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APWU Health Plan FAQ

APWU Health Plan has been offering affordable, comprehensive coverage to postal workers, federal employees, and retirees since 1960. We’re here to help you choose a plan that’s right for you and make the most of your benefits.

If you can’t find an answer to your question, contact us to speak with a customer service representative:

1-800-222-2798 | 1-800-622-2511 (TTY)

Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 6:30 pm ET

Displaying FAQs for Enrollment

How do I add a dependent to my policy?

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), children up to age 26 are eligible for health coverage under their parents’ Self & Family enrollment. The law also states that:

Married children are allowed to be covered
There are no dependency requirements
There are no residency requirements
A child is not required to be a student
A child is not required to have prior or current insurance coverage

Health care coverage for young adults

Children between ages 22 and 26 are eligible for coverage under their parents’ Self and Family enrollment.
Married children (but NOT their spouse or own children) are eligible for coverage up to age 26. This is true even if the child is currently under age 22.
Children with or eligible for employer-provided health insurance are eligible up to age 26.
Stepchildren do not need to live with the enrollee in a parent-child relationship to be eligible up to age 26.
Children incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that began before age 26 are eligible to continue coverage.
Foster children must be placed with the enrollee by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

How to add a child under 26 to your APWU Health Plan

If you currently have Self coverage

You must switch to a Self & Family plan during Open Season and include the child in the enrollment.

If you currently have Self & Family coverage

You must notify us that you wish to add a dependent and provide us with the necessary information. The High Option and the Consumer Driven Option may handle this differently.

If you are currently not enrolled in the PSHB or FEHB Program and would like to cover an eligible child, you must enroll in Self & Family coverage during Open Season.
If you make an Open Season change, that change will take effect on the first day of the first pay period of the year.

Application to Add a Dependent

How do I enroll in the Medicare Advantage plan?

If you are already enrolled in the APWU Health Plan, please call UnitedHealthcare to enroll in the UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan for APWU Health Plan toll-free at 1-855-383-8793, TTY 711, 8 am – 8 pm CT, Monday – Friday.

If you are not yet a member of the APWU Health Plan, you’ll need to enroll during Open Season with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Once your enrollment into APWU Health Plan has been processed and confirmed by OPM, you can call UnitedHealthcare to enroll in the UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan for APWU Health Plan toll-free at 1-855-383-8793, TTY 711, 8 am – 8 pm CT, Monday – Friday.

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage is voluntary. Retirees may opt in or out of the enhanced level of benefits at any time throughout the year

How do I sign up for Medicare?

To sign up for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), you need to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA).

You need to sign up through Social Security (or, in some cases, through the Railroad Retirement Board) so they can verify your eligibility for Medicare. They will also check to make sure you paid Medicare taxes long enough to get Part A without having to pay a monthly premium.

If you’re 65 or older, you can sign up for Medicare online and enroll in Parts A and B, or in Part A only. You can delay Part B if you’re already covered through an employer group health plan.

If you have previously declined or never signed up for Part B, you can sign up for Part B only.

For more information, contact the SSA:

Social Security Administration
1-800-772-1213
1-800-325-0778 (TTY)
Monday – Friday, 8 am – 7 pm

When is it time to enroll in Medicare?

You can enroll in Medicare at specific times. The Initial Enrollment Period is a seven-month period that starts three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after the month you turn 65.

After you enroll, you can change your coverage during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 – December 7.

To explore your enrollment options and access helpful resources, visit the official Medicare website of the United States government.

What are the FEHB enrollment codes for APWU Health Plan?

Use these FEHB codes when you enroll in APWU Health Plan:

High Option

Self — FEHB enrollment code 471
Self Plus One — FEHB enrollment code 473
Self & Family — FEHB enrollment code 472

Consumer Driven Option

Self — FEHB enrollment code 474
Self Plus One — FEHB enrollment code 476
Self & Family — FEHB enrollment code 475

Do I need to work for the Postal Service to enroll in APWU Health Plan?

No, you don’t need to be a postal worker to enroll. In fact, all federal employees and retirees are eligible to enroll in APWU Health Plan. As part of enrollment, you will become an associate member of the American Postal Workers Union and be billed a $35 fee.

How do I apply for the FEHB Program?

The FEHB Open Season runs each year from the Monday of the second full work week in November through the Monday of the second full work week in December.

During Open Season, anyone eligible to participate in the FEHB Program may enroll or change health plans.

Outside of Open Season, new employees, employees who are newly eligible, and those who experience certain qualifying life events (QLE)—such as marriage, divorce, or birth—may enroll within 60 days of becoming eligible or within 60 days of experiencing the QLE.

Visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website for instructions on how to make an enrollment change during Open Season.

Complete the Federal Employees Health Benefits Election Form (SF 2809) to enroll in the FEHB Program, change your FEHB enrollment, or cancel your FEHB enrollment.

What are the PSHB enrollment codes for APWU Health Plan?

Use these PSHB codes when you enroll in APWU Health Plan: