GovernmentExecutive.com

After temporarily shelving its original awards for federal dental and vision insurance contracts in order to reassess them, the Office of Personnel Management announced this week that the original companies would still get the contracts.

OPM said in June that it was reconsidering bids for insurance providers after Blue Cross Blue Shield of America's Federal Employee Program, the largest provider in the OPM-run Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office. Blue Cross Blue Shield was given a contract to offer the vision benefits, but not the dental.

But the second time around, Blue Cross Blue Shield still was not given a dental contract. MetLife, GEHA, United Concordia, Aetna, GHI, CompBenefits and Triple-S will provide the service. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Spectera Inc., and Vision Service Plan will provide vision benefits.

OPM did not say why it did not award Blue Cross Blue Shield the dental contract, and the company declined to comment.

The new insurance will be available to federal employees alongside regular health insurance during the 2006 open season, from Nov. 13 to Dec. 11. By law, OPM has to offer the new benefits, which are voluntary and not supplemented by agencies, by the end of the calendar year.

COMMENTS

• When I was signing up for change from Mail Handler's to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, since BCBS had no dental coverage, I stayed with Mail Handler's. I just received the paperwork, and two things surprised me. First, the wait for dental, dentures, was a full year longer before any kind of reimbursement/coverage. Second, and MOST IMPORTANT, there is a LIFETIME limit of only S1000. When I was checking things, I did check another dental plan which had a lifetime $1000 limit, so went back to Mail Handler's to see if same thing applied. It DID NOT ... Also, I thought coverage would come directly out of retirement monies as regular health benefits. I guess not so Finally, a $1000 limit per year is ok; I expect to need at least five years, probably ten, to do dental work. At $38 a month I can pay that amount directly to the dentist for 5-10 years and get a discount ..won't need agency at all. Basic question: LIFETIME LIMIT helps no one. jean c minish Posted January 12, 2008 2:07 PM