Notice2024-21803
Submission for Review: Revision and Consolidation of Two Existing Information Collections Related to Health Benefits Election Forms
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 24, 2024
Issuing agencies
Personnel Management Office
Abstract
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR) for two forms: SF 2809 Health Benefits Election Form and OPM 2809 Health Benefits Election Form.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77899-77900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21803]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Submission for Review: Revision and Consolidation of Two Existing
Information Collections Related to Health Benefits Election Forms
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general
public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a
revised information collection request (ICR) for two forms: SF 2809
Health Benefits Election Form and OPM 2809 Health Benefits Election
Form.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 24,
2024. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this
particular information collection request by selecting ``Office of
Personnel Management'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then check
``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to
these information collection activities, please contact: Retirement
Services Publications Team, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E
Street NW, Room 3316-L, Washington, DC 20415, Attention: Cyrus S.
Benson, or sent via electronic mail to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fcaeafac899e90959f9d889593928fa8999d91bc938c91d29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dc8e8f8ca9beb0b5bfbda8b5b3b2af88b9bdb19cb3acb1f2bbb3aa">[email protected]</span></a> or
faxed to (202) 606-0910 or via telephone at (202) 936-0401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Personnel Management, in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the public with an opportunity to comment on
proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This
helps OPM assess the impact of its information collection requirements
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public
understand OPM's information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format. On May 5, 2024, OPM published
notice of its intent to combine OMB Control Nos. 3206-0160 and 3206-
0141 into a single, updated collection in the Federal Register at 89 FR
37269.
The SF 2809 and the OPM 2809 forms are generally very similar in
terms of the information collected, with only a few different data
points to reflect differences between an employee and an annuitant.
Nonetheless, the forms were historically managed under two different
information collections. OPM is not currently planning to consolidate
the forms into a single form because the
[[Page 77900]]
instructions for annuitants are different than the instructions for an
employee. OPM expects that retaining separate forms helps annuitants
better understand what information is required.
OPM anticipates that both forms will generally require revisions at
the same time and that comments relevant to one form will generally
apply equally to the other form. Therefore, because the forms serve the
same purpose (for two different populations) and collect virtually
identical information, OPM is proposing to combine the two information
collections and to manage the two forms under a single information
collection, OMB Control No. 3206-0160, going forward.
As part of this process, the forms have been updated to improve
clarity and ease of use. OPM consulted with Agency Benefit Officers,
Federal benefit electronic enrollment systems, FEHB insurance carriers
and conducted several employee focus groups to determine proposed
changes. Some changes to instructions for the SF 2809 form have not
been made to the OPM 2809 form to accommodate a larger use of paper
forms by the annuitant population.
OPM received fourteen comments in response to its 60-day notice,
including six unique comments and one comment representing eight
submissions. We have made additional edits to the SF 2809 form based on
these comments. Specifically, the form will now allow a respondent to
list addresses for minor children who live at a different location than
the enrollee; the form will provide an option to remove a family
member; and the form will also include a date field for the Initial
Opportunity to Enroll. The SF 2809 form also makes a technical
correction by noting that a common law spouse is eligible only if the
marriage was initiated in a ``state, the District of Columbia, or other
jurisdiction'' (instead of just ``state'') that recognizes such
marriages; this technical correction is necessary to account for common
law marriages in the District of Columbia.
We declined several comments. Specifically, we declined comments
about formatting of the paper form because most enrollees will use
electronic systems to enroll. There were comments about the electronic
Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) that were beyond the scope of this
information collection request.
One commenter questioned the use of drop-down menus in some areas
of the application. Drop-down menus are not functional for manually
printed forms. We are declining to remove these because they are
intended for use when completing an electronic fillable, printable
form, and are only used for short, direct answers. Drop-down choices
are listed in the instructions of the form so employees using a printed
version will have them available.
There were also comments related to adding a checkbox or fillable
section for family member eligibility documents and a reminder that,
without required documents, family members are not enrolled. We are
declining these suggestions because we wish to limit freeform text and
believe this information is available in many other places related to
enrollment including the form instructions, FEHB Handbook, and OPM
brochures.
A commenter noted that the requirement to enter Event Codes 1A and
1B have been removed, noting that processing may need these codes which
represent Initial Opportunity to Enroll and Open Season. We are
declining to implement this suggestion because these codes relating to
the Initial Opportunity to Enroll (1A) and Open Season (1B) are among
the most popular codes and we want to make it relatively easy for users
to check the box rather than find an event code. Moreover, agencies
should have these event codes programmed in their automated enrollment
systems.
Finally, as part of the establishment of the new Postal Service
Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, a separate Program with the FEHB
Program, OPM will be offering the use of a new online enrollment
system. The information collected using the system will be identical to
the paper and electronic PDF versions of the SF 2809 and OPM 2809
forms; however, users will be able to enter the information using a
series of prompts that provide additional instructions and guidance.
The information collection for form SF 2809 (OMB Control number
3206-0160) is currently approved with an estimated public burden of
9,000 hours for 18,000 responses. The information collection for form
OPM 2809 (OMB Control number 3206-0141) is currently approved with an
estimated public burden of 11,667 hours for 30,000 responses. As OPM is
proposing to combine these information collections, the collective
estimated public burden for both forms for the revised information
collection is 20,667 hours for 48,000 responses.
The purpose of this notice is to notify the public that OPM is
submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and to allow an additional 30 days for public
comments. OPM is soliciting comments on the proposed information
collection request (ICR) that is described below. OMB is especially
interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1)
whether this collection is necessary to the proper functions of OPM;
(2) whether this information will be processed and used in a timely
manner; (3) the accuracy of the burden estimates; (4) ways in which OPM
might enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (5) ways in which OPM might minimize the burden of
this collection on the respondents, including through the use of
information technology. Written comments received in response to this
notice will be considered public records.
Analysis
Agency: Office of Personnel Management.
Title: Health Benefits Election Forms.
OMB Number: 3206-0160.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Eligible individuals who wish to enroll in FEHB
(including the new, separate Postal Service Health Benefits Program)
for the first time or to change an existing enrollment.
Number of Respondents: 48,000 [SF 2809--18,000; OPM 2809--30,000
(20,000--written & 10,000 verbal)].
Estimated Time per Respondent: SF 2809 [30 minutes]; OPM 2809 [30
minutes (written) & 10 minutes (verbal)].
Total Burden Hours: 20,667 [SF 2809--9,000; OPM 2809--11,667
(written--10,000 & verbal--1,667)].
Office of Personnel Management.
Alexys Stanley,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. 2024-21803 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-38-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 September 24, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.