health care

  • The good news, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey, is that there's still time to save $1,000 to $2,000 next year on health premiums. The bad news is that time is running out!

    December 03, 2014
  • Whether you are working today or at home, take a minute to emerge from your turkey-induced haze and think about your 2015 health plan, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey.

    November 28, 2014
  • Some federal couples try to save money by each purchasing a self-only plan. The total premium will be less, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey, but that could be a problem if both of you have a major illness or accident next year.

    November 26, 2014
  • The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan is a game of numbers. Senior Correspondent Mike Causey shares which three numbers feds should be focusing on during open season.

    November 20, 2014
  • The Veterans Affairs Department has reduced wait times for tens of thousands of veterans seeking health care. Part of the progress comes from the congressionally-mandated Veterans Choice program. It requires the VA to issue choice cards to vets so they can seek medical care from private providers with VA footing the bill. VA issued the first batch of cards this month. James Tuchschmidt, acting principal deputy undersecretary for health at the VA, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the rollout and the program.

    November 18, 2014
  • Open season 2014 is underway. Feds who turn 65 next year are facing a decision — whether or not to enroll in Medicare Part B. If they enroll, they'll be paying an additional $1,200 on top of what they already pay for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage. Tammy Flanagan, senior benefits director for the National Institute of Transition Planning, tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the pros and cons of enrolling in Part B.

    November 14, 2014
  • Walton Francis, author of the CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, will answer your calls and emails about FEHBP open season. November 12, 2014

    November 12, 2014
  • Health plan expert Walton Francis says that about half of all federal employees are paying too much for heath care. Now that it's Open Season, feds have a chance to turn that around.

    November 10, 2014
  • Benefits expert David Snell of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, joins Federal News Radio's Mike Causey for an online chat about Open Season and federal benefits.

    October 22, 2014
  • During open season, feds and retirees in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program have dozens of choices ranging from low-premium health maintenance organizations to plans that provide national and worldwide coverage, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey.

    October 21, 2014
  • Federal employees' health care premiums are going up once again by 3.8 percent on average. That's less of an increase than what feds saw in 2014 and below the industry average. Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details on the changes to federal employees' 2015 health care coverage.

    October 08, 2014
  • How did the US Healthcare system evolve? What's surprising about the history of healthcare reform in the U.S.? What are the Six Megatrends in Healthcare? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with, Dr. Zeke Emanuel, author of Reinventing American Healthcare. That's next week on The Business of Government Hour.

    September 15, 2014
  • The Defense Health Agency is predicting savings of over $2.4 billion in the next five years by reducing duplication between the services, Lt. Gen. Douglas Robb, director of DHA, tells Agency of the Month Host Lauren Larson.

    April 23, 2014
  • From health records to rubber gloves, the Defense Health Agency is streamlining health care at the Pentagon. In this week's Agency of the Month radio show, host Lauren Larson speaks with Navy Capt. James Poindexter, acting division chief of Medical Logistics Shared Services, and Dave Bowen, director of health care IT and chief information officer at the Defense Health Agency.

    April 10, 2014