OPM offers open season crash course

With open season for changing health benefit elections beginning on Nov. 14, federal employees unsure of their options must learn quickly. The Office of Personnel Management will broadcast a series of five webcasts about the open season process, on topics ranging from the dental program to managing Medicare.

Each webcast will begin at 1:30 p.m. EST. OPM already broadcast the first program, an introduction to the Open Season process, on Wednesday. For those who missed it, the clip is available at OPM.gov, or on the agency's YouTube page.

The next webcast will premiere Nov. 8 and discusses the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program.

Think you already know everything there is to know about open season and don't need to tune into the webcasts? You can start by testing your open season knowledge with our brief quiz:

1.) How many plan options can Federal Employees Health Benefits Program participants choose among this open season?

A. 20

B. 153

C. 206

D. 207

2.) True or false: Participants will have fewer plans to choose among than last open season.

3.) Which of these features has not been added to FEHBP?

A. Extended coverage for adult children age 26 or younger

B. Tobacco cessation incentives

C. Preventative screening at no cost to enrollees

D. Buy one, get one free X-rays

4.) True or false: OPM will streamline pharmacy benefit purchasing by negotiating directly on behalf of plan participants.

5.) On average, how much will the amount federal employees pay for health care premiums rise in 2012?

A. 1.8 percent

B. 3.5 percent

C. 25 percent

D. Health care premiums will drop in 2012

6.) How much will the government contribution to premiums increase in 2012?

A. It won't increase

B. 1.2 percent

C. 4 percent

D. 20 percent

7.) True or false: Same-sex domestic partners of federal workers can join FEHBP in 2012.

Click here to view the answers.