Podcasts about fehbp

November 20, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis and his colleague Kevin Moss to talk about FEHBP Open Season. The Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices. Francis and Moss are the principal authors of both online and print versions of Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees. The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source. It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. At the Guide's website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you. It rates about 160 health insurance plans available to Federal employees and retirees, including about 20 national plans, and about 140 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other local plan options, including two dozen Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plan options. The Guide rates not only regular insurance plans open to both employees and annuitants, but also about 40 plans open only to annuitants on Medicare that provide special Medicare benefits, pay most or all of the Part B premium, or both. Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind. The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict. It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand-alone plans. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com Copyright © 2023 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

The "open season" for choosing a Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) option runs from November 13 thru December 12. The choices are numerous and stakes are high. For the fifth year in a row, Bob is being joined by Jay Fritz, the Office of Personnel Management executive tasked with coordinating the FEHBP open season. Jay and Bob discuss what's new for active and retired postal and federal employees in the FEHBP environment. In addition, they discuss what's driving premium increases and benefit changes.

November 21, 2022 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis and his colleague Kevin Moss to talk about FEHBP Open Season. The Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices. Francis and Moss are the principal authors of both online and print versions of Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees. The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source. It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. At the Guide's website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you. It rates about 270 health insurance plans available to all Federal employees and retirees, including twenty national plans, over 200 health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider (PPO) local area options, and over a dozen consumer-driven and high deductible plan options. The Guide rates not only regular insurance plans open to both employees and annuitants, but also about 20 plans open only to annuitants on Medicare that provide special Medicare benefits, pay most or all of the Part B premium, or both. Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind. The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict. It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand-alone plans. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, OPM Manager of Outreach and Program Services, joins Bob Levi to discuss the 2022 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season, which runs from Monday, Novermber 14, through Monday, December 12. This is the fourth year in a row that Jay Fritz has been on NAPS Chat to educate listeners about the FEHBP Open Season and health plans changes for the 2023 calendar year. Bob kicks off NAPS Chat to briefly discuss the 2022 congressional elections.

Each fall, the Federal Benefits Open Season comes with premiums for health insurance under the different insurance programs available for federal employees. Feds will pay 8.7% more on their health insurance premiums. The Office of Personnel Management attributed the increase to the COVID-19 pandemic and volatility of health care costs connected to the coronavirus crisis. Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce for at GovExec. He joined the podcast to discuss the FEHBP premium increase and other stories of federal pay, benefits and workforce issues.  

Participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) will see a significantly larger increase to their health premium costs in 2023, compared with the last few years. Federal employees and retirees, on average, will pay 8.7% more in health premiums, the Office of Personnel Management announced on Sept. 30.

November 8, 2021 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to talk about FEHBP Open Season. The Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices. Francis is the principal author of both online and print versions of Consumers' CHECKBOOK Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees. The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source. It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan, and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. At the Guide's website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you. It rates about 275 health insurance plans available to all Federal employees and retirees, including twenty national plans, over 200 health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider (PPO) local area options, and over a dozen consumer-driven and high deductible plan options. The Guide rates not only regular insurance plans open to both employees and annuitants, but also about 20 plans open only to annuitants on Medicare that provide special Medicare benefits, pay most or all of the Part B premium, or both. Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind. The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict. It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand alone plans. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, manager of the Office of Personnel Management's Outreach and Program Services joins Bob to discuss the 2021 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season, which runs from November 8 through December 13. This is the third year in a row Jay has joined Bob to discuss FEHBP Open Season. Jay and Bob discuss what's new in 2022, what factors to take into account when selecting an FEHBP plan, Medicare-eligibility, FEHBP tax-preferred flexible spending accounts, and dental and vision coverage for program participants.

NAPS Executive Vice President Ivan Butts, joins Bob Levi on the latest edition of NAPS Chat. They discuss Postal Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb's testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where she emphasized the need for enhanced oversight of the USPS' implementation of its 10-year business plan. Also, Ivan and Bob discuss Sen. John Boozman's (R-AR) request for an inspector general review of the USPS reduction-in-force (RIF). In addition, they note this week's publication of the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) cost estimate for HR 3076, the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act. In part, CBO disproves an assertion that the bill negatively impacts non-postal FEHBP participants. Finally, Ivan and Bob reflect on Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's comments on the last episode of NAPS Chat and his threat to seek judicial intervention to derail USPS efforts to revise mail and parcel delivery standards.

