Postal Annuitants Eligible for PSHB Special Enrollment Period
As part of the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, annuitants may be eligible to participate in the PSHB Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Medicare Part B. This SEP applies to certain Postal Service annuitants and family members who were entitled to Medicare Part A as of Jan. 1, 2024, but did not enroll in Part B.
During the SEP, eligible annuitants and family members may enroll in Part B without paying a late enrollment penalty. The one-time SEP is from April 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2024. Individuals eligible for the SEP should have received notification from the USPS by mail in March.
How to Enroll
Complete the Form CMS-40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare-Part B, provided in March. Mail the form and a copy of the notification letter in the return envelope received in the March mailing. The return envelope must be postmarked by Sept. 30, 2024.
Do I have to enroll in Part B?
If you are a Postal Service annuitant, you are not required to enroll in Medicare Part B. If you are a covered family member of an annuitant, refer to your notification letter to determine if you have the option or are required to enroll in Part B. As a general rule, if the primary enrollee for health coverage is enrolled in Part B, eligible family members also must enroll in Part B when they become eligible.
What happens after I return the enrollment form and notification letter?
Once your enrollment is received, it will initiate your Medicare Part B coverage with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2025. Refer to your PSHB SEP notification letter to deter-mine if Part B enrollment is an option or a requirement for you to remain eligible for the PSHB Program.
What happens if my individual enrollment period overlaps with the PSHP SEP?
If your individual enrollment period (IEP)* for Medicare Part B overlaps with the PSHB SEP, the IEP will take precedent and enrollment for Medicare Part B will become effective the month following receipt of your CMB-40B enrollment form.
If you misplaced the notification letter mailed to you in March or believe you are eligible to participate in the PSHB and did not receive a notification letter, contact the PSHB Navigator Help Line’s toll-free number at 833-712-PSHB (7742) or email retirementbenefits@usps.gov.
For more information on the PSHB Program, the fact sheets for employees and annuitants are on pages 24-25. Annuitants can access information at KeepingPosted.org; a five-part educational video series is available. The website provides dates and times for the PSHB Lunch and Learn seminars, held by the USPS Benefits and Wellness team, that will run through Dec. 5. Also available is the schedule for monthly seminars hosted by Consumers’ Checkbook.
You also can receive information and updates by signing up for text-message notifications by texting “PSHBP” to 39369.
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*An IEP will occur when a person first becomes eligible to receive Medicare benefits. In most cases, this coincides with an individual’s 65th birthday enrollment period, for a total of seven months—three months prior to the birthday, the month of and three months following the birthday. For individuals still working at the time of eligibility, your IEP period begins on the date of retirement and concludes eight months following the individual’s retirement date.
Categories: The Postal Supervisor
