Open Season

Even though Federal Employees Health Benefits Program health premiums are likely to go up next year, Uncle Sam will continue to pay the lion’s share of the total premium.

Among those stuck at home are people who were about to retire or had already filed their retirement papers. Federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan had some answers on the potential delay for benefits.

If you are like most federal workers and retirees the health insurance open season that ended earlier this month was just a big yawn. But there will another individual open season next year if you have a qualifying life event.

If you’re one of 10,000 people who will turn 65 years old today, you’re probably at least thinking of retiring. For federal employees this brings complicated choices about healthcare insurance options.

Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says the health insurance open season ends today at close of business, which is bad news if you don’t like comparison shopping, but good news if you found the perfect plan for you and yours at a good price.

Finding the best deal among 20 to 30 health plan options can be tough for young or healthy federal workers. But it is a real, albeit vital chore for those with less money and more medical problems.

Ever think what your spouse will do for health insurance after you’ve gone? He or she has been part of your family plan and they can continue coverage for life, provided you elect a survivor annuity for your spouse.

When low premiums are a must it’s hard to beat the federal employee health benefits program. Uncle Sam pays the lion’s share of the premium and there are some bargains in the program, if you know where to look.

Because various Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have been so good for so long, many feds in them haven’t bothered to shop around for maybe a better deal.

Each year hundreds, maybe thousands of feds learn the hard way about the five-year rule for keeping coverage under FEHBP in retirement.

Incomplete, inaccurate provider database remains a major problem, 11 months after new vendors took over TRICARE management.

Host Bob Leins, CPA® and co-host Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director at NITP, as they welcome guests Gavin Toner, Jennifer Williams, and Dr. Bruce Wollman from Kaiser Permanente.

Workers and retirees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program have several choices: They can shop around, talk with their primary physicians, or, like most people they can do nothing.

Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Federal Health Plans, joined host Mike Causey on this week’s Your Turn to talk about best buys during FEHBP open season and why more people need to switch health care plans.