Federal employees and retirees know a lot of initialisms when it comes to their benefits and finances. IRA, TSP and FEHBP are just some of the initials public servants know and they’ll need to pay attention to them and other factors as the April 15 tax deadline approaches, as to not cross another important set of initials: the IRS. Dallen Haws is a financial planner and host of the “Plan Your Federal Benefits” YouTube channel as well as a podcast at PlanYourFederalBenefits.com. He is also the author of the book Building Wealth in The TSP: Your Road Map to Financial Freedom as a FERS Employee . He joined the show to discuss feds should be preparing for this year’s tax season.

Do you hate change, or making decisions? Is the car you are driving right now the same one you’ve owned since Jimmy Carter occupied the White House? Are you planning to finally have air conditioning installed in your home this year? Are you waiting for vinyl records to make a total comeback? Do you tend to put things off? Or try not to think about worst-case-scenarios — like a car wreck, or major illness — because it is depressing? Or can wait maybe until the current pandemic is over? Still not completely comfortable in the 21st century? Welcome to the club. According to the experts, many federal workers — and some retirees too — have excellent health insurance coverage. But most, thanks to the power of inertia, are paying too much in premiums. Consumer Checkbook’s Guide to Federal Health plans says “most people can save $2,000 or more in premiums next year, if they do something between now and Dec. 14 when the health insurance hunting season ends. My guest is Walton Francis, a retired former government official who wrote the book — literally — on the various plans in the FEHBP program. He’ll be talking about how to find the best buy for you and your family. And maybe save lots of money.

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, chief of the Office of Personnel Management's Outreach and Program Services joins Bob to discuss the 2020 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season. Jay and Bob discuss what's new in 2021 for FEHBP, what factors to take into account when selecting an FEHBP plan, FEHBP tax-preferred flexible spending accounts, and dental and vision coverage for program participants.

November 16, 2020 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to talk about FEHBP Open Season.  The CHECKBOOK’s Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices. Francis is the principal author of both online and print versions of Consumers’ CHECKBOOK’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees.  The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source.  It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan, and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. At the Guide’s website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you. It rates all of over 250 health insurance plans available to Federal employees and retirees, including twenty national plans, over 200 health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider (PPO) local area options, and over a dozen consumer-driven and high deductible plan options.  Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind. The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict. It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, not just descriptions. It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand alone plans. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

November 16, 2020 on ForYourBenefit, our hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to talk about FEHBP Open Season.  The CHECKBOOK’s Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices. Francis is the principal author of both online and print versions of Consumers’ CHECKBOOK’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees.  The Guide gives you vital insurance information that you cannot get from any other source.  It tells you how much money you can save by changing – or by staying in – your health insurance plan, and summarizes thousands of facts about the plans to simplify your choice. At the Guide’s website, www.guidetohealthplans.org, you can check to see if your agency has purchased access to the Guide for you. It rates all of over 250 health insurance plans available to Federal employees and retirees, including twenty national plans, over 200 health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider (PPO) local area options, and over a dozen consumer-driven and high deductible plan options.  Its ratings of plan costs take into account premiums, catastrophic limits, and estimates of likely out-of-pocket costs for medical expenses of every kind. The Guide compares plans for insurance value in dealing with unforeseen medical expenses, not just for the routine costs you can predict. It rates dental and vision plans as well. It provides dollar estimates of likely dental costs, taking into account both premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, not just descriptions. It compares dental coverage in all plans, not just stand alone plans. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com

This week's NAPS Chat focuses on reviewing some of the major NAPS events over the past year and our expectations for 2020. We also discuss Capitol Hill news from the final legislative week of 2019, including Rep. Mark Meadows' announcement that he will not seek re-election next November and a change in the law that may reduce FEHBP premiums for the next open season.

