The Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004 provided OPM the opportunity to establish arrangements under which supplemental vision benefits are made available to Federal employees, retirees, and their dependents.
Vision benefits are available to eligible Federal and Postal employees, retirees, and their eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. This Program allows vision insurance to be purchased on a group basis which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrolled Federal and Postal employees are withheld from salary on a pre-tax basis.
Enrollment takes place during the annual Federal Benefits Open Season in November and December. New and newly eligible employees can enroll within the 60 days after they become eligible.
Eligible individuals can enroll in a vision plan. They may enroll in a plan for Self Only, Self plus one, or Self and family coverage. Eligible family members include an enrollee's spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 22, or if age 22 or older, incapable of self-support. The rules for family members' eligibility are NOT the same as they are for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.
Employees must be eligible for the FEHB Program in order to be eligible to enroll in Federal Employees Dental/Vision Program (FEDVIP). It does not matter if they are actually enrolled in FEHB - eligibility is the key. Annuitants do not have to be eligible or enrolled in the FEHB Program.
For enrollment/premium questions regarding vision insurance, please contact BENEFEDS at 1(877)888-3337. To enroll in FEDVIP, please visit www.BENEFEDS.com.