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Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program

2002 Bulletin Board Archive

November 16, 2002 —

Important New Information on Leave Usage on November 29th and December 31st

Previously we stated that employees whose applications for long term care insurance had been approved were required to be "actively at work" (pay and duty status) for at least 50% of their scheduled tour of duty on their last regular work day before the scheduled effective date of their coverage. This meant that coverage could be delayed for one month, or more, for employees with applications approved in November and December if they were on leave on November 29 or December 31, respectively.

In view of heavy leave usage on Nov 29th and Dec 31st, and in keeping with our objectives of being employee-oriented and family friendly, we have relaxed this actively at work requirement.

For this year only, coverage will NOT be delayed for employees in an approved leave status Nov 29th or Dec 31st as long as they return to being actively at work during the month when their coverage becomes effective and they pay their premium within established deadlines.

November 12, 2002 —

Don't Miss Your Opportunity for the Alternative Insurance Plan!

Take a look at two new FAQs about the Alternative Insurance Plan. In most cases, if you wait until after Open Season to apply, you will NOT be offered the Alternative Insurance Plan if you're denied approval for the regular insurance.

How Can You Tell When Someone Needs Long Term Care?

Take a look at this press release from Long Term Care Partners that discusses an independent living test for families caring for aging loved ones. It helps identify some signs that show your loved one may need long term care.

We've posted a few new FAQs that discuss when enrollees can expect to see premium deductions from their paycheck or annuity payments.

The three Satellite Broadcast Videos are now available for downloading in Windows Media format, which may be viewed using the Windows Media Player software available on almost all Windows-based computers. The streaming video and downloadable versions of the videos which use RealOne Player are still available as well.

A Program Educational Video is now available online in streaming RealVideo as well as zipped RealVideo and Windows Media files to download for later viewing. This video is intended primarily for those people who will be unable to attend one of the Program Educational Meetings that Long Term Care Partners is now conducting across the country.

The July 17th satellite broadcast is now available for viewing via streaming video or for downloading to view later. This is the third and last of our satellite broadcasts for this year. The broadcast discusses in detail the features and benefits of the Federal Program, including who's eligible to apply, how the application process works, where folks can get more information, and what's happening during Open Season. Our March 6 and May 15 broadcasts are also available.

A Program Educational Video is now available online in streaming video as well as zipped files to download for later viewing. This video is intended primarily for those people who will be unable to attend one of the Program Educational Meetings that Long Term Care Partners is now conducting across the country.

There is an error in the hard-copy version of the full underwriting application. In Part B, Question 4, the entry "Cancer within 2 years" should read "Cancer within 2 years, excluding basal cell or squamous cell cancer of the skin". We've discussed this in our FAQs.

In response to suggestions we've received, the March 6 and May 15 satellite broadcasts are now available as zipped files which may be downloaded for later viewing. The streaming video versions, which may be viewed as they are downloaded, are still available. And the July 17 broadcast will be available in both forms soon.

Open Season for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program runs through December 31, 2002. If you haven't already, be sure to visit the Long Term Care Partners' website to view and/or order an Open Season Information Kit with application. Most employees, members of the uniformed services and their spouses will be able to apply online at that site. Annuitants, retired members of the uniformed services and other qualified relatives can complete an application online, print it out and mail it.

The Open Season version of the Long Term Care Partners website (www.ltcfeds.com) will be posted on JULY 1. Please mark your calendars to check out their site then! It will contain everything you will need to apply.

Open Season Information Kits with applications will be on the updated website starting July 1. If you'd prefer a hard-copy, you can put your name on the mailing list to receive a kit by calling 1-800-582-3337 (TDD 1-800-843-3557). Starting July 1^st, Open Season kits will be mailed to those who request one.

Take a look at www.opm.gov/insure/archive/ltc/faq/ healthquestions.htm to read the questions about your health that you'll have to answer when you apply for this Program during open season (July 1 - December 31). These questions are basically the same as they were during early enrollment. However, they are arranged somewhat differently and we've added some examples of conditions to help people better understand the questions.

We've also posted the additional questions that employees, members of the uniformed services and their spouses will have to answer if they apply for the unlimited benefit period that is being introduced during the open season. Anyone who enrolled in the Program during early enrollment may apply to change their benefit period to the unlimited benefit period during open season. They must answer those same additional questions.

Open season applications will be available at www.ltcfeds.com starting on July 1. You can put your name on the mailing list to receive an open season information kit, including application, by calling 1-800-582-3337 (TDD 1-800-843-3557). Open Season kits will be mailed out in July.

A new frequently asked question explains why we do not pay benefits for Long Term Care services provided by a person who normally lives with you.. Insurance, by definition, is not intended to cover services that would be provided without cost to the person receiving care in the absence of insurance. However, our program is more generous than most in providing a generous respite care benefit that is not subject to the waiting period.

On April 3 OPM Director Kay Coles James published an editorial on the FLTCIP in The Washington Times.

We consider DIC payments to be a survivor annuity. Therefore, surviving spouses receiving DIC payments are eligible to apply for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Take a look at the Department of Veterans Affairs fact sheet for more details on Dependency Indemnity Compensation.

You may have recently read articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other publications discussing Medicare coverage of Alzheimer's disease. It's not as simple as that. Take a look at our new FAQ on this subject.

We've posted the premiums for benefits available during early enrollment. By using our Premium Calculator, you can compare the premiums for various combinations of benefits. The premiums are also available as a downloadable PDF file.

Early Enrollment for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program runs from March 25 to May 15, 2002. We've designed the early enrollment specifically for individuals who have done their homework already and know what long term care and long term care insurance are all about. Individuals who need to learn more in order to make an informed decision when choosing their options should wait to apply during the open season starting July 1. For more information about the Program, see our Frequently Asked Questions. Plan information and applications are on the Long Term Care Partners web site.

Our flyer gave a March 8 deadline for subscribing to our Get Smart About Your Future bulletin. Since the bulletin will ship monthly, the deadline was set up to ensure that you didn't miss the first issue. But you can start your subscription at any time, and if you miss an issue, there will be a small quantity of them available by calling 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337).

Our 800 phone number, 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337), can be reached from approximately 175 countries outside of the United States by using AT&T Direct Access. Information on this feature, including a list of countries can be found at http://www.att.com/business_traveler/guides_and_access/international_dialing.html. A downloadable wallet card of access codes can be found at : http://www.att.com/business_traveler/guides_and_access/wallet_card.html under the section Wallet Guides for Travelers Based Outside the U.S., For use with AT&T Corporate Calling Card.

YES we have dates for the early enrollment and open season! The early enrollment will run from March 25 - May 15. This enrollment is designed ONLY for those who've done their homework and already know about long term care and long term care insurance. For most people, early enrollment is not a good idea — they need the benefits of the extensive educational campaign that LTC Partners is preparing. For those people, the open season starting July 1 is the time to apply for enrollment in this new program. The open season runs from July 1 through December 31, 2002. There will be staggered 60 day enrollment periods within the open season.

Further information is available in our new Early Enrollment and Open Season Frequently Asked Questions. We will expand these FAQs as we refine our plans. We've always been open with what we're doing and how we're progressing, so we wanted to give you this limited information now, with details coming later.