing offices to request proof of family
member eligibility during the initial opportunity to enroll.
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\2\ U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Benefits Administration
Letter (BAL) 21-202, Family Member Eligibility Verification for
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Coverage (available
at <a href="https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/publications-forms/benefits-administration-letters/2021/21-202.pdf">https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/publications-forms/benefits-administration-letters/2021/21-202.pdf</a>).
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In addition to other aspects of this proposed rule, OPM is
requesting information on leading practices from other employers on
when health insurance coverage begins. OPM recognizes that employees,
during their initial opportunity to enroll, may experience an immediate
need for coverage. Additionally, as employees, during their initial
opportunity to enroll, weigh and evaluate different plans and coverage
options, employees may not be able to make a decision during their
first pay period, and may utilize the full enrollment period. OPM
specifically invites comments on the effective date of coverage and if
that effective date should be tied to when, during the enrollment
period, the election form is submitted and received (i.e., retroactive
to the start of the pay period or prospective to the start of the next
pay period). If based on responses, OPM determines that it would be
advisable to adopt a different approach than that proposed here, OPM
anticipates that it would likely issue a revised proposal for comment
on specific aspects of implementing the alternate approach.
Expected Impact of Proposed Changes
OPM held stakeholder meetings with agencies and non-governmental
entities including Tribal Benefits Officers and FEHB Carriers to
solicit feedback on the implications and operational aspects of
proposed changes in this rulemaking. While some stakeholders welcomed
the proposed changes, others raised operational concerns and the
potential cost burdens due to implementation. One potential impact of
this rulemaking is the cost employing offices may incur to update
enrollment and payroll systems to accommodate the changes. The
estimated level of effort for OPM to implement the regulation changes
would be about 40 hours of focused work for two GS 15 director level
and two GS 14 supervisor level Federal employees to perform system
tests and update business processes at an estimated cost of
approximately $22,085 in employee resources.\3\ OPM
[[Page 6439]]
considered several deadlines as an alternative to the 18-month
compliance timeline but settled on the current timeline based on
stakeholder feedback received during the rule drafting process. That
feedback revealed that agencies use a variety of systems and processes
that cannot easily be updated on the same timeline. Therefore, OPM is
proposing to ease this burden by delaying the effective date of
compliance to 18 months after the final rule is effective. To
supplement our analysis and inform our final decision on the compliance
date, OPM is seeking comments on the feasibility of implementing
changes to the effective date of FEHB coverage, including human
resource and payroll system capability to process FEHB coverage with an
effective date as of when the employee becomes eligible (i.e., the day
of entry on duty or a change in employment status that results in an
employee being newly eligible for FEHB coverage) and the level of
effort, estimated cost, and anticipated timeline needed to implement
the changes in this rulemaking. OPM also invites comments on the
ability of systems to prorate premiums for coverage with an effective
date other than the start of a pay period.
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\3\ The cost of employee resources is calculated using the 2023
GS scale for the Locality Pay Area of Washington-Baltimore-
Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA for GS 15, step 1 ($74.60 per hour) and GS
14, step 1 ($63.43 per hour), adjusting each upward by 100% to
account for overhead and benefits: $74.60 x 2 x 40 x 2 = $11,936 and
63.43 x 2 x 40 x 2 = $10,149, for a total of $22,085 in employee
costs.
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While we acknowledge the concerns raised, OPM believes the value of
offering FEHB coverage as soon as employees are eligible exceeds the
burden of implementing the proposed changes. An expected benefit of
this proposed rule is that affected employees will gain access to
health insurance plans in a more expedient manner and, therefore,
potentially lowering the possibility of uninsured employees personally
incurring high-cost medical bills for care received during a gap in
health insurance coverage. Federal employees, especially those in
positions to be first responders, medical professionals, and
representatives on foreign soil, serve a critical need when serving in
their position and may be at an increased risk of injury and illness.
Having health insurance as soon as they are eligible offers comfort and
security. OPM has received stakeholder feedback that the proposed
changes have been requested by some new hires and may also have a
positive effect in recruiting persons with disabilities to the Federal
workforce OPM seeks comments on the implications, positive or negative,
on employee recruitment and retention as well as any effects on
administrative processing.
