2015 Premiums for Federal Employees and Retirees

[powerplay]

Premiums

Links on the page to both HMO and fee for service plans.

The overall premium increase for 2015 is 3.2% according to OPM.
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Premiums to Increase in 2015

My current plan is actually going down in 2015. Will have to see if there are significant changes to it.

 

[Kaufmanrider]

Premiums

Links on the page to both HMO and fee for service plans.

The overall premium increase for 2015 is 3.2% according to OPM.
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Premiums to Increase in 2015

My current plan is actually going down in 2015. Will have to see if there are significant changes to it.

My plan, BCBS Basic, is going up $12 a month. I'd look to change but I am happy with the plan. Virtually every health care provider around Dallas takes it so I have a big network.

I am interested in what premiums do next year when they offer the Self plus 1 option. I am under the family plan for a few more years as my children are in the young 20's so I expect a jump.

 

[Senator]

The government should open up that federal health care plan to all Americans. It would probably save everyone lots of money, and have a much larger participant base.

 

[martyb]

My plan, BCBS Basic, is going up $12 a month. I'd look to change but I am happy with the plan. Virtually every health care provider around Dallas takes it so I have a big network.

I am interested in what premiums do next year when they offer the Self plus 1 option. I am under the family plan for a few more years as my children are in the young 20's so I expect a jump.

Mine (NALC) is going up by $10.08 per month, for high option self & family. I switched from BCBS after a lot of years with them, when they had a fairly big (to me) rate increase about 5 yrs ago. I switched first to Compass Rose, which used to be restricted to CIA & those types, but then opened up to all of DoD a few other agencies. They were great, but after a couple of years, they started raising their rates more than I wanted to pay, so I did some research & came up with NALC - National Association of Letter Carriers. I have never worked for the Postal Service, but they're open to all feds, you just have to pay I think $35 to belong to their union. I've been totally pleased with this choice for the last 3 yrs, and the 2015 rate increase is pretty small, IMO. My deductible remains at $300 per person ($600 family). My monthly premium for 2015 will be $337.35. So far, so good.

 

[martyb]

The government should open up that federal health care plan to all Americans. It would probably save everyone lots of money, and have a much larger participant base.

No, they should not. FEHB is a benefit for government employees & retirees. Why should those who haven't chosen the fed as their employer receive this benefit? I don't understand people who think like this. I haven't expected anybody else's employer to include me in their employee's benefit plan. Yes, you pay taxes, but you also had the opportunity to apply for a job with my employer.

Now, if somebody wants to create & model a health insurance plan similar to the FEHB, I have no problem with that.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

The government should open up that federal health care plan to all Americans. It would probably save everyone lots of money, and have a much larger participant base.

agree

 

[Kaufmanrider]

Marty, I had looked at SAMBA (Special Agent Mutual Benefit Association) which is open to all Feds the past few years. I look at the Catastrophic limit when I research insurance (something I learned from a Dr. friend years ago). All have three have a $7,000 catastrophic limit for in-network in 2015, plus there is a calendar year co-insurance ($600) for SAMBA and NALC which BCBS Basic doesn't have. SAMBA and I think NALC have separate limits for drugs ($4000 for NALC). That makes their annual catastrophic at close to $12,000 a year as opposed to $7,000 with BCBS which includes prescription drug co-pays.

I have experienced meeting my catastrophic, so I choose to stay with BCBS again; the premiums for all three are close, but I want to hedge my bet on my annual out of pocket max.

Mine (NALC) is going up by $10.08 per month, for high option self & family. I switched from BCBS after a lot of years with them, when they had a fairly big (to me) rate increase about 5 yrs ago. I switched first to Compass Rose, which used to be restricted to CIA & those types, but then opened up to all of DoD a few other agencies. They were great, but after a couple of years, they started raising their rates more than I wanted to pay, so I did some research & came up with NALC - National Association of Letter Carriers. I have never worked for the Postal Service, but they're open to all feds, you just have to pay I think $35 to belong to their union. I've been totally pleased with this choice for the last 3 yrs, and the 2015 rate increase is pretty small, IMO. My deductible remains at $300 per person ($600 family). My monthly premium for 2015 will be $337.35. So far, so good.