Federal employees and retirees reviewing benefits this month have two dates to keep straight. Federal Benefits Open Season runs through Dec. 14 for eligible health, dental and vision plan changes. On Dec. 19, a separate pause on applications for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program will roll straight into another two years.
The Office of Personnel Management announced the extension in the Nov. 13 Federal Register. The program will accept neither new applications nor requests from current enrollees to increase coverage during the extension. People who already have a policy keep their enrollment and benefit eligibility. If they are already receiving benefits, the way they submit expenses for reimbursement stays the same.
Who has to wait
The program’s usual eligibility rules include eligible federal and Postal Service employees and retirees, active and retired uniformed service members and certain relatives. The pause applies even if someone has just entered federal service or newly qualifies through a family member. Getting a federal job or choosing a federal health plan this fall does not open a separate application window for this insurance.
The first suspension began Dec. 19, 2022. OPM extended it in 2024 and has now scheduled the same length of extension from Dec. 19, 2026. That carries the pause into December 2028. A reopening on a particular day is still uncertain. The federal rule governing the pause allows OPM to extend it again by publishing notice at least 30 days before the current period ends. Each extension can run up to 24 months.
OPM says unpredictable care costs, together with a shrinking market for group long-term care insurance, have made it difficult to set premiums that reflect what the coverage costs. The agency’s latest notice sets the length of the application pause. It announces no new premium schedule for people who already have coverage.
What current enrollees can still do
If you already have a policy, there is no enrollment step to take because of the extension. Keep paying your required premiums. OPM’s guidance on leaving federal service says enrolled workers can continue their coverage after leaving as long as they keep paying the premiums. If those payments came from your paycheck and you are leaving your job, ask the administrator how to set up the next payment.
Current enrollees can check their own benefit schedule in My LTCFEDS through the program’s coverage page. The daily benefit amount, waiting period and eligible services depend on the policy. For example, the administrator says the FLTCIP 3.0 plan can cover qualifying care at home, in adult day care or in a nursing home up to the policy’s daily benefit amount. Some informal care by relatives can also qualify under that plan, subject to restrictions on who provides it and a 500-day lifetime limit for care by family members.
Anyone who needs to start a claim can reach Long Term Care Partners at 1-800-582-3337. The Nov. 13 notice gives the same number for questions about the suspension.
Which Open Season choices are still available
OPM’s Open Season announcement covers the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Postal Service Health Benefits and the federal dental and vision program. Eligible workers and retirees can still review 2027 options under those programs before the Dec. 14 deadline. The Edit USA Open Season guide has details on plan changes and enrollment routes.
Long-term care insurance addresses a different expense. It can help pay for ongoing assistance with daily tasks, such as bathing and dressing, when the policy’s conditions are met. Medicare’s coverage guide distinguishes that ongoing personal care from skilled nursing care, which Medicare may cover under separate rules. It says Medicare and most health insurance generally do not pay for long-term personal care. If a family needs that help before the federal application pause ends, Medicare’s guide links to state Medicaid resources and other places to check local services.
