Federal Benefits Open Season
(Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Programs)
November 13, 2023 through December 11, 2023
This is the only notification you will receive regarding Open Season
If you are satisfied with your current health plan, you do not need to do anything
Access to Open Season Online requires enrolling into Login.gov, which is the Government's secure login tool. Once you register with Login.gov, you will use your Login.gov credentials to
sign-in to Open Season Online. With your Login.gov account, you can securely connect to multiple government accounts online.
It's quick and easy to request health benefit changes and plan information. |
- Go to Open Season Online at https://retireefehb.opm.gov |
- Call Open Season Express at 1-800-332-9798 |
- Write to us at: |
FEHB Open Season Processing Center |
|
P.O. Box 5000 |
|
Lawrence, KS 66046-0500 |
For General Open Season information, click the above link to use Live Help or send a secure
webmail message.
For information on comparing health plans visit http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/compare-plans.
For more information regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's requirement
visit www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision.
For information on the Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) visit
the secure enrollment website www.benefeds.com or call 1-877-888-3337, TTY
1-877-889-5680.
For more information on Open Season or health care reform legislation, visit www.opm.gov/insure.
For information on Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.
If you are having trouble reading this email you may copy and paste the following link into a web browser's address bar: https://retireefehb.opm.gov
Healthcare Plan Information For Ohio - OPM.gov
Open the link above ^ for more information on Medicare choices this
year.
MEDICARE OR NOT:
10/21/23
Being a postal employee has numerous perks and benefits with one of the most significant
ones being your FEHB (health insurance). But as people approach age 65, Medicare comes into the picture and presents numerous decisions to make concerning health benefits. Here is a link
that addresses Medicare and FEHB for all federal employees: Do
You Really Need Medicare and FEHB as a Federal Employee? (be sure to scroll to top) Medicare Part A is free, paid for through payroll deductions when you worked. For Medicare Part B, you pay a premium. The chart in the
above link is outdated; the
2024 Medicare Part B premiums are attached. (Thanks Bill Tierney).
MEDICARE COST TO
INCREASE: Bill Tierney
10/13/23
The standard monthly premium for traditional Medicare Part B coverage, which encompasses
physician care, outpatient services and medical equipment, will be $174.70 in 2024, up from $164.90 this year. Medicare enrollees may see higher premiums based on their income. For more
information: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/13/medicare-premiums-set-to-rise-in-2024
or
https://www.myfederalretirement.com/.
MEDICARE
REIMBURSEMENTS: Linda Carter
10/21/23
Many insurance providers under the FEHB program give annual reimbursements to help offset
the cost of Medicare Part B; I can only speak personally about BCBS because that is what I have. For those who have BCBS BASIC (less expensive premiums), the reimbursement in 2023 is
$800. The reimbursement is not available for BCBS STANDARD (the most expensive premium, and what most of us had during career and until eligible for Medicare Part
B). Once enrolled in Medicare Part B, it is not necessary to carry the additional coverage in BCBS Standard as Medicare Part B becomes your primary insurance, and BCBS is secondary. You are
encouraged to talk to your Federal BCBS representative, who will (in most cases) advised you to switch to Basic. Open Season November 14 – December 12, 2023.
HOW TO GET THE
REIMBURSEMENT: from Linda Carter
10/21/23
Basic Option members who have Medicare Part A and Part B can get up to $800 with
a Medicare Reimbursement Account. All you have to do is provide proof that you pay Medicare Part B premiums. If your premium is deducted from your Social Security, you should use the
Social Security Cost of Living statement received annually, usually in November for the following year. Each eligible active or retired member on a contract with Medicare Part A and Part B,
including covered spouses, can get their own $800 reimbursement. Here is the information, along with the links to apply for reimbursements: https://www.fepblue.org/our-plans/medicare/medicare-reimbursement.
If this is your first request for reimbursement, you must register first. Pay close attention to how to determine your four-digit ID Code on page 2 of the
attachment. If you are already registered, it takes less than 5-minutes to apply for the reimbursement. Let me know if I can help: Linda Carter
919-323-6595.
Hello everyone,
9/28/23
I just found out today that Bill Landman's wife passed away on Aug 28. I apologize for the late notice and feel bad for not knowing at the time. If
anyone would like to send a card, his address is 552 Landman Rd, Waverly OH 45690-9548. Bill served as our chaplain for a number of years. And for those of you who are planning to attend
our luncheon next Wed you will get a chance to talk with Bill there as he is planning to attend. The link for Shirley Landman is below.
Hope to see you in Plain City!
Sara