Today is a big day in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contract cycle, which began when OPM released its 2007 benefit and rate proposal call letter in April 2006. OPM announced 2007 FEHBP premiums!
The average premium increase is 1.8%, the lowest increase in a decade. “On average, employees will contribute 2.3 percent more to their health care, while the government contribution (roughly 72 percent) will increase by 1.6 percent.” 63% of enrollees will see no increase at all.
“The FEHBP will offer 284 plan choices in 2007, up from 279 in 2006; 29 HDHPs will be offered, an increase of two over 2006. Similarly, the number of Health Maintenance Organizations increases to 209, up from 205.”
For the first time, OPM also announced premiums for the new enrollee-pay-all supplemental dental and vision programs. “Three enrollment categories are available for dental and vision coverage: self only, self plus one, and self and family. Bi-weekly dental premiums, based on the employee’s place of residence, range from $7.29 for self coverage, to $56.77 for self and family coverage; bi-weekly vision premiums range from $2.63 for self coverage, to $16.21 for self and family coverage.”
The next step in the cycle is the Open Season.
A single Open Season for the FEHB Program, FSAFEDS Program and Dental/Vision coverage will be held governmentwide from November 13 through December 11. During this period, individuals can review printed and online materials to compare the coverage and costs of each program, as well as enroll or make changes based on their personal needs. Current FSAFEDS enrollees must re-enroll for 2007 if they wish to continue coverage. Additional information on FEDVIP benefits and costs, along with health plan brochures, will be available at agencies for review by employees; employees and retirees can view the information online at www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp. Information on FEDVIP can be obtained online at www.opm.gov/insure/dentalvision; information on FSAFEDS can be found at www.fsafeds.com.