Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.wpost From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: THE FEDERAL DIARY=Shopping for Insurance=By Mike Causey=Washington Post Staff Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 09:22:42 EST Message-ID: <21.1992Nov8.092243@AmeriCast.com> THE FEDERAL DIARY=Shopping for Insurance=By Mike Causey=Washington Post Staff Writer= January's 3.7 percent raise will boost the typical biweekly pay- check of white-collar federal workers in the Washington area by about $64 - before deductions, that is. Federal workers making more than the annual average of $46,000 will naturally get bigger raises, and those making less will get smaller ones. When federal workers get their pay raise, civilian and military retirees will get a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment. Even as pay and pension checks are adjusted upward, the average health insurance premium for federal workers and retirees will jump an average of 9 percent. But most people can wind up paying about the same, or even less in some cases, if they shop careful- ly during the open season that starts tomorrow and runs through Dec. 14. Health insurance is a big deal, and in this area - where half the people are covered by a government health plan - the open season is a very big deal. Workers and retirees here are eligible to join any of about 25 plans that cover everyone from the lowest- paid government clerk to members of Congress and their families, and more than 100,000 retirees and survivors. President-elect Bill Clinton, who doesn't go on the payroll until Jan. 20, will be eligible to sign up for the program that 11 million workers, retirees and dependents rely on to pay some or all of their medi- cal or hospital bills, buy prescription drugs and take some bite out of expensive dental work. It is the largest company- style health program in the nation, and the federal government pays an average of about 72 percent of all premiums. Workers and retirees in the same plans pay the same premiums and get the same benefits. Federal workers pay premiums biweekly, retirees monthly. Unlike many private firms that reduce or elim- inate benefits for retirees, the federal health program treats workers and retirees identically in cost and coverage. Example: Non-postal federal workers will pay $20.96 biweekly for Blue Cross-Blue Shield's single standard option, and the monthly prem- ium for retirees will be $45.91. Postal workers will pay $5.24 for the same coverage, thanks to their union contract. The Blues' plan is the most popular in the federal program. There is a big price spread among health plans. Workers can pay as little as $16 or as much as $166 every two weeks, depending on the plan and option they choose. The typical single employee will pay about $20 biweekly, and the typical family will pay about $45 each pay period next year for insurance. The 1993 health premiums for local plans were listed here on Sept. 14, 15, 16 and 17. On Nov. 17, The Washington Post health magazine will feature federal health plans and an open season guide for insurance shoppers. During the open season, we will have a series of columns on different plans that insurance ex- perts rate as best buys for singles, families, retirees, and in- dividuals with special medical problems. 02:24 11-08C9999----- Copyright 1992, The Washington Post. This story is from the Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar- chived or redistributed. For more information, send-email to American Cybercasting Cor- poration (usa@AmeriCast.COM)