Last week, new rules were proposed by the Office of Personnel Management

(OPM)  that would expand the enrollment period federal employees have to

make changes in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program

(FEDVIP) coverage due to significant life events. 

Under the current rules, FEDVIP enrollees who miss the 60-day period to alter

their enrollment  for qualifying life events  -- such as death or

divorce -- are required to pay for certain coverage (for example, the

self-plus-one enrollment or family enrollment)  until the following open

season, even when a member of the enrollee's family is no longer eligible or is

deceased.  

OPM's proposed rule would get rid of the 60-day requirement, allowing the

change in enrollment to take effect retroactively under these conditions:

• the enrollee has a self-plus-one enrollment and his or her family member

  dies or loses eligibility

• in a situation of divorce or when the dependent child gets married or

  reaches the age of 22.

The change would also permit:

• a federal employee who experiences a loss of other provided dental or vision

  coverage to be able to enroll in FEDVIP from 31 days before, and, until 60 days

  after the event.

• retroactive enrollment changes from a family enrollment (including two

  family members to a self-plus-one enrollment,  if one of the family members

  has lost eligibility)

The amendment requires comments to OPM before August 3, 2009

before a decision is made.