5 U.S.C. § 8988 — Premiums

(a) Each eligible person obtaining supplemental vision coverage under this chapter must be responsible for 100 percent of the premiums for such coverage. (b) The Office^* must prescribe regulations specifying the terms and conditions under which people must pay the premiums for enrollment. (c) The amount necessary to pay the premiums for enrollment may— (1) for an employee^*, be withheld from the pay of such an employee; (2) for an annuitant^*, be withheld from the annuity of such an annuitant; (3) for a covered TRICARE-eligible person who receives pay from the Federal Government or an annuity from the Federal Government due to the death of a member of the uniformed services (as defined in section 101 of title 10 ), and is not a former spouse of a member of the uniformed services, be withheld from— (A) the pay (including retired pay) of that person; or (B) the annuity paid to that person; or (4) for a covered TRICARE-eligible person who is not described in paragraph (3), be billed to that person directly. (d) All amounts withheld under this section must be paid directly to the qualified company^*. (e) Each participating qualified company must maintain accounting records that contain such information and reports as the Office may require. (f) (1) The Employee Health Benefits Fund is available, without fiscal year limitation, for reasonable expenses incurred by the Office in administering this chapter before the first day of the first contract period, including reasonable implementation costs. (2) (A) There is established in the Employees Health Benefits Fund a Vision Benefits Administrative Account, which must be available to the Office, without fiscal year limitation, to defray reasonable expenses incurred by the Office in administering this chapter after the start of the first contract year. (B) A contract under this chapter must include appropriate provisions under which the qualified company involved shall, during each year, make such periodic contributions to the Vision Benefits Administrative Account as necessary to ensure that the reasonable anticipated expenses of the Office in administering this chapter during such year are defrayed.