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OPM: 5 Health Plans for Feds to Drop Coverage in 2015

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medical health doctorThe Office of Personnel Management said five health insurance plans in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will discontinue coverage on Nov. 10 and the change could affect up to 25,000 current and retired federal employees, GovExec reported Friday.

Eric Katz reports that United Healthcare of the Midwest, Coventry Health Care, Total Health Care USA, Anthem Healthkeepers and Optima Health Plan will drop from FEHBP due to low enrollment numbers, market penetration and profit margins.

The number of affected employees is the largest since 2009 at an estimated 750-percent increase from 2014, when fewer than 3,000 employees had to switch plans, the report said.

Workers can switch plans during the open season between Nov. 10 and Dec. 8.

Non-postal FEHBP planholders also face a 3.8-percent increase in their share of the premium in 2015 because of plans with greater out-of-pocket costs, Katz reports.

He notes that nine preventative services have been added as coverage requirements, including hepatitis C screening and alcohol- and tobacco-related counseling and intervention services.

Four new health insurance plans will also be available in 2015, namely the United Healthcare Insurance Company, Priority Health, Keystone Health Plan West and Innovation Health Plan.

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