[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77531-77532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31854]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Notice of Relaxed Rules for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance 
Program Open Season

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of relaxed rules for the Federal Long Term Care 
Insurance Program Open Season.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is relaxing our previous 
rule for employees' Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program coverage 
to become effective. Previously, employees with a December 1, 2002, or 
January 1, 2003 coverage effective date would have to be actively at 
work on November 29, 2002 or December 31, 2002, respectively, for 
coverage to become effective. Considering heavy leave usage on those 
dates, coverage will not be delayed for employees on approved leave 
status on those dates, as long as they return to being actively at work 
during the month when their coverage becomes effective and they pay 
their premiums within the established deadlines.

DATES: This relaxed rule affects employees with December 1, 2002, or 
January 1, 2003, Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program coverage 
effective dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Personnel Management, Office 
of Long Term Care Insurance, (202) 606-1413, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 28, 2002, the Office of Personnel 
Management announced in the Federal Register an Open Season for 
eligible persons to apply for coverage in the Federal Long Term Care 
Insurance Program (FLTCIP). Open Season began on July 1, 2002, and will 
end on December 31, 2002.
    The Federal Register notice stated that the effective date of 
coverage for an Open Season enrollment is the later of October 1, 2002, 
or the first day of the month that is after the date LTC Partners 
approves an application for coverage. A Federal civilian or Postal 
employee or member of the uniformed services also must be actively at 
work on the coverage effective date for coverage to become effective. A 
Federal civilian or Postal employee must meet all of the following 
conditions to be considered actively at work:
    [sbull] The employee is reporting for work at his/her usual place 
of employment or other location to which Government business requires 
him/her to travel;

[[Page 77532]]

    [sbull] The employee is able to perform all the usual and customary 
duties of his/her employment on his/her regular work schedule; and
    [sbull] The employee is not absent from work due to sickness, 
injury, annual leave, sick leave or any other leave. (An employee is 
not considered to be on leave on an alternate work schedule's scheduled 
day off.)
    For coverage effective dates that fall on a weekend or holiday, the 
Federal Register notice stated that an employee must be actively at 
work on the last workday before his/her coverage effective date for 
coverage to become effective. This meant that coverage could be delayed 
for one month, or more, for employees with applications approved in 
November and December if they were on leave on November 29 or December 
31, 2002, respectively.
    In view of heavy leave usage on November 29th and December 31st, 
and in keeping with our objectives of being employee-oriented and 
family friendly, we have relaxed this actively at work requirement.
    For this year only, coverage will not be delayed for employees in 
an approved leave status November 29 or December 31, 2002, as long as 
they return to being actively at work during the month when their 
coverage becomes effective and they pay their premium within 
established deadlines. This applies to any approved leave, including 
annual leave, sick leave, leave without pay and administrative leave.
    Employees, as well as all applicants, still have an obligation to 
contact Long Term Care Partners if their health changes in a way that 
would affect their answers to one or more questions on their long term 
care insurance application on the effective date of their coverage.
    We made this change in response to employee and agency concerns 
about holiday leave usage toward the end of the Open Season, a period 
in which large numbers of employees have expressed interest in 
applying. We also recognize that this is the first FLTCIP Open Season.
    This family-friendly policy affects only employees and members of 
the uniformed services applying with the abbreviated underwriting 
application and will not be repeated in the future or apply to leave 
usage other than on November 29 and December 31, 2002. It does not 
apply to spouses of employees and members of the uniformed services, 
since they do not have an actively at work requirement, nor does it 
apply to annuitants, retired members of the uniformed services, or 
other qualified relatives who apply using the full underwriting 
application.

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 9008.

    Office of Personnel Management.
Kay Coles James,
Director.
[FR Doc. 02-31854 Filed 12-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-50-P