The usual good news/bad news about your options as you pick your 2015 health plan. The open season runs through Dec. 10, so you have plenty of time. But …

The good news is that you can’t pick a “bad” plan, Walton Francis editor of the Consumer’s CHECKBOOK Guide to Federal Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants, says they are all good-to-excellent. But …

The downside is that some of them simply cost too much. The premiums you pay are too much for what you are likely to get back. Or there is a good chance that there is a plan similar to the one you have now that provides quality coverage for lower premiums.

Some plans are better than others when it comes to prescription drug benefits. Some offer similar benefits and coverage. But there is a wide gap in premiums.

Some plans give you a major price break if you stay within their network of preferred providers. Some beat you up, financially, when and if you go out of network. Solution: Find a couple of plans you like, then ask someone in your doctors’ office which plans they work with, and will continue with in 2015.

If you are a fed married to a fed, you can get a small break in premiums if you and your spouse each take the self-only option of the same plan. But there is a drawback — as in a higher deductible — if both of you have major medical costs in 2015.

HMOs, which offer lower premiums, low deductibles and minimal paperwork are great for some people. Not so much for others. You need to understand the difference between the managed-care HMOs and more traditional fee-for-service plans, like Blue Cross or G.E.H.A, or the NALC plan.

Since there is no one-size-fits all plan in the FEHBP, what are you supposed to do? Here’s a couple of suggestions:

• Get a copy of the Consumer’s CHECKBOOK Guide to Federal Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants. It compares plans listing both types of coverage, actual premiums plus your out-of-pocket costs if you have an easy, average or tough medical year in 2015
• If you like doing research online, check to see if your agency has subscribed to CHECKBOOK’s online version. Many places, from major Defense operations to the GSA, Department of Education and Interior Department offer either employee express, intranet links or agency computer access. If not you can buy the service at a very reasonable rate.
• Stick closely to this column, and FederalNewsRadio.com during the open season. We will have a series of articles, interviews, Web chats and specials on how to shop, and what to look for. Walton Francis, editor of the CHECKBOOK Guide, says smart shopping can save you as much as $1,000 next year — in premiums and out of pocket costs you won’t have to pay — if you pick the right plan or plans.

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

A clothes iron will heat up to 204 degrees if it’s set on the linen setting.

Source: Answers.com

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