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2009 Health Insurance Rates: How Much Will Your Rate Change?

Increase in BC/BS 2009 FEHB Rates

Senior HR Specialist
U.S. Treasury - FMS
Tue Oct 7, 2008 11:07 PM

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Ralph: the following quote from your article is confusing to me. Specifically, the quote appears to site two separate and conflicting BC/BS FEHB rate increases.
I have the Standard Family BC/BS plan. What will be my increase...$42.12 or $17.87 per month?

"As far as the rates go for federal employees, excluding the rates for Postal Service employees which are different, the plan with the biggest dollar increase next year is the Blue Cross standard family plan which will go up $42.12 to a total of $356.59 per month while the "standard self" plan will rise $17.40 for a total monthly employee payment of $152.06.

The Blue Cross plans are among the most popular plans. For 2009, the rate for the Blue Cross basic family plan will go up $17.87 per month to a total of $216.48. The "basic self" Blue Cross plan will go up $7.65 to a total of $92.44 per month."

Re: Increase in BC/BS 2009 FEHB Rates

Editor
FedSmith.com
Wed Oct 8, 2008 6:56 AM
You may want to download the chart for the 2009 rates with the link included in the article. As noted in the article, the standard family plan for Blue Cross is increasing by $42.12 per month. The basic Blue Cross family plan is increasing by $17.87 per month. If you have the standard Blue Cross family plan, the increase will be $42.12 per month. If you have the basic Blue Cross family plan, the increase will be $17.87 per month.

You may also want to go to the OPM page at:
http://www.opm.gov/insure/08/spmt/PlanSearch.aspx
to compare the different plans available. The 2009 plan data will not be available until early in November so the site provides information on the 2008 plans.

2009 FEHBP rates

retired
usda
Wed Oct 8, 2008 8:03 AM

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I live in Atlanta and currently have Aetna Open Access - sef only. I just checked and the rate for my plan is going up approximately 50%. What could possibly justify that much of an increase? Thanks for all your information and any help you can give.

HDHPs with HSA's - a warning

Trench Worker
Interior
Wed Oct 8, 2008 8:53 AM

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To the Supervisor at DHS and other Govies:

For the past two years I have had Mail Handler's Consumer Option with a Health Savings Plan because I was relatively "healthy." I liked the low premiums and the principle behind the Health Savings Plan which you can rollover from year to year if you don't use it. These plans are terrific for those federal workers and their families who are healthy and have no chronic health problems. This year my out-of pocket expenses (so far) have exceeded $5,000 because of my newly diagnosed chronic health condition. There were medical tests and lab work that were not covered by Mail Handlers Consumer Option. I have been writing checks for $800.00, $500.00, $375.00.

This open season I will be switching to the Standard Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. It has nothing to do with laziness. It has to do with medical necessity and like the rest of middle class America, the value of my paycheck has eroded. I have to control my health costs somewhere.

Re: HDHPs with HSA's - a warning

Supervisor
DHS
Thu Oct 9, 2008 7:24 AM
When comparing the HDHPs w/HSA to other traditional plans like BCBS you should always see what's covered after satisfying your deductible. Aetna's HDHP and BCBS, after the deductible is satisified, are very similar. Aetna's HDHP pays 90% and I pay 10%. My point is, BCBS is by far the most popular plan, but I doubt that the majority of participants in that plan are considered "unhealthy". As far as being lazy when it's open season, it's a proven fact that most feds don't shop around. The bottom line is there are options out there that deserve exploring. The BCBS plan is way too expensive for most feds. We know that the premium difference is $2518.10 for the year or $96.85 per pay period when comparing BCBS standard to Aetna's HDHP. If you're a disciplined saver and switched to the Aetna HDHP you'd take the $96.85 per pp and have it come out of your pay check and go into the HSA. At the end of the year you'd have contributed $2518.10. That plus the $1500 Aetna kicks in is $4018.10. Hmmm

Re: HDHPs with HSA's - a warning

Supervisor
DHS
Thu Oct 9, 2008 7:44 AM
The argument we often hear about HDHPs is that they will siphon off the healthy feds and leave only unhealthy feds in tradition plans like BCBS thus increasing the traditional plan rates. I don't think the data supports the claim, but for arguments sake let's say its true. Let's look at the so-called healthy fed. Assuming the above is true, why should the healthy fed be forced into a plan with unhealthy feds and pay higher premiums? The point is, if you limit choice everyone will pay more and we all lose. So shop around folks; research the options that are available. I for one can't afford to pay $100 more a pay period for health insurance when it's not necessary.

HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM INCREASE FOR 2009

ADMIN SPEC
VHA
Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:06 AM

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Hmmmm, in checking with Aetna (Fed non-postal employee plan), it appears that their premiums will increase more than the 8% indicated in this article.

Last year's bi-weekly rate for my area was $56.29. According to the Aetna customer service rep. I spoke with, 2009's bi-weekly rate will be $82.33, some $26.04 more than it was in 2008. That's almost a 50% increase.

Re: HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM INCREASE FOR 2009

Editor
FedSmith.com
Wed Oct 8, 2008 11:26 AM
The article did not reference Aetna although there are links to all of the rates for 2009 for all plans. As the article noted, the 8% increase is an average so some increases will be more than that and some less.

Re: HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM INCREASE FOR 2009

IT Drone
DoD
Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:28 PM
It's not just the premiums. I was told that the prescription costs will no longer be tiered the way they are now. The new plan is rumored to be set up as a percentage of what a drug would cost without insurance (35% was the number I heard kicked around) and that a regular third-tier (non-formulary) could conceivable cost $100 (the alleged cap). Deductibles and co-pays are also rumored to be going up.

For the people in agencies that are forced to accept Aetna for coverage (and are not allowed to switch to any other plan), this is going to be disastrous if it is true.

Since I have a family member who is permanently disabled and on several medications, there is no good news in any of the increases. It's garbage like this that really make me ready for Universal Health Care.

Health Premium vs COLA Increases

Contracting Officer
DCMA
Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:33 AM

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I enjoyed the article but always seem to feel left hanging. The way things are presented or lack thereof does not tell the complete picture to me.

For example, a Federal employee who gets the the 3.9% COLA increase but a health premium hike of 8%, the latter being a higher %, seems bad on the surface.

But %s are misleading. For simplicity's sake, when you compare an employee making $80,000 per year x 3.9% COLA = $3,120 vs. annual family health insurance premiums of $3,774 x 8% = $302.

So while the %s differ (lower for COLA; higher for premiums) so are the bases to which they apply. In the example, the COLA $ exceed the preium $ by $2,818
($3,120 - $302).

Still not a bad deal! I'll take those returns anytime!!

RE: rising cost

management assistant
IRS
Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:02 AM

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I don't understand why the cost is going up so much this year when the larger amount of federal employees are under the BCBS plan.
We use mail order a lot and my husband cannot take the generic drug. We will not be able to afford the 65.00 copay for his name brand drug, so he will have to do without some of it.
He is also on medicare and we do not have the drug plan because it would cost us even more to have that plan.

Why when someone in disabled and has both medicare and a health plan, do they have to pay the copays.
This does not seem fair. I pay for his insurance and he has medicare so we are paying for two insurances and still have to pay copays every time he goes to the doctor.
I understand why I would have to pay a copay but not him.

Can we get some help on this.

Thanks

HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS INCREASE

ADMIN
VHA
Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:28 AM

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I've been reading comments entered by "Diversity Manager." First, I find it hard to believe that someone holding that title would make some of the comments he/she has made. Second, this person obviously enjoys attention whether positive or negative. Sad.

Total Comments: 80
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