Because it is specific to the FEHB Program and a subset of Federal
employees and their eligible family members, OPM does not believe this
rulemaking will have a large impact on the broader health insurance
markets. For many carriers, FEHB generally constitutes a small
percentage of business of the overall health insurance carrier's book
of business. For the 2024 plan year, the FEHB Program has 67
participating carriers offering a total of 156 plan choices. OPM
illustrates the potential impact of the rule under the assumption of
100% participation of the newly eligible employee population and a
uniform plan selection for the additional two weeks of coverage that
would become available to newly eligible employees as a result of the
proposed rule. Total premiums for 2024 are estimated to be $64.5
billion which, across all enrollment types (Self, Self Plus One, Self
and Family), equates to $15,851 per subscriber. Assuming bi-weekly pay
periods, the added premium cost would be $610 per employee with an
initial opportunity to enroll for an estimated total cost of $140.2
million per year for the approximately 230,000 newly eligible employees
affected by this rulemaking. However, participation may be
substantially lower than 100%, for example because individuals may have
existing health insurance coverage covering the relevant time period,
or newly eligible individuals may choose plans with different average
premiums. OPM lacks data to precisely estimate impacts along these
lines. However, OPM believes this will be highly utilized, and assumes
that the rule will result in effects equivalent to 80% of these
potential effects. This implies effects along these lines of
approximately $112.2 million per year. OPM seeks public comment on
methods or data to inform these estimates.
Regulatory Review
Executive Orders 13563, 12866, and 14094 direct agencies to assess
all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). A
regulatory impact analysis must be prepared for major rules with
effects of $200 million or more in any one year. This rulemaking does
not reach that threshold but has otherwise been designated as a
``significant regulatory action'' under section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866, as supplemented by Executive Orders 13563 and 14094.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Director of OPM certifies that this regulation will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Federalism
OPM examined this rulemaking in accordance with Executive Order
13132, Federalism, and determined that it will not have any negative
impact on the rights, roles and responsibilities of State, local, or
tribal governments.
Civil Justice Reform
This regulation meets the applicable standard set forth in
Executive Order 12988.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
This rulemaking will not result in the expenditure by state, local,
and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of
$100 million or more in any year and it will not significantly or
uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed
necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of
1995.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (PRA),
unless that collection of information displays a currently valid Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number.
This proposed rule involves, but does not make any changes to, an
OMB approved collection of information subject to the PRA for the FEHB
Program, OMB No. 3206-0160, Health Benefits Election Form. The public
reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average 30 minutes
per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information. The total
burden hour estimate for this form is 9,000 hours. The system of
records notice for this collection is: OPM/Central-23, ``FEHB Program
Enrollment Records,'' available at <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-01259">https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-01259</a>. Additional information regarding this collection--including
all current background materials--can be found at
[[Page 6440]]
<a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a> by using the search function
to enter either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number.
List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 890
Administrative practice and procedure, Government employees, Health
facilities, Health insurance, Health professions, Hostages, Iraq,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Military personnel, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Retirement.
Office of Personnel Management.
Kayyonne Marston,
Federal Register Liaison.
Accordingly, OPM proposes to amend 5 CFR part 890 as follows:
PART 890--FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM
0
1. The authority citation for part 890 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8913; Sec. 890.102 also issued under
sections 11202(f), 11232(e), and 11246 (b) of Pub. L. 105-33, 111
Stat. 251; Sec. 890.111 also issued under 36 U.S.C. 5522; Sec.
890.112 also issued under 2 U.S.C. 2051; Sec. 890.113 also issued
under section 1110 of Pub. L. 116-92, 133 Stat. 1198 (5 U.S.C. 8702
note); Sec. 890.301 also issued under 26 U.S.C. 9801; Sec.
890.302(b) also issued under 42 U.S.C. 300gg-14; Sec. 890.803 also
issued under 50 U.S.C. 3516 (formerly 50 U.S.C. 403p) and 22 U.S.C.
4069c and 4069c-1; subpart L also issued under section 599C of Pub.
L. 101-513, 104 Stat. 2064 (5 U.S.C. 5561 note); subpart M also
issued under 10 U.S.C. 1108 and 25 U.S.C. 1647b; and subpart P
issued under 5 U.S.C. 8903c.
Subpart C--Enrollment
0
2. Amend Sec. 890.301 by:
0
a. Removing the paragraph heading ``Effective date--generally'' in
paragraph (b) and adding in its place ``Effective dates'';
0
b. Redesignating paragraph (b) introductory text as paragraph (b)(1);
and
0
c. Adding paragraph (b)(2).
The addition reads as follows:
Sec. 890.301 Opportunities for employees to enroll or change
enrollment; effective dates.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(1) * * *
(2) Enrollment for an employee will take effect at the beginning of
the initial pay period in which the following criteria are met:
(i) The employee is newly eligible and has an initial opportunity
to enroll;
(ii) The employee is in pay status; and
(iii) The employee submitted to the employing office, and the
employing office received, the appropriate request, as defined in Sec.
890.101, to enroll within the initial pay period of the initial
opportunity to enroll.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2024-01940 Filed 1-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-63-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 1, 2024.
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