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Even better, the premium for all Blue Cross plans, which cover nearly 2/3 of all federal employees and retirees, will decrease slightly. The rates are in the linked WaPo article below.
Of interest to some is that Blue Cross is introducing a third, lower cost option this year, in addition to its Standard and Basic plans. That third plan, called Blue Focus, will feature preventive care, access to the BCBS network of hospitals and doctors, access to generic prescription drugs, and $10 copays for primary and specialist visits. Monthly premiums for this plan will be roughly $115 for self only, $272 for family coverage, and $247 for self plus one coverage. That is opposed to the more expensive BCBS Standard (which I have) which will be approximately $243 for self only, $581 for family, and $555 for self plus one. The BCBS Standard premium for self only is decreasing roughly $2/month. (The rates for Basic are remaining flat for self only, decreasing by about $8 for family coverage, and decreasing by about $2.75 per month for self plus one.)
Also starting in 2019, military retirees and their families will be eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and family members of active-duty personnel will be eligible to enroll in the FEDVIP vision plans if they are enrolled in TRICARE. More information is in the linked article below.
Coincidentally (although unrelated to the above), I just received a letter in the mail informing me that my primary care doctor is switching to a concierge practice as of October 1st and that if my wife and I want to keep seeing her it will cost $3,500/year to do so ($1,800/each minus $100 discount for couples).
So much for the $2/month I was going to save on my Blue Cross premium, lol.
Thank you for this post. My DH is a retired Federal employee and the kids and I are covered under his plan. I will be interested in this Blue Focus - as we have had Standard since 1992 - I carried my kids on my plan as an NPS employee and DH and our two kids until 2002 when DH was getting a promotion and PCS - and I would be on LWOP - He picked us up on his FEHB at that time. Youngest is 18 so 8 more years until we can drop to Self+1.
Looking forward to comparing the three plans this year.
MadMan, are you staying with the concierge practice?
YEEEARS ago I had a doctor who went "concierge" -- the $1,500 a year "retainer" guaranteed same-day appointments, and included a "basic" physical and one run of "standard" blood tests that go with that annual physical.
Given that I was healthy and hardly EVER went to a doctor, I didn't stay with her practice. Would have loved to stay with her. But I just couldn't see paying $1,500 a year for having a doctor I hardly ever see.
MadManofBethesda - You made my day! This is great news! I'm retired and turned 65 last year. I didn't sign up for Medicare Part B. I was worried about whether my Fed Basic BCBS would fully cover my 2 yearly Doctor visits ...one for a yearly physical and one for prescription renewal. No difference at all!!!! Plus with money from the MyBlue Wellness card program, it covers the cost of my drugs and copay for the Dr visits.
I might look into the Fed BCBS Focus deal for $115 a month if my Dr and area hospitals are members. I see no reason why they shouldn't be!
MadMan, are you staying with the concierge practice?
Yes, we are; at least for the time being. We love our doctor and she has gone above and beyond for us in the past. She has been great in the past in coordinating all my prescriptions, as well as staying in constant communication with my oncologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, and other specialists in coordinating my healthcare. She also just calls out of the blue to ask how I'm doing and to see if I need anything. The only thing that I'm slightly perturbed about is the timing of her letter and the fact that it is going into effect on Monday with no real notice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by selhars
YEEEARS ago I had a doctor who went "concierge" -- the $1,500 a year "retainer" guaranteed same-day appointments, and included a "basic" physical and one run of "standard" blood tests that go with that annual physical.
That's pretty much how it is going to work with our doctor. The $1,800 is a fee to gain access; which includes her cell phone number, email, etc.; all other fees, copays, insurance paperwork remains the same. We're supposed to have access to her or someone on call 24/7 and the ability to be seen within a day if we need an appointment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by selhars
Given that I was healthy and hardly EVER went to a doctor, I didn't stay with her practice. Would have loved to stay with her. But I just couldn't see paying $1,500 a year for having a doctor I hardly ever see.
