When federal employees enter into Open Season, they might be thinking about the overall “value proposition” of a health plan — in other words, what are the benefits being offered, and at what cost?

Raj Vavilala, chief sales and marketing and product officer at Government Employees Health Association (G.E.H.A.), said feds could look at that value proposition as a series of levers. The levers can be anything from benefit design, network providers, access to physicians, health management tools, incentives and rewards — the list goes on.

“When a price is set, all of these are levers to manage the price. So federal employees need to know, when they’re making selections or even evaluating the plan they’re in right now, what levers were changed into the new year,” Vavilala said during Federal News Network’s 2025 Open Season Exchange. “Most of the time, the price is the lever that pops out. We look at the price, but sometimes benefits get changed and that might actually have an impact to somebody’s health and well-being, and they may not know that.”

Because of the way the Office of Personnel Management sets up the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, Vavilala said federal employees and annuitants already, by default, have access to some of the best health care options out there. But specifically with G.E.H.A., Vavilala said he sees the carrier as one that’s focused particularly on the needs of its members.

“You should be assured that you do have the same benefits, if not more, and the same network, if not more,” he said. “But in any case, take a look at your network to see if that was changed in any way. When you do that, I think you will make a better choice.”

Enrollees may find themselves in a wide variety of situations during Open Season and into plan year 2025. There may be new or single employees just joining the federal workforce and other seasoned employees or retirees with family members who also need coverage. G.E.H.A., the Government Employees Health Association, a long-time federal health carrier, serves 2 million members nationwide and offers a wide range of plans to federal employees, retirees and their families.

A variety of offerings available from G.E.H.A.

G.E.H.A. provides benefit options across the board, Vavilala said. In total, the carrier offers five FEHB plans, as well as five plans in the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, including Medicare Advantage plans for federal and postal retirees.

“We essentially have plans for every life stage and every health stage that a member and his or her family could be in,” he said. “We ensure that the benefits are covered through all of this.”

For example, a younger or healthier enrollee may want to consider an option such as G.E.H.A. Elevate. A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) may be another strong choice for federal employees to consider, depending on their needs.

Notably, members joining G.E.H.A. for the first time receive an additional $80 when they open a health savings account (HSA).

“What this does is it allows the member to actually fund their health care long into the future because it’s tax deferred, and you get an advantage off that,” Vavilala said. “You also have other benefits in case something were to happen and you get sick. So that plan in the middle stage of your life is really important.”

For those with more significant health care needs, Vavilala said the standard and high plans offer more robust options.

“As a country, we are getting older, and we have a number of members who are in the stage wherein they need really deep health care,” he said.

Additionally, G.E.H.A. is part of the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), extending dental and vision insurance options to federal employees and retirees.

“If you look at the human body and all the things that go into it, federal employees need to look at their plans to see which of the choices that they’re looking at cover all of these. You want an integrated package,” Vavilala said. “You do not want a situation wherein you have an issue with an eye or your teeth and then you find out that that wasn’t included in your health plan.”

Because there are so many options — and particularly the changes for the new PSHB plans — some enrollees may feel overwhelmed heading into Open Season this year. But Vavilala said enrollees don’t have to figure it all out on their own.

“It could actually get a little confusing, but that’s where we actually invest in service. Our legacy of service … includes teams like fed advisors [who] are really there to help people navigate. Just make a call, and somebody will chat with you and make sure that you pick the right plan.”

Discover more articles and videos now on Federal News Network’s 2025 Open Season Exchange event page.

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