Health Insurance premiums for employees covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program will increase an overall average of 4.4 percent in 2016, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced this week.
The increase is lower than the 6.4 percent increase registered in 2016, but higher than the increases in 2015 (3.2 percent), 2014 (3.7 percent) and 2013 (3.4 percent).
The FEHB program covers about 85 percent of all federal employees and 90 percent of federal retirees. According to OPM, FEHB is the largest employer-sponsored health benefits program in the United States. The federal government pays an average of 70 percent of total premium cost. Premiums for specific health plans and dental and vision plans are shown on the OPM website.
OPM announced that “all plans will offer clinically appropriate and medically necessary treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2017.”
The Open Season for health, dental and vision, and tax-deferred Flexible Spending Accounts (federal employees only) will start on November 14, 2016 and end on December 12, 2016. Open season allows federal employees and retirees to make changes to their plans and eligible employees to enroll in the plan of their choice.
