New enrollments in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program are on hold until December 2024.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has paused all new applications for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

Unenrolled individuals cannot apply for the program.

The suspension period, which will run for 24 months from Dec. 19, 2022, is designed to give OPM and the John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Co., the program’s carrier, “time to thoroughly assess benefit offerings and establish sustainable premium rates that reasonably and equitably reflect the cost of the benefits provided,” according to the suspension notice on the program’s website.

Current enrollees’ coverage will not change as long as they continue to pay their premiums. However, current enrollees may not increase coverage.

Those who applied for the program before the cutoff date will have their application considered and, if approved, will receive all relevant information.

For those in claims status, there is no change to coverage or claims reimbursement as long as benefits have not been exhausted.

For more information on the suspension, call LTCFEDS at 800-582-3337. For other benefits-related questions, contact the Wellness team.

The Postal Service will release the U.S. Flag stamp on April 10.

The Postal Service has announced release dates and dedication locations for stamps that will be issued from June through August:

• U.S. Flag, April 10, Freedom, ME; no ceremony

• Waterfalls, June 13, Yellowstone National Park, WY

• Northern Cardinal Stamped Envelope, July 9, Bird City, KS; no ceremony

• John Lewis, July 21, Atlanta

• Life Magnified, Aug. 10, Cleveland

• Thinking of You, Aug. 11, Cleveland

• Bridges, Presorted First-Class, Aug. 24, Portland, CT; no ceremony

USPS announced the bulk of its 2023 stamp program in October and December.

An addition to the Postal Service’s 2023 lineup, OSIRIS-REx, was announced last week. The stamp honors a NASA mission to collect samples from the asteroid Bennu.