I can understand that. My PCP in Maryland 10-15 years ago went the concierge route and I debated at that time whether to pay the annual fee to stay with him (which IIRC was also $1,500) before ultimately deciding to do so. However, having gone that route before, I'm actually looking forward to my doctor turning her office into a concierge practice with fewer patients. She won't be as rushed, and we'll be able to get in to see her easier and won't have to deal with overcrowded waiting rooms and overburdened and harried staff.
Even better, the premium for all Blue Cross plans, which cover nearly 2/3 of all federal employees and retirees, will decrease slightly. The rates are in the linked WaPo article below.
Of interest to some is that Blue Cross is introducing a third, lower cost option this year, in addition to its Standard and Basic plans. That third plan, called Blue Focus, will feature preventive care, access to the BCBS network of hospitals and doctors, access to generic prescription drugs, and $10 copays for primary and specialist visits. Monthly premiums for this plan will be roughly $115 for self only, $272 for family coverage, and $247 for self plus one coverage. That is opposed to the more expensive BCBS Standard (which I have) which will be approximately $243 for self only, $581 for family, and $555 for self plus one. The BCBS Standard premium for self only is decreasing roughly $2/month. (The rates for Basic are remaining flat for self only, decreasing by about $8 for family coverage, and decreasing by about $2.75 per month for self plus one.)
Also starting in 2019, military retirees and their families will be eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and family members of active-duty personnel will be eligible to enroll in the FEDVIP vision plans if they are enrolled in TRICARE. More information is in the linked article below.
The Fedvip Dental is a laugh. I paid for this for a year and even basic dental (cleanings, etc.) were not paid. Never again!
there are different plans. not sure which you purchased but mine fully covers 2x/yr cleaning, 1x/yr X-rays as well as usual coverages for other things. i have aetna dental
The Fedvip Dental is a laugh. I paid for this for a year and even basic dental (cleanings, etc.) were not paid. Never again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by old fed
there are different plans. not sure which you purchased but mine fully covers 2x/yr cleaning, 1x/yr X-rays as well as usual coverages for other things. i have aetna dental
I can confirm that as well. Although I don't have dental, my wife has the Aetna plan just as you do. When we both go in for exams/cleanings, I end up paying over $100 while she pays absolutely nothing. I just pulled the invoice from when we last went in earlier this summer and the dentist charged her $105 for an oral exam (D0150), $95 for prophylaxis (D1110), $60 for bitewing x-rays (D0274), and $15 for an x-ray of a single tooth (D0220). And of that $275 total charge, Aetna reduced the charge to $167, paid $129, and our regular BCBS health plan covered the $42 balance, leaving my wife with no copay whatsoever.
But the big benefit of having a FEDVIP dental plan is if you need more serious dental work done. She's in the process of getting an implant and a crown and I know Aetna is saving us over $1k on the cost of those procedures (although we still have to pay 60%).
Her Aetna premium is $35.53/month ($426/yr) and Aetna has already paid $600 so far just for the implant. When you add in what the crown will cost, not to mention the cost of the routine cleanings and x-rays, and it's plain to see that having the dental insurance this year was definitely cost-effective.
The Fedvip Dental is a laugh. I paid for this for a year and even basic dental (cleanings, etc.) were not paid. Never again!
We've been using the Tricare Delta Dental which will be discontinued on Dec. 31, 2018. It has always paid for 1 check-up and cleaning and x-rays in full. After that it covered 50%, I think. It also covered 50% of my husband's crowns and root canal, and it reduced the cost of his implant and covered a portion of it. We were happy with it.
Delta Dental is one of the choices being offered through FEDVIP. Prices for 2019 for all Dental and Vision plans will be posted on the military site starting October 10, 2018. The brochures are posted now as well as the 2018 prices.
I plan to read all the brochures more in-depth and have already made a spreadsheet for what each choice covers so that I can more easily compare.
This is also the first year we will be offered vision plans. However, after scanning the plans, I'm not sure they are worth bothering with.
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