QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF INTEREST TO ANNUITANTS ON THE AMENDMENTS TO THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS ACT OF 1959

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-00868R000100090019-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2009
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: March 27, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

STAT Approved For Release 2009/08/20: CIA-RDP87-00868R000100090019-7
UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
March 27, 1964
Questions and Answers of Interest to Annuitants on the Amendments
to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959
The following questions and answers have been prepared by the Civil Service
Commission to answer questions from annuitants about Public Law 88-284, which
amends the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959. These questions and
answers pertain only to Federal employees who retired after July 1, 1960. They
do not pertain to any annuitants who retired before July 1, 1960.
General
l-Q. What are the recently enacted changes in the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Act of 1959 which affect annuitants, including certain persons
receiving compensation from the Bureau of Employees' Compensation?
A. In general, the changes affect groups of annuitants rather than providing
for across-the-board liberalizations for all. Specifically, the most
important changes are:
o The definition of "family member" is expanded to include unmarried
children to age 21 (instead of to age 19) and unmarried foster
children.
o The Government contribution to the cost of family enrollments of women
annuitants with nondependent husbands is increased so that it is the
same as for male annuitants.
o Annuitants who were enrolled in a plan participating in the Federal
Employees Health Benefits program at the time of their retirement and
lost their coverage only because they had not enrolled at their first
opportunity are permitted to reenroll if they apply no later than
December 31, 1964.
o Because of these changes, the Civil Service Commission is permitting
annuitants who are now enrolled for self-only to change to family
enrollments if they apply no later than June 30, 1964.
Changes in Definition of Family Member
2-Q. To what group of annuitants does the change in the definition of family
member have any immediate significance?
A. To enrolled annuitants who have (1) unmarried children who have reached
age 19 but not age 21 or (2) unmarried foster children under age 21. Prior
to Public Law 88-284, unmarried children lost their coverage under the
Federal Employees Health Benefits program when they reached age 19 and
foster children were not covered at all,
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3-Q. Do annuitants who are now enrolled for self and family and have an
unmarried child in the 19 to 21 age bracket, or a foster child, need
to do anything to cover the child?
A. No, the child is automatically covered under the family enrollment from
March 17, 1964, the day Public Law 88-284 went into effect. However,
if the annuitant is enrolled in a group-practice or an individual-
practice plan, he should notify his plan direct of the name and date
of birth of the child or children. These plans customarily keep a
record of each eligible family member. Other plans determine whether
a child is a family member at the time a claim is filed.
4-Q. If an annuitant is now enrolled for self-only but has an unmarried child
in the 19 to 21 age bracket, or a foster child, what does he need to do
to cover the child?
A. He must change his enrollment to self-and-family. The coverage of the
child in this case will begin the day the change in the annuitant's
enrollment becomes effective.
5-Q. What if an annuitant who is enrolled for self-and-family purchased a
conversion contract for a child when the child reached age 19?
A. If the child is under age 21 and not married, the annuitant should
cancel the conversion contract by writing to his plan. The child will
have a new conversion right at age 21 or when coverage as a family
member stops because the child marries.
6-Q. What is a "foster child"?
A. A foster child is a child living with an employee-annuitant in a regular
parent-child relationship. The annuitant must intend to rear the child
into adulthood as if the child were his own.
7-Q. What about foster children of a deceased employee-annuitant whose widow
is now a survivor annuitant?
A. The parent-child relationship must have existed at the time of the
annuitant's death.
8-Q. Does a child temporarily living with an annuitant qualify as a foster
child?
A. No -- neither does a child placed in the annuitant's home by a social,
welfare, or other agency which retains control of the child or pays
for his maintenance.
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Retired Women Emm.loaes
9-Q. What is the effect of increasing the government's contribution?
A. It will reduce the amount withheld from the annuity check for health
benefits.
10-Q. By how much will the health benefits withholding from annuity be reduced?
A. By $2.82 a month. This results in the monthly annuity check being
increased by $2.82.
1l-Q. Does a woman annuitant already enrolled for "Family-Female with
Nondependent Husband" need to take any action to receive the increased
Government contribution toward the cost of her enrollment?
A. No. Her enrollment will automatically be changed by her retirement
system to a regular family enrollment effective July 1, 1964 and her
annuity check will be increased by $2.82 a month beginning with her
August 1, 1964, check, which pays annuity for July.
