2009 FEHB Premium Rates
September 25, 2008
According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), enrollees in the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Plan will see an average 7.0 percent increase in
premiums in 2009.
UPDATE:
For complete information on the 2009 FEHB
rates, view plan brochures, and compare plans online, go here.
Enrollees with self-only coverage will pay, on average, $4.83 more each pay
period (about $125 per year) next year. Family coverage will cost an average
$11.12 more per pay period.
FEHB enrollees pay - on average - 30 percent of the total cost of a plan's
premium, while the government pays 70 percent.
The 7.0 percent premium increase includes the government share and the
enrollee share. Overall, the average enrollee share of
the premium will increase 7.9 percent. Twenty percent of FEHB enrollees would
see their share of premiums rise by less than 5.0 percent, based on 2008
enrollment data, states OPM
OPM also notes that enrollees in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard Option,
the most popular FEHB plan choice, would see their share of the premium increase
12.9 percent for self-only coverage and 13.4 percent for self and family
coverage.
To download the 2009 FEHB premium rates click
here
"I appreciate the tough environment in which the FEHB Program currently
operates," said Nancy Kichak, OPM's Associate Director for Strategic Human
Resources Policy. "While we worked very hard to contain premium costs -- and we
were more successful with some health plans than with others -- federal
employees and retirees can take comfort in knowing they are enrolled in a solid
program that provides outstanding benefits and customer service."
Enrollees in Coventry Healthcare of Kansas (standard option, self and family
plan) will see their premium share drop by 49.5 percent; others will see
increases up to 173 percent.
"One hallmark of the FEHB Program is 'choice', meaning employees and retirees
can use the Open Season to shop among plans and, perhaps, move to one that
better meets their medical and financial needs," said Kay Ely, OPM's Associate
Director for Human Resources Products and Services.
OPM conducts an annual Open Season to give federal employees and retirees the
opportunity to select a new health plan; during the Open Season, current federal
employees who are not enrolled may elect FEHB coverage. The Open Season also
gives employees and retirees the chance to select supplemental dental and/or
vision coverage. The 2009 Federal Benefits Open Season begins on
Monday, November 10, 2008, and runs through Monday, December 8, 2008.
The Open Season also gives employees the opportunity to elect coverage under
a tax-deferred Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health care and/or dependent
care, or to adjust an existing FSA. Current FSA enrollees must re-enroll for
coverage in 2009 during the Open Season. In 2007, nearly 246,000 individuals had
a Flexible Spending Account. By law, retirees are not eligible for FSA
benefits.
The Open Season also can be used by employees and retirees to enroll in
supplemental dental and/or vision insurance coverage. In 2008 -- in its second
year of availability -- the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance
Program (FEDVIP) had more than 1 million enrollments.
In early November, OPM will provide more information that will
help enrollees to compare the costs and benefits of different
plans, plus details on the dental and visions plans.
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