Tuesday, November 19, 2013

US Postal Service Employe not eligible for insurance from the USPS

My sister is a part time employee with the USPS in Champaign IL.  Under Federal law the USPS has not been required to provide health insurance to its part time rural employees.  However, under the Affordable Care Act, she is now eligible to purchase health insurance through the Government Employee Health Association Inc. (GEHA).
 
In order to do this she must become a member of the GEHA (at no cost) by completing the Standard Form 2809, Health Benefits Registration Form. 
 
The SF2809 must be processed by the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM). 
 
OPM must complete a portion of the form and send the completed form to the GEHA at fax# 816-257-3302 prior to 12/10/13 (when open season for enrolling in health insurance plans ends).
 
Yesterday, she spoke to 3 people at GEHA's (very large) customer call center.  Between them she was given 5 different phone numbers for the OPM, none of which she could get through to a person.
 
On 11/5/13, she called the OPM at 202-606-1800 and left a message asking to be called back.  It is now 2 weeks later and she has not received a return call.
 
She is desperately in need of a fax number to send the SF2809 to OPM.  The OPM website does not provide a fax number.
 
It is imperative that the paperwork be completed prior to the end of Open Enrollment Season 12/10/13.
 
Is this is what we are all going to have to expect from a government bureaucracy?