Health Insurance Rates May Rise

Federal employees could pay slightly more for their health insurance premiums in 2015.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released figures Tuesday showing the average health insurance premium will rise 3.8 percent. This is the fourth consecutive year federal workers have seen an increase in their health insurance premiums, according to the Washington Post.

Depending on which plan a federal worker is enrolled in, they could see an increase that is higher or lower than the average figure determined by OPM.

There may be no break in the foreseeable future for federal workers’ out-of-pocket health care expenses. Government officials do not believe that cost curve will bend toward their favor any time soon. Still, federal workers are much better off than their private sector counterparts.

The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is the largest employer-sponsored health insurance plan in the U.S., providing health care for approximately 8.2 million current and retired federal workers as well as their families.

The government pays approximately 70 percent of a federal worker’s total premium cost, while employees pay the remainder. In 2014, the average premium increase for all plans was 3.7 percent; however, because of the cost-sharing formula, on average a federal worker’s premium increased by 4.4 percent, while the government’s portion of the premium increased by 3.3 percent.

According to Government Executive, workers enrolled in FEHB with self-only coverage will pay on average about $3 more per paycheck and workers with family coverage will contribute nearly $7 more.

However, employees in the United States Postal Service will have to pay much more than their colleagues in the federal workforce—an average of 18.7 percent more next year.

There will be no major changes to the FEHB plans. Open enrollment will run from Nov. 10 through Dec. 8.

Visit the OPM website for a complete listing of the FEHB premium rates.