The APWU Health Plan will continue to evaluate benefit enhancements as a result of COVID-19. For the most up-to-date information visit our website at

www.apwuhp.com/coronavirus-outbreak-update/

The Health Plan will:

• New! Cover health care provider office visits, urgent care center visits and emergency room visits that result in an order for or administration of a diagnostic test for COVID-19 at no cost* to the member**

• Cover COVID-19 testing at no cost* to the member when testing is prescribed by a clinical professional

• Cover telehealth visits at no cost* to member when visits are performed through the Health Plan’s telehealth providers:

  • High Option: Visits through Amwell are available at www.amwell.com at no cost* to the member

  • Consumer Driven Option: Virtual visits through AmWell, Teladoc, and Doc on Demand are available at www.myuhc.com at no cost* to the member

   

• Cover telehealth visits to network providers at no cost* to member when related to COVID-19

• Waive inpatient prior authorization requirements related to COVID-19

• Reminder: Members are encouraged to use mail order for maintenance medications which provides a 90-day refill and the delivery is free

*All deductible, coinsurance and copays will be waived
**Your provider should be aware of this Families First Coronavirus Response Act and CDC guideline. If you are charged a copay or coinsurance at the time of your visit, you will be reimbursed by the Health Plan

The Postal Service has informed the APWU of the date that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) who have been employed in 125 workyear or larger offices for more than 2.5 years (30 months) will be converted to career status. Over 2,500 current PSEs will be converted on May 9, 2020, the beginning of pay period 11.

These conversions are consistent with the Interest Arbitration panel’s award issued on March 10, 2020.  Conversions of PSEs was one of the demands your negotiators made from the very start of negotiations. 

“Being able to achieve career status for PSEs was an important goal for us,” President Mark Dimondstein said.  “These newly converted employees will see an immediate pay increase, an increase in benefits paid for by the Postal Service, guaranteed work hours, and in most cases fixed schedules.” 

 As a reminder, as newly converted career employees, these PSEs will have sixty-days (60) from May 9, 2020 (July 8, 2020), to make benefit decisions. New career employees may choose new health insurance plans, enroll in the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) plan, choose how much to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), where to allocate TSP funds, and other benefits decisions. The Postal Service is supposed to send each newly converted employee a “benefits” book with all the necessary forms and instructions for making these extremely important decisions. The sixty-day limit is a hard limit and cannot be extended. Employees are encouraged to begin looking at their new benefits and not wait until the very end of the 60 days to decide.

“The importance of these conversions cannot be overstated,” Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks said.  “This isn’t the end of our battle for more career employees. We are proud that the APWU did not see an increase in the allowable usage of non-career employees in our new contract and we will continue to fight for what is right — an all-career workforce.”