The 2024 premiums for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) are set to rise at a significant rate for the second year in a row. Federal employees and retirees can expect to pay 7.7% more next year on average for their portion of the 2024 FEHB premiums. In 2023, there was an 8.7% overall average increase.
Plans under Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) are among the most popular health insurance plans within FEHB. I recently wrote an article that provided historical data on how much the nationwide BCBS premiums have increased since 2019.
In light of its popularity, as well as the fact that the 2023 Open Season is fast approaching, I was curious to also take a closer look at how the annual increase in premiums from 2023 to 2024 has impacted the same health insurance plans. I’ve compiled some data that I hope will be useful for federal employees and retirees as they weigh their insurance plan choices for the upcoming 2023 Open Season.
Note that all of the data are based on the enrollee’s share of 2024 FEHB premiums for the nationwide BCBS plans. Of these plans, there are three options (Basic, Standard, and FEP Blue Focus) and three enrollment types (Self, Self & Family, and Self Plus One). There are nine total plan offerings.
Which Nationwide BCBS Premiums Increased the Most?
The BCBS Basic option experienced the largest average increase for the enrollee’s share of the 2024 FEHB premiums. Overall, the average increase for these plans was 10% from 2023 to 2024.
The next largest increase was among the Standard option plans. These increased by an average of 6% while FEP Blue Focus plans had the smallest average increase (2%).
What about the enrollment types?
The average increases from 2023 to 2024 are more evenly spread for these. The average increases are as follows 6.6% for Self, 7.0% for Self & Family, and 6.3% for Self Plus One.
| Enrollment Type | Average Increase | Option | Average Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self | 6.6% | Basic | 10.0% |
| Self & Family | 7.0% | FEP Blue Focus | 2.0% |
| Self Plus One | 6.3% | Standard | 6.0% |
Individual 2024 BCBS Nationwide FEHB Plans
The tables that follow look at the plans individually broken out by enrollment type.
Self
| Plan | Type | 2023 Monthly Premium | 2024 Monthly Premium | Average Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Self | $187.78 | $207.44 | 10.47% |
| FEP Blue Focus | Self | $117.46 | $119.83 | 2.02% |
| Standard | Self | $308.53 | $326.71 | 5.89% |
Self & Family
| Plan | Type | 2023 Monthly Premium | 2024 Monthly Premium | Average Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Self & Family | $515.48 | $568.96 | 10.37% |
| FEP Blue Focus | Self & Family | $277.75 | $283.32 | 2.01% |
| Standard | Self & Family | $753.77 | $803.14 | 6.55% |
Self Plus One
| Plan | Type | 2023 Monthly Premium | 2024 Monthly Premium | Average Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Self Plus One | $472.12 | $517.03 | 9.51% |
| FEP Blue Focus | Self Plus One | $252.51 | $257.58 | 2.01% |
| Standard | Self Plus One | $690.84 | $729.82 | 5.64% |
More information about these health insurance plans can be found on the BCBS Federal Employee Program (FEP) website. The Office of Personnel Management website lists all of the 2024 FEHB premiums.
When is the 2023 Open Season?
Open Season runs from November 13 – December 11, 2023. Federal employees and retirees will have the opportunity to choose their federal benefits for the 2024 plan year for health, dental, vision, and flexible spending account benefits during this time.
