(a) In this part, the terms annuitant, carrier, employee, employee organization, former spouse, health benefits plan, member of family, and service, have the meanings set forth in section 8901 of title 5, United States Code, and supplement the following definitions:

Appropriate request means a properly completed health benefits registration form or an alternative method acceptable to both the employing office and OPM. Alternative methods must be capable of transmitting to the health benefits plans the information they require before accepting an enrollment, change of enrollment, or cancellation. Electronic signatures, including the use of Personal Identification Numbers (PIN), have the same validity as a written signature.

Basic employee death benefit has the meaning set out at §843.102. Survivors receiving this benefit are deemed to be “annuitants” for purposes of this chapter.

Cancel means to submit to the employing office an appropriate request electing not to be enrolled by an enrollee who is eligible to continue enrollment.

Change the enrollment means to submit to the employing office an appropriate request electing a change of enrollment to a different plan or option, or to a different type of coverage (self only, self plus one, or self and family).

Claim means a request for (i) payment of a health-related bill; or (ii) provision of a health-related service or supply.

Compensation means compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, which is payable because of a job-related injury or disease.

Compensationer means an employee or former employee who is entitled to compensation and whom the Department of Labor determines is unable to return to duty. A compensationer is also an annuitant for purposes of chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code.

Congressional staff member means an individual who is a full-time or part-time employee employed by the official office of a Member of Congress, whether in Washington, DC or outside of Washington, DC.

Covered individual means an enrollee or a covered family member.

Covered family member means a member of the family of an enrollee with a self plus one or self and family enrollment who meets the requirements of §§890.302, 890.804, or 890.1106(a), as appropriate to the type of enrollee.

Decrease enrollment type means a change in enrollment from self and family to self plus one or to self only or a change from self plus one to self only.

Election not to enroll means to submit to the employing office an appropriate request electing not to be enrolled by an employee who is eligible to enroll.

Eligible means eligible under the law and this part to be enrolled.

Employing office means the office of an agency to which jurisdiction and responsibility for health benefits actions for an employee, an annuitant, a former spouse eligible for continued coverage under subpart H of this part, or an individual eligible for temporary continuation of coverage under subpart K of this part, have been delegated.

(1) For an enrolled annuitant (including survivor annuitant, former spouse annuitant, and surviving spouses receiving a basic employee death benefit under 5 U.S.C. 8442(b)(1)(A)) who is not also an eligible employee, employing office is the office which has the authority to approve payment of annuity, basic employee death benefit, or workers' compensation for the annuitant concerned.

(2) For a former spouse of an annuitant whose marriage dissolved after the employee's retirement and who has entitlement to receive future annuity payments under sections 8341(h), 8345(j), 8445, or 8467 of title 5, United States Code, employing office is the office that has the authority to approve payment of annuity for the annuitant or former spouse concerned.

(3) For a former spouse of a current employee, and a former spouse of an annuitant or separated employee having title to a deferred annuity or to an immediate annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8412(g), whose marriage dissolved during the employee's Federal service, employing office is the agency that employed the employee or annuitant at the time the marriage was dissolved.

(4) For a surviving spouse in receipt of a basic employee death benefit under 5 U.S.C. 8442(b)(1)(A) who is not also an eligible employee, the employing office is the retirement system which has authority to approve the basic employee death benefit.

(5) For a former spouse of an employee or former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) whose marriage was dissolved before May 7, 1985, and who meets the requirements under §890.803(a)(3)(iv), the employing office is the CIA.

(6) For a former spouse of an employee or former employee of the Foreign Service whose marriage was dissolved before May 7, 1985, and who meets the requirements under §890.803(a)(3)(v) of this part, the employing office is the Department of State.

(7) [Reserved]

(8) For a former spouse of an employee who separated from service after qualifying for an immediate annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8412(g), whose marriage dissolves after the employee separated from service but before the date the separated employee's annuity commences, and who is entitled to continued coverage under subpart H of this part, employing office is the office that has the authority to approve payment of annuity for the annuitant or former spouse concerned.

Enroll means to submit to the employing office an appropriate request electing to be enrolled in a health benefits plan.

