So, you made it through Black Friday. You aced Small Business Saturday . You survived Cyber Monday. But now you face the most challenging challenge of all: Frigga Friday. Today is the last chance feds (and retirees) have to pick a health plan before the open season closes Monday.

Frigga, of course, was the wife of Odin the chief god in Norse mythology. Odin, and this is a little known fact, was also the patron saint of health plans. And Yoga instructors! So it’s Frigga Day, governmentwide.

She is why friends of bewildered federal health plan hunters often admonish their undecided coworkers to make up their Frigga minds, maybe get another health plan, maybe save a couple of thousand dollars in premiums and out-of- pocket costs next year.

Over the past weeks, we’ve listed some “best buys” for singles, couples and other groups in the federal health plans. The best buys were compiled by Consumer’s CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans. It is based on the premium you would pay in each plan, plus likely out-of-pocket costs you will have next year if you have a good, average or catastrophic medical year. So, here are the best-buys. The dollar figures include the premium you will pay for each plan plus likely extra costs if you have an “average” medical year. The examples shown are CHECKBOOK ratings for a family of two. For self- only plans, the premiums be nearly half as much. Here’s the list:

• HMOs: Kaiser standard ($2,980); Aetna Open Access Basic ($3,920); Innovation Health (Northern Virginia) ($4,080); Kaiser high, ($4,120) and CareFirst standard POS ($4,280).
• Consumer Driven, High Deductible Plans: APWUCDHP ($2,370); NALC CDHP ($2,790); GEHA HDHP ($3,450); Aetna HDHP ($3,600).
• National Fee-For-Service Plans: GEHA standard, ($3,690); Blue Cross basic ($4,040); Foreign Service ($4,170); NALC high option ($4,240) and APWU high option ($4,280).

All of the above assumes your doctor (doctors) are part of the plan’s network. If not, you need to shop around or pay a lot more than the “average” amount shown.

Also, remember the 5-year rule. In order to have FEHBP coverage in retirement, you must be enrolled in any of the plans for the 5- years prior to retirement. Remember to have a family plan if you want your spouse covered if you die first, and also provide a survivor benefit so he/she will be eligible for continued coverage.

Check out our archived columns for special information. The good news is that under the FEHBP you can’t pick a bad plan. But you can — especially if you fail to crunch the numbers — pay too much next year. Good hunting!!!

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

Mjölnir is the name given to the hammer used by Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

Source: Wikipedia

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