Search results for your final decision on medicare part b and the fehb program

175 articles found

  • Should Federal Annuitants Stay Enrolled in the FEHB program after Age 65?

    You could drop FEHB coverage once you enroll in Parts A and B. But this would be a bad decision. Medicare Part B requires you to pay 20 percent of the cost of doctors’ fees, and deductibles, with no

  • Big Changes in How Federal Annuitants Receive Prescription Drug Benefits in 2024 and Beyond

    Major Medicare Part D reforms were enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). Some of the legislation’s provisions seek to lower prescription drug costs for both Medicare beneficiaries and

  • Should I Use Preferred Providers With My FEHB Plan?

    We rate plan costs based on the assumption that you will always or almost always want to use preferred providers, also known as staying in network. Your cost is always lower, usually far lower, when

  • What Federal Annuitants Need to Know about Medicare Part D for 2024

    Federal annuitants will have higher healthcare costs in 2024. The enrollee share for FEHB premiums is rising 7.7%, and the standard Medicare Part B premium is increasing 5.9%, or $9.80, to

  • Reasons Why You Shouldn't Enroll in Medicare Part B

    Here are a few scenarios why retirees should consider not taking Part B. High Income Couples and Individuals that pay IRMAA—If you fall into one of the high-income categories (more than $103,000

  • Reasons Why You Should Enroll in Medicare Part B

    The most common question we receive every Open Season from retirees and soon-to-be retirees is whether to take Part B and pay the extra premium. Given that there is a penalty if you delay Part B

  • Doctors

    My doctors are not preferred providers in any plan. What should I do? Set up an FSA account for about half the amount you expect to spend on those doctors. Then pick one of the top ranked plans that

  • Medicare and Provider Selection

    We rate plan costs based on the assumption that you will always or almost always want to use preferred providers, also known as staying in network. However, network problems largely disappear if you

  • IRMAA - Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts

    What is IRMAA? IRMAA stands for Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts. High-income households pay an extra charge—IRMAA—on top of the standard Medicare premium. IRMAA can apply to either Medicare

  • FEHB & Medicare Part D

    The Medicare Part D prescription drug program benefits millions of Americans. It fills a major hole in Medicare that lasted 50 years. But, historically, it would rarely benefit federal retirees who

  • FEHB & Medicare Advantage

    Federal retirees have Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to consider joining. Our analysis shows that some of these offerings are an outstanding value. Aetna, APWU, Compass Rose, Kaiser, GEHA, MHBP, Rural

  • How the FEHB Program Works

    The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is an unconventional government program. Instead of giving you one "take it or leave it" choice, the government authorizes plans to compete for

  • What Part-Time Employees Need to Know About the FEHB Program

    Many career Federal employees work part-time schedules. In these cases, most government agencies do not pay the regular share of the premium. Instead, employees receive a pro rata amount based on

  • Medicare

    I'm a retired Federal employee with FEHB health insurance. My insurer is telling me I have to use Medicare part A. I don't want to use it because that's taxpayers money. I paid for insurance coverage

  • Medicare Basics - The Four Parts of Medicare - A, B, C, D

    Medicare Part A—Hospital Insurance—When you become eligible to join Medicare, you'll be enrolled in Part A. Most people don't pay an extra premium as you've been paying for Part A through paycheck

  • 2024 FEHB Program Changes

    The average 2024 premium will increase 7.7% for enrollees. This is considerably higher than historical experience in the FEHB, but is similar to most private employer cost increases and largely

  • Should I suspend FEHB coverage and just have Medicare Advantage?

    If you join a commercial MA plan, not FEHB Medicare Advantage plans, you can temporarily suspend your FEHB enrollment and stop paying two sets of premiums. Under the suspend option, you pay the Part

  • Are Consumer Driven Health Plans the Right FEHB Plan Type for You?

    Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) have been around for a while, but we still get a lot of questions about them. Here’s why they’re one of the lowest-cost plans in FEHB. How CDHPs work CDHPs have

  • How to Get FEHB Plan Information

    The OPM website has plan brochures and a great deal of other useful information. There are three additional ways to get brochures: Attend health fairs Call the plan Visit the plan website You change

  • How to Coordinate a FEHB Plan with Other Insurance

    You cannot use our cost rankings directly if you have health insurance coverage from another source. The best FEHB plan for you depends on the cost and benefit structure of the other plan, though

  • TRICARE

    Would it be advantageous for me to enroll in TRICARE (I am retired military) rather than remaining with my FEHB plan? In general, TRICARE is a better choice than any FEHB plan, because its benefits

  • Weight Loss Drug Coverage from FEHB Plans and Medicare

    Weight-loss drug popularity has skyrocketed. Between 2020 to 2022, the number of prescriptions has risen to around 9 million in the U.S. With celebrity attention, positive clinical trials, and even

