GovernmentExecutive.com

The Office of Personnel Management has issued final regulations to administer a 2004 law that established a dental and vision benefits program for federal employees.

The regulations, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, made minor revisions to an interim version released in October 2007.

OPM began offering dental and vision insurance to federal employees, annuitants and their eligible family members in the 2006 open season. The benefits are not subsidized by the government, but federal employees can pay for them using pre-tax dollars.

The final regulations clarify that federal employees cannot be denied enrollment or benefits coverage in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program due to a pre-existing condition. But a carrier may determine that coverage does not extend to replacements for teeth missing before the effective date of enrollment in the program, OPM stated.

The final regulations also allow for cancellation of enrollment if participants or their spouses are called to active military service.

In addition, reemployed annuitants who separate from federal service must notify the FEDVIP administrator within 30 days to have their allotments withheld from their annuity payments, or face termination of coverage due to the nonpayment of premiums, according to the agency.

OPM is expected to announce next month premium and health plan changes for the 2008 open season, which will run from Nov. 10 to Dec. 8.

COMMENTS

• These plans are only for those who forsee major dental expenses or orthodontics for their kids. Like Health Insurance you are going to get the best deal if you live in a major urban area because in network providers are easier to find. Combining a in network provider with the plan benefits can save you big time. If you normally only have cleaning, x-rays, examinations, and the occasional fillings pick a FEHBP plan that includes dental benefits. I've never paid for those services because I've always had dental coverage through my FEHBP plan. Dharm Posted October 27, 2008 11:27 AM
• Why are premiums going up with more buying power? In the first year there was twice as much interest in these plans than OPM expected. Premiums should be coming down not going up. OPM needs to do a better job of negotating rates. Fed Employee Posted October 27, 2008 10:05 AM
• Some advice (if free, and its worth only what you think it is...): People should realize that dentists and other medical providers may charge different rates & fees for the exact same service, depending upon what insurance a patient has - or may even charge a higher rate if there is no insurance. This is because the different insurance providers negotiate the maximum costs for specific services in their plans, leading some providers to just not accept certain insurances - it is driven by supply and demand (i.e. does the provider have enough high dollar patients to make it worthwile for them to reject a given insurance payment cap structure?). So comparing your premiums & co-pays vs. what you expect to get back in services will not give you a clear picture or comparison of which is cheaper. Your best bet is to do a rough analysis of what you think you would have to shell out without insurance and then pick an insurance provider who's costs are as close as you can get. It will look like you pay maore using insurance, but you won't get higher unanticipated costs because you don't have insurance. Insurance in a a nutshell is trading a relatively fixed cost, but which may be a bit more expensive most years, for avoiding the risk of higher unanticipated costs. Finally, make sure you ask you current provider if they accept the insurance you are thinking of getting. USACE Phil Posted October 3, 2008 11:57 AM