Health Insurance Rates Going Up for Federal Employees

Friday, September 26, 2008; Page D01

Health insurance premiums for federal employees will jump almost 8 percent, on average, in 2009, a sharp increase over the 2.9 percent increase this year and the 2.3 percent increase in 2007, the Office of Personnel Management announced yesterday.

Premiums for most workers, however, will climb even more next year — about 13 percent — which is the increase for enrollees in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Sixty percent of federal workers are enrolled in one of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans.

“We worked very hard to contain premium costs, and we were more successful with some health plans than with others,” said Nancy Kichak, OPM’s associate director for strategic human resources policy. The rates, she said, are the lowest possible in keeping with preservation of benefits and stability in the program…..read rest of story here…