If you are a federal employee you will want to pay close attention to this post, because it relates directly to your health care. UnitedHealthcare is now going to offer a new CDHP in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for 2009. The open enrollment period for federal employees will run from November 10, 2008 through December 8, 2008.

The new CDHP benefit, which includes a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), offers several attractive features for federal employees, including lower premiums, access to UnitedHealthcare’s broad national physician and hospital network without the need for physician referrals, and full coverage of most in-network preventive care. The new CDHP and the existing tax-advantaged Health Savings Account (HSA)-eligible plan will be offered by UnitedHealthcare in 25 states and the District of Columbia in 2009.

“The addition of the new CDHP benefit is an affordable option that provides access to quality care,” said Craig Condon, senior vice president, Federal Programs. “The new consumer driven plan will enable federal employees to take greater control of the decisions that affect their care through the resources and personal tools UnitedHealthcare offers to help consumers make informed medical choices.”

UnitedHealthcare is one of the largest HMO providers in the FEHB Program and through its affiliates has provided benefits to federal employees and their families for more than 25 years. A large number of UnitedHealthcare’s federal beneficiaries reside in the mid-Atlantic region and receive benefits through its affiliate, M.D. IPA.

In 2009, along with the consumer driven plans, federal employees in the mid-Atlantic also will have the opportunity to choose M.D. IPA’s HMO – one of the area’s largest High Option FEHB HMO offerings.

The UnitedHealthcare M.D. IPA HMO will provide consumers in 2009 with:

• Employee payroll contributions lower than 2008;
• Dental PPO coverage at no additional cost; and,
• No co-payment for any primary care doctor visit for children through age 17, including well-care visits.

“For the past six years, UnitedHealthcare’s M.D. IPA has had one of the highest customer service ratings in the mid-Atlantic region,” said Condon. “Our goal each year is to offer benefits that respond to the evolving health care needs of the federal employees in this area. We believe that our offerings in 2009 will again achieve this goal by providing clear and simple options for federal employees and their families.”