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Health benefit changes on the way, fair set

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  • By Civilian Personnel
  • 72nd Force Support Squadron
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  Open season for civilian federal health insurance is quickly approaching and significant changes will be implemented in 2009. Open season, Nov. 10 to Dec. 8, is the only time employees are allowed to make changes to their health insurance coverage unless they have a qualifying life event (moving, marriage, birth, etc...).

To assist Tinker employees, 72nd Force Support Squadron's Civilian Personnel office will hold its annual health fair Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair will be located in the Oklahoma Room in the main cafeteria in Bldg. 3001. Insurance representatives from most of the federal carriers will be at the health fair to help with any questions before the start of open season.

Participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program should brace for the biggest premium hikes since 2005. Many will be weighing their out-of-pocket costs, but before deciding whether to switch or stay put, they should consider benefit changes.

In late September, the Office of Personnel Management announced that premiums for FEHB will increase an average of 7 percent in 2009. The government's portion of the overall premium will rise 6.5 percent, while the increase for employees will average 7.9 percent

Most plans will retain their benefits, but co-pays for office visits and prescriptions will go up. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield standard, the most popular federal plan, providing service to more than 80 percent of Tinker employees, will increase office visit co-pays from $15 to $20. Blue Cross' changes in prescription co-pays encourage federal employees to use generic medications. For example, out-of-pocket rates for brand-name drugs purchased from retail outlets will increase from 25 percent to 30 percent.

Premiums for Blue Cross and Blue Shield's standard and basic options will be among the steepest hikes in 2009. The employee share for the standard option will increase by 12.9 percent for singles, to $70.17 biweekly, and family coverage will rise 13.4 percent, to $164.58 biweekly. The basic option for singles will increase by 9 percent, to $42.66, and family coverage will increase by 9 percent, to $99.91 biweekly. This is the first substantial increase for Blue Cross and Blue Shield in three years.

Employees interested in reviewing the premium changes can visit www.opm.gov/insure and review the 2009 Health, Vision, and Dental premium changes. Employees should remember that these new premium changes will go into effect the first full pay period of January 2009. For more information call Lori Sova at 736-8517.
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