  • Part B Rebate

    A few plans offer partial Medicare Part B reimbursements for those enrolled in Medicare Part B. These savings are included in our yearly cost estimates with Medicare Parts A & B and in the Extra Cost

  • Deductibles, Copayments, and Coinsurance in the FEHB Program

    You can use cost sharing details to assist you in choosing a plan by pinpointing strengths and weaknesses for items of particular importance. If you are especially concerned about a broad area of

  • Extra Cost of Part B

    The difference between what you will likely pay, including both premiums and out-of-pocket costs, when you have an FEHB plan with both Medicare Parts A and B, compared to the same plan with only Part

  • What You Need to Know About Dental Care in the FEHB Program

    Plans' dental benefits differ widely in details, and many of the brochures use technical terminology such as "gingival" (gum, in English), "alveolar" (the part of the jawbone that holds teeth in

  • Yearly Cost Estimate - Medicare Parts A & B

    Your yearly estimated costs include your premiums and what you have to pay for your share of hospital, doctor, prescriptions, and other services. For this estimate we include the Part B premium in

  • What You Need to Know About Vision Care in the FEHB Program

    All FEHB plans pay for medically necessary care of your eyes, such as cataract surgery. Many pay for annual refractive examinations to determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lens, and

  • Nursing Care Benefits in the FEHB Program

    There are four kinds of nursing care: Skilled care while in a hospital. Skilled care in a special extended or skilled care facility. Care in your own home provided by visiting nurses. Custodial care

  • Outpatient Mental Benefits in the FEHB Program

    OPM has long required that plans pay the same benefits for physician visits or hospital stays whether due to either physical or mental illness. This requirement is called "parity," and, at face

  • Hearing Aid Benefits in the FEHB Program

    All plans cover medical problems, such as infections, that affect any part of your body, including your ears. All plans cover routine hearing testing for children. Almost all will pay most of the

  • What's New in FEHB for 2024

    Every year it’s important to review what’s new in FEHB. As in previous years, there are significant premium, benefit, and plan availability changes that will affect both active and retired federal

  • Yearly Cost Estimate - Medicare Part A only

    Your yearly estimated costs include your FEHB premium and what you have to pay for your share of hospital, doctor, prescription, and other costs. We calculate typical costs for someone like you for

  • What You Need to Know About the FEHB Program and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

    Both Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) provide significant tax advantages, beyond those available through Premium Conversion and FSAs. The simpler case

  • 13 FEHB Open Season Tips

    Getting "Free" Health Insurance—Some Consumer-Driven and High Deductible FEHB plans provide you a savings account larger than your actual premium cost after taxes. You can end the year with more

  • Should I Join an HMO in the FEHB Program?

    HMO plans provide not just insurance, but also a different approach to health care delivery from traditional fee-for-service medicine. Therefore, although cost and benefit comparisons are the key

  • How to Choose the Best FEHB Plan For You and Your Family

    There are three important steps to follow to narrow down the selection of plans: Use the Guide's yearly cost comparisons, which are personalized based on the information you tell us, to find the

  • Clinical Quality of Care for FEHB Plans

    We also report ratings from OPM on how plans compared for clinical quality of care. These data are from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), which are standardized

  • Should I Join a High Deductible Plan in the FEHB Program?

    Over a dozen national and some local carriers offer High Deductible plans (HDHP), with at least two or three of these plans available to most enrollees. HDHPs offer spectacular savings opportunities

  • How to Save Money on FEHB Coverage and Healthcare Costs

    With the average enrollee share of FEHB premium increasing 7.7% next year, most federal employees will pay more for health insurance in 2024. We’ll analyze this premium hike and walk you through

  • Limitations on FEHB Enrollment

    Many plans are open to all employees. However, HMOs require that you live or work in their service area, and a few plans require that you work for a particular agency or join a specific union. Most

  • A Closer Look at 2024 FEHB Premiums

    Federal employees and annuitants will, on average, pay 7.7% more in FEHB premiums next year. OPM cites increased cost and use of prescription drugs, emergency room care, and outpatient care as the

  • Health Alliance Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the Health Alliance Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and lower out-of-pocket costs for

  • CDPHP Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the CDPHP Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and lower out-of-pocket costs for medical

  • Foreign Service Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the Foreign Service Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and many eligible medical benefits at

  • United Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the UnitedHealthCare Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and many eligible medical benefits

  • Samba Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the Samba Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and many eligible medical benefits at little to

  • NALC Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the NALC Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and many eligible medical benefits at little to

  • United Retiree Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A and B, and the UnitedHealthCare Medicare Advantage plan, UnitedHealthCare Retiree Advantage Plan (UHCA), you will receive Medicare Part B premium

  • Aetna Medicare Advantage

    If you enroll in this FEHB plan, Medicare Parts A & B, and Aetna Medicare Advantage, you will receive Medicare Part B premium reimbursements and many eligible medical benefits at little to no