Hosts Bob Leins, CPA®, and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to the studio to talk about FEHBP open season.

If wasting a couple-thousand dollars next year is no big deal to you, you can skip this. But if you’d be interested in saving $1,000-$2,000 on your federal health plan in 2020, read on. Walton Francis, who literally wrote the book on the federal health program said that many, many workers and retirees are paying too much because of the plan they are in. And with a little shopping they could save a bundle and still get excellent coverage.

The Office of Personnel Management is out with next year's premium rates for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Employees and retirees will pay an average of 5.6% more toward their health care premiums next year. That's a big bump compared to last year's historically low premium rate increases. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to break down just how much you'll pay next year, and what other features are coming to the FEHBP.

For most white-collar civil servants, regardless of their duties, the September-October time period can be education/rewarding/challenging at the same time. Especially if you are preparing your personal budget for the upcoming year. FNN reporter Nicole Ogrysko bring us up to speed on how the immediate future looks for workers and retirees on this episode of Your Turn with Mike Causey.

While some people are already working on their 2020 taxes there are probably many more still trying to figure out what they did right, or wrong, because of the 2017 tax law. Many were surprised to learn that it no longer paid to itemize deductions that had been important in the past. Tom O’Rourke answers your questions on this episode of Your Turn with Mike Causey.

On this episode, Tammy Flanagan covers the basics and then some, to help put more money in your monthly retirement income and reduce costs to you. Your Turn with Mike Causey airs at 10 a.m. EDT on 1500 AM in the Washington, D.C. area and www.federalnewsnetwork.com.

In today's Federal Newscast, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers introduce two new bills to ensure federal employees don't lose insurance benefits during future government shutdowns.

Premiums are important if you are on a limited budget. But so is the plans’ catastrophic coverage (the limit on the amount you will have to pay out of pocket if you have a serious accident or major illness in 2019). Equally important, be sure your doctor(s) will be in the network of the plan(s) you are considering. Fortunately for people looking for good coverage at a low premium there are a lot of choices among the local HMOs and national fee-for-service plans. Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Federal Health Plans, answers questions from listeners on this episode of Your Turn radio show.

The possibility of a Dec. 7 partial government shutdown is another good reason feds — especially retired government workers — should pick their 2019 health plan ASAP. Walton Francis, editor of Consumers Checkbook Guide to Federal Health Plans, joins host Mike Causey on this week's Your Turn. He talks about best buys and explains why many more people need to switch plans.

On this week's episode of  Your Turn radio show, Walton Francis answers your questions. He's the guy who wrote the book on how to pick the best federal health plan: Checkbook's Guide To Health Plans For Federal Employees. Next Mr. Pat Grady, TRICARE Health Plan chief, tells us about changes that active military and veterans should be aware of this Open Season.

Open season is off and running. It's the one month a year that participants in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program have to make changes to their insurance for the next year. Greg Klingler is director of wealth management at the Government Employees' Benefit Association. GEBA is a non-profit that helps federal employees, retirees and some military contractors make sense of their benefits. Klingler joined Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko to suggest ways federal employees should consider changing their plans, even though premiums haven't moved much.

If you don’t change plans you will remain in your current plan which, if benefits change or premiums go up big time, could be a mistake. Walt Francis, a federal health plan expert, joined Federal News Network's Mike Causey on Your Turn to help you through open season.

Nearly half the questions health insurance hunters have involve or revolve around Medicare Part B. As in, do I need it? Can I afford it? What, if any, are the alternatives to Medicare Part B? What happens to the premium if I delay taking it? And by the way, what is it?The short answer is that it depends. On your age, health, financial situation, etc.

Hosts Bob Leins and Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director at NITP, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to the studio to talk about FEHBP open season. The Checkbook's Guide shows that most families can save $2,000 or more by selecting better plan choices.

This week on ForYourBenefit, welcome insurance expert and author Walton Francis to the studio to talk about FEHBP open season and his written guide on how families can save $1000 or more by selecting better plan choices.

This week on For Your Benefit, our hosts Bob Leins and John Elliott welcome insurance expert and author, Walton Francis, to the studio to talk about FEHBP open season.