What's New
2024 TSP Webinars: TSP has online training and webinars to assist employees to become better acquainted with TSP and its benefits. These are FREE webinars and can help employees better understand the TSP program and options.
Awareness and Training | The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
Monthly NEO Benefits Briefing
Please join the Bureau of Indian Education Benefit Team for our Monthly NEO Benefits Briefing.
Upcoming NEO Meeting Information:
December 2024
NEO Benefits Briefing Hosted by BIE Benefits
Friday, December 6, 2024 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Mountain Time
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Meeting ID: 239 757 754 835
Passcode: ipLmnm
Dial in by phone
+1 202-640-1187,,298089615# United States, Washington DC
Phone conference ID: 298 089 615#
2024 Schedule for Monthly NEO Briefing Schedule
NEO Benefits Webinar Schedule Fall 2024 (18.41 KB)Qualifying Life Events (QLE)
The Life Cycle Events is a listing of common events that may occur during or after your Federal career. It's divided into three sections: me/my family, job, and retirement. When you click on a question, you will see what actions you may need to take for each of the following programs: Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP), and Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI).
A list of Qualifying Life Events can be found at https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/life-events/
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) is the support Federal Employees needs during hard times. For more information on FEGLI, please visit the BIE FEGLI Page: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/federal-employees-group-life-insurance-fegli
Employee Benevolent Fund
As a Bureau of Indian Education Employee (Title V only), you are eligible for the Employee Benevolent Fund. The Employee Benevolent Fund (“EBF” or “Fund”) is designed to provide immediate money to your loved ones upon your death. The Fund promptly delivers a death benefit to your designated beneficiary(ies), usually within 24 hours.
New permanent full and part-time active employees must enroll within 60 days of their date of hire (entry on duty date). All other eligible employees can join only during an Open Enrollment period.
For more information visit the EBF website at https://www.sambaplans.com/employee-benevolent-fund/
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)
The FEHB Program can help you and your family meet your health care needs. Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country. You can choose from among Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums, or Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans, and their Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan. For more information please visit the BIE FEHB Page at: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/federal-employees-health-benefits-fehb
Federal Vision and Dental Benefits (BENEFEDS)
The BENEFEDS insurance programs supports your Vision and Dental needs. For more information, visit the BIE BENEFEDS website at: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/federal-vision-and-dental-benefits-benefeds
Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS)
A Spending Account that can help you in day to day living and assist with your annual taxes. For more information, visit BIE FSAFEDS page at: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/federal-flexible-spending-account-program-fsafeds
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)
The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) provides long term care insurance to help pay for costs of care when enrollees need help with activities they perform every day, or you have a severe cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Most Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees and annuitants, active and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives are eligible to apply for insurance coverage under the FLTCIP.
Most employees must be eligible for the FEHB Program in order to apply for coverage under the FLTCIP. It does not matter if they are actually enrolled in FEHB - eligibility is the key. Annuitants do not have to be eligible or enrolled in the FEHB Program. Certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You must apply to find out if you are eligible to enroll.
For more information about the FLTCIP, please contact Long Term Care Partners at 1 800-582-3337, or visit the website (external link).
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
TSP is one of the three pillars of retirement. Please visit the BIE TSP Page for more information at: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/thrift-saving-plan or the Thrift Saving Plan website: www.tsp.gov
TSP Webinars: TSP has announced August 2022 virtual webinars at no cost. These webinars can help better understand the TSP program and options. Please visit https://www.tsp.gov/online-learning/ to sign up. For a list of topics, times, and dates click here TSP-Webinars-Schedule-Aug-2022
Retirement
All Retirement information can be found on the Bureau of Indian Education website at https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/federal-civilian-retirement-current-empl…
Beneficiary
Are Your Designations of Beneficiary Current?
When was the last time you checked your designations of beneficiary? Most employees and annuitants don't realize that they have several designations to keep current. If you don't have a designation on file, then the funds will be distributed according to the order of precedence. That may be OK with you, but maybe it isn't. Worse yet is an out-of-date designation giving the money to someone that you no longer wish to give it to.
If you are transferring from another federal position to the Bureau of Indian Education, or have a break in service between a previous BIE position and your current BIE position, your prior Beneficiary Forms are invalid.
If there isn't a valid designation on file, benefits are payable by the Beneficiary Order of Precedence
Forms
Please visit the Bureau of Indian Education's Form
Questionable Practices from Vendors offering Benefits
We are aware that several companies offer services such as Retirement Analysis/Consultations or life insurance to employees via mass e-mailings or hard copy postcards/letters. The HR Office - Albuquerque already provides retirement estimates and counseling at no-cost to the employee. In addition it does not require release of information to third party. For more information please visit the BIE page on Questionable Practices at: https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/questionable-practices-vendors-offering-benefits
Salary and Wages
For information on Salaries and Wages for Bureau of Indian Education positions, please visit:
https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/recruiting
Bureau of Indian Education Benefit Specialist's contact information
vacant - refer to Stephanie Blanken
Phone Number: (505) 563-5312
Fax Number: (505) 563-5305
Email: pending
Service Area: BIE Headquarters, SIPI, and schools located in NM and UT. Plus locations under AZ Navajo North
Stephanie Blanken
Phone Number: (785) 830-2731
Fax Number: (505) 563-5305
Email: stephanie.blanken@bie.edu
Services Area: BIE Headquarters, HINU, and Schools located in CA, OK, SD, ND, OR, MT and WY. Plus locations under AZ Navajo South and AZ Navajo Central with Polacca and Havasupai
