With a few weeks left before Open Season begins, the Office of Personnel Management is putting the final touches on how it’s planning to implement the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program for the USPS.
OPM’s final regulations for the PSHB program, which it published last week, detailed many technical factors for running the program. The PSHB will cover nearly 2 million USPS employees, retirees and their family members starting in 2025.
One part of the final regulations, which gained attention from many stakeholders, clarifies how Medicare Part D and prescription drug coverage will function for Medicare-eligible USPS annuitants and family members. According to OPM, PSHB plans are required to integrate Medicare Part D and offer prescription drug coverage to eligible Postal annuitants through what the program calls an “Employer Group Waiver Plan” (EGWP).