COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Federal Benefits Open Season kicks off Nov. 13 and runs through Dec. 11 this year. The annual Open Season is the time for federal employees and their immediate family members to make any changes in health, vision and dental insurance, as well as flexible spending accounts.
Open season is the only time employees are able to make such changes without a qualifying life event, such as the birth or adoption of a child, a marriage or a divorce. Elections made during this year’s Open Season will take effect Jan. 7, 2018.
Open Season
It is important to research available options before selecting insurance coverages for the upcoming year. From year to year individual and family benefits needs may change depending on circumstances. Take the time to carefully review your and your immediate family’s needs against available benefit plans.
Specific Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plans may be offering lower rates for your coverage needs compared to other benefit plan options. Some plans may have dropped out of the program while others may be changing service areas or coverage options.
During open season, employees make changes to their benefits elections via the Employee Benefits Information System, known as EBIS. EBIS is an automated tool that provides 24-hour access to programs such as health benefits, life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Employees who have never used EBIS can access the system via a quick validation process to create a unique username and password. (New employees must first wait for DLA HR to create a user account.) They can then initiate transactions, compute retirement estimates, view current benefits registrations, and receive personal statements of benefits. Making changes through EBIS makes the process quick and easy!
DLA employees can access EBIS via the HR employee website. Click “Automated Tools” in the top menu. The site also includes instructions for first-time users and a helpful guide to making changes in EBIS. EBIS is CAC-enabled and must be accessed within the DLA network. To access EBIS from a personal computer, users will need to contact J6 to have a CAC reader installed on that computer.