Many Postal Support Employees (PSE) will soon be eligible for Health Plan options. PSEs may sign-up for federal employees’ health benefits after they complete one full year (365 calendar days) of continuous employment with no breaks in service of more than five days. To be eligible, they must maintain sufficient earnings each pay period so that premiums can be withheld from their pay after mandatory deductions for Social Security, Medicare and federal tax are made.

PSEs who meet the FEHB eligibility for participation can select any FEHB plans they wish, including vision and dental plans, but will be responsible for the total premiums. While temporary employees are generally excluded from FEHB and from participation in Dental and Vision plans, some PSEs meet the exception to the following general exclusions:

temporary employees who are serving under an appointment limited to one year or less and have not completed at least one year of current continuous employment, excluding any break in service of 5 days or less;

OR expected to work less than 6 months in each year.

USPS is not obligated under FEHB rules to provide any portion of the premiums to temporary employees who become eligible to participate in FEHB. USPS is obligated under APWU CBA to provide a share of the APWU Consumer Driven ( CD ) plan should an eligible PSE enroll in the APWU CD plan. It shouldn’t matter with the dental or vision plans because neither the Postal Service nor any Federal Agency contributes to the premiums. The dental and vision premiums are paid pre-tax. It is also possible to enroll in a dental and vision plan without enrolling in a regular health insurance plan.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the USPS will contribute 75 percent of the premium costs if  PSEs choose to enroll in the APWU Consumer Driven Health Plan. Employees will pay the remaining 25 percent. They are also eligible to enroll in other Federal Employee Health Benefit plans, but will be required to pay 100 percent of the preimum costs for other plans.

How and When to Enroll

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will send PSEs a 2012 Guide to Benefits for Certain Temporary (non-Career) USPS Employees, which is similar to the booklets career employees receive during open season. To enroll, employees must complete the PostalEASE FEHB Worksheet and send it to Shared Services, at PO Box 970400, Greensboro, NC 27497-0400. Once they are enrolled, employees will be able to use PostalEase to make changes.

Coverage will be effective the first day of the first pay period after the Postal Service receives an enrollment form, if employees have been assigned for another 360 days.

PSEs must enroll within 60 days of eligibility or they will have to wait for the next Health Plan Open Season to sign-up.

Managers cannot give employees a six-day break to prevent them from achieving eligibility for insurance. They can assign five-day breaks before workers complete 360 days, but such employees will be eligible, provided they reach 360 days after the break.

Insurance Orientations

In accordance with Article 17.6 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, APWU officers must be given ample opportunity to address non-career employees once they become eligible for Health Insurance. Working with the APWU Health Plan, the Organization Department is producing a PowerPoint slide show presentation for use at the orientations.

If you have any questions, please contact a union steward.

Available to ALL Postal Support Employees

The Consumer Driven Option 2012

Key Features

• FREE Diabetes care

• FREE Tobacco Cessation Program

• FREE in-network preventive care and screenings such as mammograms, child and adult immunizations

• 100% coverage for the first $1,200 of your annual health care expenses for self only coverage or  $2,400 for self and family coverage

• No co-payments and no up-front deductibles

• Visit any doctor or specialist you wish - without the hassles of getting referrals or pre-authorizations, or choose from the plan’s network of discounted providers

• No denial for pre-existing conditions

• Affordable premiums

BiWeeklyRates

Self Only            $41.18

Self and Family $92.64