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Insurance premiums for federal employee vision and dental insurance are again holding steady this year, while general health care premiums for government employees are projected to increase by an average of nearly 7.7%.
The average premium increase for the 2024 plan year, starting January 1, is 1.4% for dental plans and 1.1% for vision.
“Prices are very stable in terms of premiums,” said Kevin Moss, a benefits expert for Consumers Checkbook. “The benefits are very consistent, and that’s how that program has worked historically.”
Last year, premiums under the FEDVIP program changed by less than half a percent.
Coverage for dental and eye visits falls under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. FEDVIP is an independent, voluntary, enrollee pay-all dental and vision program that offers beneficiaries the opportunity to choose their own carrier.
Like the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, which covers other medical treatments, FEDVIP is sponsored by the White House Office of Personnel Management. It is administered through a contractor to serve more than 7 million civilian employees, service members, annuitants and their family members.
The federal government doesn’t contribute directly to vision or dental premiums, but what helps keep costs down is the fact that the program uses affiliated providers who offer discounts because of the increased business the plans attract, according to Consumer Checkbook.
With premiums largely unchanged this year, federal employees interested in shopping around for coverage will likely want to pay attention to what their plan covers to see which is the cheapest.
This year, there are 12 dental carriers offering a total of 23 plans across the program. Fourteen of those plans are nationwide, meaning they are available to all enrollees without special eligibility requirements.
About half of carriers pledged to cover nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, when medically necessary this year.
For Vision, there are five carriers offering 10 nationwide plans. Two of these carriers increased their dollar amount of frame assistance. A reduced material pays in their premium plan option at $0 and the exam pays at $0 in their standard option.
Benefeds is the records processing system that specifically administers FEDVIP. If you have questions about coverage specifically, contact the carrier directly.
Do I need FEDVIP?
While FEHB and FEDVIP are separate programs, some medical insurance plans also include dental or vision as part of their overall benefits package. Some also offer discount programs that encourage the use of a particular provider.
Moss advised that for employees seeking only occasional or preventive dental care, it may be worth forgoing the additional premium imposed by FEDVIP and stick with what you get from your FEHB plan, if it offers anything. And if so, make sure you’re okay with using that plan’s network of providers.
Staying in-network will offer the lowest costs, Moss said.
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For major orthodontic work, restorative treatment or other non-routine care, paying the extra premium for FEDVIP makes sense, he added, but beware of extended costs.
“If you have orthodontic needs in your family, whether as a child or an adult, understand that there will be a lot out of pocket,” he said. “I don’t want people to think, ‘OK, if I sign up for this plan, and I get this extra coverage and I’m paying this extra premium, then I’m not going to pay anything out of pocket.’
This year, 70,000 temporary, temporary and seasonal federal employees became eligible under the FEDVIP program thanks to a rule change implemented by OPM in July, the Federal Times reported. This would apply to many people who were previously excluded from coverage, including US Postal Service employees, firefighters and other emergency responders.
When is the 2024 open season?
Open enrollment is when eligible federal employees can enroll in or change FEDVIP coverage.
This year, healthcare selections open on November 13 and end on December 11.
Compare FEDVIP plans
Molly Weisner is a staff reporter for the Federal Times, where she covers labor, policy and contracting related to the government workforce. She made previous stops at USA Today and McClatchy as a digital producer and worked at The New York Times as a copy editor. Molly majored in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
