The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is seeking contract proposals from payers as it creates a new health plan for U.S. Postal Service employees and their families.
According to an interim final rule posted by the agency April 6, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 requires a separate postal plan to be set up under the Federal Employee Health Benefits program. The interim rule provides details on preliminary costs, deadlines and regulations for how the new program will work.
As of 2021, there were 915,000 USPS enrollees who used the Federal Employee Health Benefits plan.
The Postal Service Health Plan will be more integrated with Medicare and will eliminate pre-funding requirements for retiree benefits. If an employee or family member retires after 2024, they must enroll in Medicare Part B under the new plan.
Payers must submit contract proposals in August, which will be reviewed in the fall. Selected carriers will have to submit rates and benefits proposals by May 1, 2024. Open enrollment would take place between Nov. 11 and Dec. 9, 2024, and benefits would start in 2025.
Read the full interim rule here.