(a) The Government contribution toward subscription charges under all health benefits plans, for each enrolled employee who is paid biweekly, is the amount provided in section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, plus 4 percent of that amount.
(b) In accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8906(a) which take effect with the contract year that begins in January 1999, OPM will determine the amounts representing the weighted average of subscription charges in effect for each contract year, for self only enrollments and for self and family enrollments, as follows:
(1) The determination of the weighted average of subscription charges will only include those health benefits plans which are continuing FEHB Program participation from one contract year to the next.
(i) If OPM and the carrier for a plan that will continue participation have closed negotiations on rates for the upcoming contract year by September 1 of the current contract year, i.e., the determination year, OPM will use the plan's negotiated subscription charges for the upcoming contract year in the determination of the weighted average of subscription charges.
(ii) If OPM and the carrier for a plan that applied to continue participation have not closed rate negotiations for the upcoming contract year by September 1 of the determination year, OPM will make a deemed adjustment to such plan's subscription charges for the current contract year for purposes of counting eligible enrollees of the plan in the determination of weighted average charges for the upcoming contract year. The deemed adjustment will equal any increase or decrease OPM finds in its determination of the weighted average of subscription charges for the upcoming contract year for all plans with which OPM has closed rates on September 1 of the determination year.
(iii) There will be no subsequent adjustment in the weighted average charges applicable to the upcoming contract year to reflect rate negotiations closed after September 1 of the determination year.
(2) Except as otherwise specified in paragraphs (b)(2) (i) and (b)(2)(ii) of this section, the weight OPM gives to each subscription charge for purposes of determining the weighted average of subscription charges for the upcoming contract year will be proportionate to the number of individuals who, as of March 31 of the determination year, are enrolled in the plan or benefits option to which such charge applies and are eligible for a Government health benefits contribution in the upcoming contract year.
(i) When a subscription charge for an upcoming contract year applies to a plan that is the result of a merger of two or more plans which contract separately with OPM during the determination year, or applies to a plan which will cease to offer two benefits options, OPM will combine the self only enrollments and the self and family enrollments from the merging plans, or from a plan's two benefits options, for purposes of weighting subscription charges in effect for the successor plan for the upcoming contract year.
(ii) When a comprehensive medical plan (CMP) varies subscription charges for different portions of the plan's service area and the plan's contract for the upcoming contract year will reconfigure geographic areas associated with subscription charges, so that there will not be a direct correlation between enrollment in the determination year and rating areas for the upcoming contract year, OPM will estimate what portion of the plan's enrollees on March 31 of the determination year will be subject to each of the plan's subscription rates for the upcoming contract year.
(3) After OPM weights each subscription charge as provided in paragraphs (b)(2), (b)(2)(i), and (b)(2)(ii) of this section, OPM will compute the total of subscription charges associated with self only enrollments, and the total of subscription charges associated with self and family enrollments. OPM will divide each subscription charge total by the total number of enrollments such amount represents to obtain the program-wide weighted average subscription charges for self only and for self and family enrollments, respectively.
(c) The Government contribution for annuitants and for employees who are not paid biweekly is a percentage of that fixed by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section proportionate to the length of the pay period, rounding fractions of a cent to the nearest cent.
(d) The Government contribution for employees whose annual pay is paid during a period shorter than 52 workweeks is determined on an annual basis and prorated over the number of installments of pay regularly paid during the year.
(e) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section, the employing office must make a contribution for an employee for each pay period during which the enrollment continues.
(f) Temporary employees enrolled under 5 U.S.C. 8906a must pay the full subscription charge including the Government contribution. Employees with provisional appointments under Sec. 316.403 of this chapter are not considered to be enrolled under 5 U.S.C. 8906a for the purposes of this paragraph.
(g) The Government contribution for an employee who enters the uniformed services and whose enrollment continues under Sec. 890.303(i) ceases after 365 days in nonpay status.
(h) The Government contribution for an employee who enrolls in a health benefit plan offered through an appropriate SHOP as determined by the Director pursuant to section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, Public Law 111-152 (the Affordable Care Act or the Act) shall be calculated in the same manner as for other employees.
(2) Government contributions and employee withholdings for employees who enroll in a health benefit plan offered through an appropriate SHOP as determined by the Director, pursuant to section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, Public Law 111-152 (the Affordable Care Act or the Act) shall be accounted for pursuant to section 8909 of title 5 and such monies shall only be available for payment of premiums, and costs in accordance with section 8909(a)(2) of title 5. [33 FR 12510, Sept. 4, 1968, as amended at 47 FR 30963, July 16, 1982; 54 FR 7756, Feb. 23, 1989; 56 FR 10143, Mar. 11, 1991; 60 FR 45658, Sept. 1, 1995; 63 FR 45934, Aug. 28, 1998; 64 FR 31488, June 11, 1999; 78 FR 60656, Oct. 2, 2013]
Editorial Note: At 79 FR 46638, Aug. 8, 2014, Sec. 890.501 was amended by adding paragraph (h); however, the amendment could not be incorporated because paragraph (h) already exists.