Enrolled means an appropriate request has been accepted by the employing office and the enrollment in a health benefits plan approved by OPM under this part has not been terminated or cancelled.

Enrollee means the individual in whose name the enrollment is carried. The term includes employees, annuitants, former employees, former spouses, or children who are enrolled after completing an appropriate request under the provisions of §§890.301, 890.306, 890.601, 890.803, or 890.1103 or have continued an enrollment as an annuitant or survivor annuitant under 5 U.S.C. 8905(b) or §890.303.

Foster child means a child who:

(1) Lives with an employee, former employee, or annuitant or with a child enrolled under §890.1103(a)(2) in a regular parent-child relationship and

(2) Is expected to be raised to adulthood by the enrollee.

Immediate annuity means an annuity which begins to accrue not later than 1 month after the date enrollment under a health benefits plan would cease for an employee or member of family if he or she were not entitled to continue enrollment as an annuitant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an annuity which commences on the birth of the posthumous child of an employee or annuitant is an immediate annuity. For an individual who separates from service upon meeting the requirements for an annuity under §842.204(a)(1) of this chapter, immediate annuity includes an annuity for which the commencing date is postponed under §842.204(c). For phased retirees, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 8336a and 8412a, a composite retirement annuity is an immediate annuity.

Increase enrollment type means a change in enrollment from self only to self plus one or to self and family or a change from self plus one to self and family.

Letter of credit is defined in 48 CFR 1602.170-10.

Member of Congress means a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico.

Option means a level of benefits. It does not include distinctions as to whether the members of the family are covered.

OWCP means the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, which administers subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code.

Pay period means the biweekly pay period established pursuant to section 5504 of title 5, United States Code, for the employees to whom that section applies and the regular pay period for employees not covered by that section. Pay period, as it relates to a former spouse or annuitant who is not actively receiving an annuity, including surviving spouses receiving a basic employee death benefit, and enrollees temporarily continuing coverage under subpart K of this part, means any regular pay period for employees of the agency to which jurisdiction and responsibility for health benefits actions for the enrollee have been delegated as provided under the definition of “employing office” in this section. Pay period for annuitants in active receipt of annuity means the period for which a single installment of annuity is customarily paid.

Reconsideration means the final level of administrative review of an employing office's initial decision to determine if the employing office correctly applied the law and regulations.

Reimbursement means a carrier's pursuit of a recovery if a covered individual has suffered an illness or injury and has received, in connection with that illness or injury, a payment from any party that may be liable, any applicable insurance policy, or a workers' compensation program or insurance policy, and the terms of the carrier's health benefits plan require the covered individual, as a result of such payment, to reimburse the carrier out of the payment to the extent of the benefits initially paid or provided. The right of reimbursement is cumulative with and not exclusive of the right of subrogation.

Self and family enrollment means an enrollment that covers the enrollee and all eligible family members.

Self only enrollment means an enrollment that covers only the enrollee.

Self plus one enrollment means an enrollment that covers the enrollee and one eligible family member.

SHOP has the meaning given in 45 CFR 155.20.

Subrogation means a carrier's pursuit of a recovery from any party that may be liable, any applicable insurance policy, or a workers' compensation program or insurance policy, as successor to the rights of a covered individual who suffered an illness or injury and has obtained benefits from that carrier's health benefits plan.

Switch a covered family member means, under a self plus one enrollment, to terminate or cancel the enrollment of the designated covered family member and designate another eligible family member for coverage.

Underdeduction means a failure to withhold the required amount of health benefits contributions from an individual's pay, annuity, or compensation. This definition includes both nondeductions (when none of the required amounts was withheld) and partial deductions (when only part of the required amount was withheld). Though FEHB contributions are required to cover a period of nonpay status, the nonpayment of contributions during such period does not result in an underdeduction.

(b) Whenever, in this part, a period of time is stated as a number of days or a number of days from an event, the period is computed in calendar days, excluding the day of the event. Whenever, in this part, a period of time is defined by beginning and ending dates, the period includes the beginning and ending dates.

[33 FR 12510, Sept. 4, 1968]