Civilian health-care ‘open season’ offers 18 new plans

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Office of Personnel Management officials announced new health-care options that may provide better financial opportunities for employees.

Eighteen new high-deductible health plans will be offered by the federal employees’ health benefits program for 2005.

The new health plans, when used with a health savings account or a health reimbursement arrangement, may provide tax-advantaged savings for future medical expenses, said Maria Molly, chief of benefits and entitlements at the Air Force Personnel Center here.

Information on the new health plans is online at www.opm.gov/hsa/intro.asp, and provides basic information about the plans, accounts and arrangements, as well as a chart comparing their features.

Employees will have the opportunity to review and update plans during the program's open season Nov. 8 to Dec. 13.

"Open season is the best time for people to review their health-care coverage -- not only to make desired changes, but to ensure their plan hasn't been altered or discontinued," said Janet Thomas of the Benefits and Entitlements Service Team at AFPC.

All Air Force-serviced civilian employees must make their open season changes by one of two methods:

-- The personnel center's Employee Benefits Information System Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/dpc/BEST_GRB/EBIS.htm. Employees with family coverage or other insurance can use the site to make their elections and avoid having to transfer to a counselor to complete their transaction. Another advantage of making the election via the Web is employees can print a copy of Standard Form 2809, health benefits election form, as soon as they complete their election.

-- The BEST automated phone system at (800) 616-3775 for employees in the United States (press 2 for civilian, then 2 for benefits and entitlements, and follow the prompts). Hearing-impaired employees can call the TDD line at (800) 382-0893, or commercial 565-2276 within San Antonio. Overseas employees will dial the direct access number for the country they are in, and then dial (800) 997-2378. Benefits counselors are available weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.

For more information on the programs, visit the BEST health insurance site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/dpc/best/fehb.htm. Links to guides and individual plan brochures will be placed on the Web site as they become available.

During this open season, eligible employees may also enroll in the flexible spending account program for 2005. There are two types of accounts: the health-care flexible spending account and the dependent-care flexible spending account. Enrollment is conducted directly via a third party program administrator online at www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds or by calling toll-free, (877) 372-3337, or TDD (800) 952-0450.

Employees eligible to enroll in the health program, even if not currently enrolled, are eligible to participate in the spending program. Employees who enroll in one of the new high-deductible health plans, and are eligible for a health savings account, may not have a health-care spending account.

All employees with qualified family members may enroll in a dependent-care spending account, except temporary employees with no fixed work scheduled whose tour of duty is six months or less. Additional information regarding the spending account program is available online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/dpc/best/fsa.htm. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)