More Dental, Vision Insurance Choices for Feds

Federal employees will have more options starting next year when choosing dental and vision insurance coverage.

The Office of Personnel Management on Friday announced that it will add four carriers in 2014 to its current dental and vision portfolio, for a total of 14 insurance contracts. The agency will award 10 contracts for dental plans and four vision contracts.

This is the first time since 2006 that OPM has solicited new contracts. The 2004 Federal Employees Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act requires that program contracts are available for seven years. Premium rates and benefits packages are negotiated annually under the contracts.

The dental plan contracts are going to:

• Aetna
• MetLife
• United Concordia
• GEHA
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Delta Dental
• Triple S
• Dominion Dental
• Humana
• Emblem Health

OPM will award vision contracts to the following companies:

• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• VSP
• United Healthcare

“I am pleased that we were able to increase the number of carriers participating in the program, and now we will be offering more choices and flexibility for enrollees to select insurance coverage,” said OPM acting Director Elaine Kaplan. The agency will announce 2014 premium rates and benefits coverage before Open Season starts in November.