12-Q. If a woman annuitant now has a self-only enrollment and wants to cover
her nondependent husband, what does she do?
A. She must change her enrollment to self-and-family. The husband's health
benefits coverage (as well as the coverage of any eligible children)
will begin the day the change in the annuitant's enrollment becomes
effective.
13-Q. Will the change in Government contribution affect a woman annuitant
with a family enrollment which covers a dependent husband?
A. No. She is already receiving the larger Government contribution.
However, such an annuitant need no longer notify the Commission if the
husband becomes capable of self-support.
Chancing Enrollment from Self-only to Self-and Family
14-Q. May an annuitant who changes his enrollment from self-only to self-and-
family also change plan and option?
A. No. He must remain in the same plan and option.
15-Q. How does an annuitant change his enrollment from self-only to self-and-
family?
A. By writing to the Civil Service Commission, Bureau of Retirement and
Insurance, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, D. C. 20415, specifically
requesting the change. (If not retired under the civil service retirement
system, the annuitant should write the agency administering his system or
to the Department of Labor, Bureau of Employees' Compensation, if he is
a compensationer.)
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W or
16-Q. What information must the annuitant provide the Commission in requesting
a change from self--only to self-and--family enrollment?
A. He must identify the participating plan in which he is enrolled and
list the name, date of birth, and relationship of each family member
to be included in the family enrollment. He should also give full
identification, including his full name, address, retirement claim
number, and his own date of birth. (A survivor annuitant should also
give the name and date of birth of the former employee on whose service
the survivor annuity is based.)
17-Q. What is the deadline for submitting the request for change from self-only
to self-and-family enrollment?
The request must be received by the Civil Service Commission (or the
other agency administering the system under which the annuitant is
retired) June 1964,
18-Q. When will the change become effective?
A. The first day of the month following the month in which the request
is received.
Reenrollment of Annuitants
19-Q. Which annuitants are eligible to reenroll?
Generally speaking -- (1) Those who were enrolled in a participating
plan at the time of retirement but lost their health benefits coverage
only because they had not enrolled at their first opportunity, and
(2) those who are receiving compensation from the Bureau of Employees'
Compensation and who were enrolled in a participating plan at the time
they were placed on compensation but lost their health benefits coverage
because (a) they had not enrolled at their first opportunity or (b) the
injury for which they are receiving compensation occurred before July 1,
1960.
20-Q. Is an annuitant eligible to reenroll if he receives a deferred annuity?
A. No -- he must have retired on an immediate annuity after at least 12
years) service or under the disability provision of the retirement law.
21-Q. May the survivor-annuitant of a deceased eligible annuitant reenroll?
A. Yes.
22-Q. May an eligible annuitant who was previously enrolled for self-only
reenroll for self-and-family?
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W or
23-Q? Must an eligible annuitant reenroll in the same plan he was in when
he retired?
A. No. He may enroll in any plan available to him and in any option of
that plan.
24-Q. How does an annuitant reenroll in a plan?
A. By sending his written request to reenroll to the Civil Service Commission,
Bureau of Retirement and Insurance, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, D. C.,
20415. (If not retired under the civil service retirement system, the
annuitant should write the agency administering his system or to the
Department of Labor, Bureau of Employees' Compensation if he is a
compensationer.)
25-Q. What information must an eligible annuitant supply in his request for
reenrollment?
A. Full name, address, retirement claim number, date of birth, and the
name of the plan in which he was enrolled at the time of retirement.
He should also include his enrollment identification number, if available.
(A survivor-annuitant should also give the name and date of birth of
the former annuitant on whose service the survivor annuity is based.)
26-Q. What is the deadline for reenrollment?
A. The request must be received by the Civil Service Commission (or the
other Federal agency administering the system under which the annuitant
is retired) by December 31, 1964.
27-Q. When will the health benefits coverage become effective?
A. The first day of the month following the month in which the request
for reenrollment is received unless the annuitant specifies the first
day of a later month.
28-Q. When will the cost of the health benefits coverage begin to be withheld
from the annuity check?
A. In the annuity check paid on the first day of the month following the
one in which coverage became effective. For example, if an annuitantIs
request is received by the Civil Service Commission in April, his
coverage would be effective May 1, and the withholding would start with
his June 1 check,which pays annuity for May.
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