NALC active members should note that today’s (Jan. 17) paycheck will feature prorated health insurance deductions since it covers workdays in both December (covered by your FEHB plan) and January (covered by your new PSHB plan). USPS will deduct for four days of coverage under your 2024 FEHB plan and for 10 days of coverage under your 2025 PSHB. Your Jan. 31, 2025, paycheck will be the first one reflecting only PSHB premiums.
Please note that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reports that there will be a delay in processing some PSHB participants’ change of enrollment forms (Form 2809). As a result, some participants who requested a change in plan for 2025 in the first PSHB Open Season may be temporarily enrolled in their auto-enrolled plan instead—generally the same plan they enrolled in 2024. OPM aims to finish processing these forms by the end of January. Carriers in this situation have health insurance coverage in their old plan for the period before the Form 2089 is processed—and USPS will make retroactive payroll adjustments as needed.
Please note: Members who enrolled in a plan in 2024 that is not participating in the PSHB program in 2025 were auto-enrolled in Blue Focus, the lowest-cost health plan in the PSHB program without membership dues, as required by regulation. If such members are affected by the OPM’s delay in processing their Form 2809 or have other enrollment questions, please contact Blue Focus directly.
Finally, any NALC HBP-covered employee or annuitant who has not received their new insurance card should call 888-636-NALC (6252) to ensure that the Plan has the correct mailing address.