USPS Health Benefits Plan – All About USPS Health Benefits Plan

Every employee should have a health insurance plan. That’s why the United States Postal Service decided to hand its workers a Health Benefits Plan.

However, the USPS Health Benefits Plan doesn’t apply to all employees. The USPSHBP has three plans; hence an employee can choose the one that suits them.

Also, when you enroll in a plan, you can change or cancel it at any time. But changing or canceling your subscription depends on how you have been paying for your premiums.

Therefore, what does the United States Postal Service Health Benefits Plan entail? In this article, you will get to learn more about it.

Let’s begin.

Who is Eligible for USPS Health Benefits Plan?

USPS Health Benefit Plan

Are all USPS eligible for this Health Benefits plan? No, some specific employees can register for this plan. The following are categories of employees who can register for this health insurance.

  • A City Carrier Assistant, Mail Handler Assistant, Postal Support Employee. Also, non-career rural carrier (excluding Assistant Rural Career employees). Additionally, non-bargaining non-career employees apart from holiday term employees and casuals.
  • A casual member of staff and meet the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  1. LITEBLUE USPS GOV HUMAN RESOURCES
  2. LITEBLUE TSP Account
  3. USPS EAP
  4. LITEBLUE USPS LOGIN Page
  5. Liteblue POSTALEASE
  6. LiteBlue ePayroll

What are the Different USPS Health Benefits Plan?

There are three Health Benefits plans. They include;

  • Self Only
  • Self Plus One
  • Self and Family

For Self, Only all eligible employees pay a premium of $61 per payday period.

If you choose Self Plus One, different premiums are depending on your employment status. For CCA/PSE/RCA2 will pay $105.75, CCA/PSE/RCA1 will pay $148.05, and other employees who qualify will pay $298.

For those who select Self and Family, the premium payment is also different for CCA/PSE/RCA1 will pay $209.05, CCA/PSE/RCA2 will pay $149.75 all others will pay $474 per pay period.

NB: Are you earning less than $609 per pay period? Then you will adjust your premium contributions.

When to Enroll or Increase Your Coverage

Enrolling for the USPS Health Benefits Plan you must do it during the Open Season for current employees. Subsequently, this is also the time you can increase your coverage.

If you don’t know the Open Season period, it starts on 11th November and closes at 11:59 PM EST on 9th December of every year.

However, the Open Season differs for some programs. You can learn more about it from Open Seasons.

Furthermore, you can register for this plan sixty days after being hired or when you qualify for this benefit also, if you have been reappointed after more than three days of being out of service. If you are reappointed, you too have sixty days to enroll.

Lastly, if you qualify for a life event, you have sixty days to enroll or increase your coverage.

When to Cancel or Reduce Your Coverage

For all those who pay their premiums on a pre-tax basis, you can only cancel or reduce your coverage when the Open Season starts or else when you are eligible for a qualifying life event.

Additionally, if you pay for your premiums on an after-tax basis, you can cancel or reduce your plan at any moment. That works when you haven’t filled the forms to select pre-tax as your preferred method.

Who are the Eligible Family Members for this Plan?

Employees can choose either Self Plus One or Self and Family. But who are the family members allowed to be included in the USPS Health Benefits Plan?

Here are the eligible family members;

  • Your legally married partner
  • Your kids but must be below twenty-six years. Either stepchild legally or adopted children or your natural children.
  • Foster children
  • Your child who is above twenty-six years and unable to support themselves due to mental or physical disability that has been in existence before they were twenty-six

Additionally, don’t think of adding your previous partner, parents, and other extended family members to your plan, as that is not allowed.

When Does the Coverage and Enrollment Change Take Effect?

If you enrolled or made changes during the Open Season, the changes will be active in January.

For new employees and those who qualify for a life event, the changes and coverage start on the first day of the first pay period. That is after the Human Resource Shared Service Center validates your registration.

If you are under Self and Family coverage, when you add a new family member during the Open Season, the change will immediately. Still, when you don’t provide their information, you will wait till the day when the dependent became a family member.

An example, when you register your newly wedded partner and enroll them within a week after marriage, the change will be active on the day of your wedding. If you got married on 12/05/2020, the changes would be operational on 12/05/2021.

This also works for foster children after HRSSC has approved all documentation.

If you have a disabled child who cannot support themselves, you need to provide their documentation that your coverage was Self and Family after they attain twenty-six years. In this case, the change will be effective immediately.

When Can I End My Coverage?

You can end your coverage during the Open Season, and your enrollment will officially be terminated on the first day of the first pay period after Open Season.

However, for those who pay for premium using after-tax, the coverage will end on the last day of your pay period.

What Resources do USPS Health Benefits Plan Get?

The UnitedHealthcare is the organization mandated to administer the USPS Health Benefits Plan. So, what resources do members enjoy from UnitedHealthcare?

Health4Me Mobile App

  • With this app, you and your family will get direct health information no matter where you are. Health4Me mobile app helps to find doctors near your location, communicate with a healthcare expert instantly, and check your claim’s status.

myNurseline

  • On this platform, you can communicate to a registered nurse at any time of the day or night and be answered when you have health issues.

Rally

  • For all employees who qualify for USPS, Health Benefits Plan can use Rally to get information about their health and wellness. Furthermore, get rewards after taking part in healthcare activities, review all your medical records, and measure your fitness.

Health Literacy Digimag

  • This is an online digital magazine that has information and resources related to your health.

The other resource you will benefit from the UnitedHealthcare is Myuhc.

Conclusion

Your health is essential, and that’s why, as an employee of USPS, you can subscribe to any of the perks in the USPS Health Benefits Plan. So, that’s all the information about the Health Benefits Plan. In case you have any issues to do with this theme. Please leave your comment, and you will get help.

Thanks for reading the guide.