Two Congressmen recently sent a letter to the director of healthcare and insurance at the Office of Personnel Management asking for a status update on how the agency plans to help prevent future premium increases in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP).
The letter was sent by Don Beyer (D-VA) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA). They expressed concern in the letter about the possibility of another significant spike in premiums the next time there is a new contract.
“Our constituents cannot afford to wait until the end of the current contract to learn how the program might be altered or that they might face enormous premium increases. They must be able to plan and prepare,” wrote the Congressmen.
FLTCIP plan participants are facing an average 83% premium increase after OPM announced it was awarding a new seven year contract with John Hancock Life and Health Insurance. That led to an uproar from lawmakers from districts that are home to many federal employees wanting to know why there was such a significant premium increase. (See House Committee Asks John Hancock Financial for Details on FLTCIP Premium Increases and Two More Senators Join the Growing Outrage Over FLTCIP Premiums)
The premium increases have also led some federal employees to look at alternatives to long term care insurance.
Beyer and Connolly said in their letter that they were not satisfied with testimony from OPM provided last fall and want an update with a timeline for proposed solutions to FLTCIP.
A copy of the letter is included below.
Beyer Connolly Letter Re: FLTCIP Premiums
