The decision came after the personnel agency had warned employees that they would have to pay their premiums beginning this week — when they will miss a second paycheck — or risk losing coverage.

“Since the lapse in funding began, OPM has worked diligently with payroll and healthcare providers in order to find flexibility that may help mitigate the effects of the shutdown for furloughed and excepted employees,” an agency spokeswoman said in a statement. “We will continue to focus our efforts to make the partial lapse as painless as possible, consistent with law.”

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The policy was changed and included in a memo Wednesday to agency heads, said the spokeswoman, who spoke on the condition that her name not be published, per agency policy.

The change in billing date was a source of confusion for employees: As of late Thursday, the old guidance was still on the furlough guidance page on OPM’s website.

The affected employees are not at risk of losing their health insurance benefits, which will stay in effect through the duration of the shutdown.

However, that protection does not extend to vision and dental insurance. Starting with their third missed paycheck — if the shutdown continues — employees will be billed directly for premiums for dental and vision coverage.

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The extension was welcome news to a group of Washington-area Senate Democrats, who sent the acting OPM chief a letter early Wednesday demanding that her office work with insurers to “develop alternative payment arrangements.”