Now that we know the FEHBP\'s 2011 premiums, feds are waiting for the next shoe to drop: what is going to happen to your deductibles, copayments and prescriptio...
Now that feds know the size of their 2011 health plan premiums, many are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or should be…
As in what changes are coming in benefits, deductibles, copayments and reimbursement at the mysterious “reasonable and customary” rate.
Premiums next year are going up an “average” of 7.2 percent. That means some plans will go up more than that, some less. That increase is better than the average 8.8 percent premium rise in the FEHBP this year. And it’s a lot less than premium increases in many private sector, and state and local government plans.
But premiums are only part of the health coverage equation.
Two equally important factors are these:
Paying For Insurance: White collar (nonpostal) federal workers are on track for a 1.4 percent pay raise in January. But retirees are facing their second year without a cost of living adjustment.
Shopping during this upcoming open season ( November 8 through Dec. 13) will be more complicated than ever, especially for retirees. So we called in the cavalry…
This morning at 10 a.m. (EDT) David Snell, insurance expert for the National Active and Retired Federal Employees is our guest on the Your Turn with Mike Causey radio show. He will talk about what active and retired feds should look for (and avoid) in a health plan. And explain how copayments work (and may change), how plans handle prescription drugs, and how to avoid paying too much for coverage you don’t need.
Listen if you can. You can listen anywhere in the world on your computer. Go to www.federalnewsradio.com and hit the Listen Live button, or if you are in the DC area and are near a radio, at WFED 1500 AM. You can e-mail questions (mcausey@federalnewsradio.com) or call in during the show at: 202.465.3080.
It’s your money and your health.
Political Junkies
The election is less than a month away. Would you like a before-and-after peek at Congress?
The Council of Former Federal Executives has invited all interested parties to its October 25th luncheon ($25 at The Holiday Inn, Westpark in Rosslyn) to hear American University’s Dr. James A. Thurber. He’s an expert on Congress and will talk about what kind of reforms are needed and, more importantly, feasible?
Then on November 22nd, Dr. Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution will talk about what the new shaken-but-not-stirred Congress might do over the next two years, and what impact that will have on the 2012 election.
For reservations/information email: ewormser@erols.com
To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com
Nearly Useless Factoid
by Suzanne Kubota
Thanks to MentalFloss, we now know why surgical scrubs are the colors they are: “Green and greenish-blue surgical linens make looking at the inside of a human body easier on the eyes, since they’re opposite red on the color wheel.”
ALSO ON FEDERAL NEWS RADIO
GREENING OF GOVERNMENT SERIES
Tune in all this week for Federal News Radio’s special report, the Greening of Government. Today’s topic, buildings. We’ll examine how agencies are modernizing facilities to better reflect President Obama’s sustainability goals.
And be sure to check out yesterday’s topic – technology. A few highlights from that report…
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