Health Plan Open Season Enrollment Extended to Dec. 13

Through union advocacy, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has granted an extension to the health plan Open Season enrollment period for Postal Service employees, a win for postal workers and annuitants across the country. This extension comes as a direct response to the challenges faced by postal employees and retirees due to issues with OPM’s new enrollment system—issues that were met head-on by APWU (read more here).

Many members informed the national APWU of issues they were facing this open season. On November 20, APWU wrote to OPM demanding an extension and met with the OPM Acting Director to explain the issues our members were facing. We also urged Postal management to use its influence to demand more time for postal workers and retirees, which they did.

As a result, the extended Open Season enrollment period now runs until Friday, December 13. Previously, the last day of Open Season was to be Monday, December 9.

“The question of choosing the health plan and coverage of your choice are important life decisions and it is absolutely unacceptable that the OPM website experienced numerous technical issues,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “I appreciate that OPM took our concerns seriously, fixed many of the website issues, and issued at least a modest extension. I encourage members to take advantage of this extension to review your health plan options thoroughly.”

Explore your options and make your choices by the new deadline—Friday, December 13. Visit opm.gov/healthcare-insurance to make changes and make sure you have the coverage that best meets your needs.

For those who are currently enrolled in the  APWU Health Plan, you will be automatically transitioned into the  PSHB APWU Health Plan. No further action is required if you wish to maintain your current plan. However, if you need to make changes or explore new options, now is the time to review plans at opm.gov/healthcare-insurance.