FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS

COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN UP TO AGE 26

The new health law approved earlier this year will allow adult children up to age 26 to be covered family members under health insurance plans purchased by their parents or legal guardians, effective at the start of the next benefit plan year. For employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, that means Jan. 1, 2011.

There are steps employees can take prior to Jan. 1 to make sure dependent children who turn 22 - the age limit under existing rules - continue receiving FEHB coverage.

• Dependent children who reach their 22nd birthday between now and Jan. 1 are automatically covered for an additional 31 days.
• Dependent children - or their parents or legal guardians - can continue receiving FEHB coverage beyond the 31-day period by electing Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) for up to 36 months. The child will receive "self-only" coverage.
• TCC is not subject to underwriting or pre-existing condition exclusions.
• USPS will not contribute to the TCC premium, which also includes a 2-percent administrative fee.
• TCC-eligible children can discontinue TCC coverage once they become eligible under the increased age limits that take effect Jan. 1, 2011.

An employee has 60 days from the child’s 22nd birthday to notify the Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSCC) that the child has turned 22. Or, the child may notify the HRSSC within 60 days and request TCC enrollment information. Contact HRSSC at 877-477-3273 (option 5).

The 31-day extension of coverage and TCC do not apply to the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). Dependent children are eligible for FEDVIP coverage after they reach age 22 only if they're incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental condition that existed before their 22nd birthday.

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LOOKING UP

QUARTERLY SERVICE PERFORMANCE SCORES SHOW IMPROVEMENT

Service scores for the third quarter of the current fiscal year show that the Postal Service continues to maintain a high level of customer service.

"Our dedication to customer service remains a top priority," said PMG Jack Potter. "We continue to provide dependable customer service even as we focus on reducing costs."

The national on-time score for overnight, single-piece First-Class Mail was 96.7 percent, up 0.4 percent from the same period last year (SPLY). The Greater Indiana and Mid-Carolinas districts led the nation, both with on-time scores of 97.8 percent.

The national score for 2-day single-piece First-Class Mail was 94.7 percent, up 0.2 percent from SPLY. The Alaska District was first in the nation with a 97 percent on-time score, followed by the Big Sky District with 96.8 percent.

The national score for 3-day single-piece First-Class Mail was 93.4 percent, a 0.3 percent improvement over SPLY. The Mid-Carolinas and Northern Virginia districts led the way, each with 95.3 percent scores.

The national presort First-Class Mail on-time performance scores were 97 percent for overnight, 96.3 percent for 2-day and 91.6 percent for 3-day delivery. Overnight and 2-day scores improved by 2.8 and 5 points over SPLY, while 3-day scores improved 6.1 percent over 2009 third-quarter scores. And with a score of 93.4 percent, the performance for single-piece First-Class Mail International improved by 0.8 percent over SPLY.
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