How nice for them....article below fold.
Employees in the mid-Atlantic region, through UnitedHealthcare’s M.D. IPA,
will have lower payroll contributions and more choices
Business Wire
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- September 25, 2008
UnitedHealthcare, a leader in consumer driven health plans (CDHP), will
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."