(a) Premium payments may be made by Federal payroll or annuity deduction, uniformed services retirement pay deduction, by pre-authorized debit, or by direct billing.

(b) You must continue to make premium payments when they are due for your coverage to stay in effect.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, if you are an enrollee who is furloughed or excepted from furlough and working without pay during a lapse in appropriations, your FLTCIP coverage will stay in effect through such a lapse. Your coverage may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due during such lapse. Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Public Law 116-92, such continuation of coverage during a lapse in appropriations applies to any contract for long term care insurance coverage under 5 U.S.C. chapter 90 entered into before, on, or after December 20, 2019.

(1) If your premium payments are made by Federal payroll or annuity deduction, or uniformed services retirement pay deduction, premiums will be paid to the Carrier from back pay made available as soon as practicable upon the end of such a lapse. If your premium payments are made by pre-authorized debit or by direct billing, you have the option of continuing to pay premiums while you are furloughed or excepted from furlough and working without pay, or not making premium payments. If you opt not to make premium payments during this period, you will be contacted by the Carrier regarding premiums due and must pay premiums to the Carrier as soon as practicable upon the end of the lapse.

(2) Upon the end of a lapse in appropriations, premiums will be required from all impacted enrollees in accordance with enrollees' method of payment, as described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section. If you do not pay the required premiums as soon as practicable upon the end of the lapse when due, your coverage will terminate pursuant to § 875.412.

[68 FR 5534, Feb. 4, 2003, as amended at 86 FR 17273, Apr. 2, 2021]