Plan Ahead For Open Season
The upcoming Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season will run from November 11, 2024, through December 9, 2024. This is the designated time for you to make changes to your FEHB plan, which will take effect in 2025.
Why Open Season is Important
Many FEHB plans will see changes in premiums and benefits for the coming year. Some plans may also leave the program, modify their service areas, or adjust their coverage options. Open Season gives you the opportunity to review and compare available plans to ensure you have the best coverage for you and your family in 2025. Importantly, there are no waiting periods or exclusions for pre-existing conditions when you make changes during this time.
Tips for Evaluating FEHB Plans
If your healthcare needs have changed, Open Season is the perfect time to reassess your coverage. Consider what your healthcare requirements might be in 2025 and whether you can lower your out-of-pocket costs. Take the time to review plan brochures and ask yourself these key questions:
- Will my spouse or I need surgery next year?
- Will our prescription needs change in 2025?
- Will we only need routine dental care, or will we require more extensive treatment?
- Are any services we might need in 2025 excluded from our current plan?
If you don’t make any changes during Open Season, your existing health and dental coverage will automatically continue.
How Changes to Your FEHB Plan Can Happen
Even if you’re happy with your current FEHB coverage, you may be required to choose a new plan if:
- Your current plan withdraws from the FEHB Program.
- It reduces its service area and eliminates your enrollment code.
- It reduces its service area but keeps your enrollment code.
- It discontinues a coverage option.
If any of these changes affect you, your plan will send you a letter notifying you that it’s no longer participating in the FEHB Program or serving your area. It’s important to follow the instructions in the letter to ensure continued coverage.
Making Changes Outside of Open Season
You can also update your FEHB coverage outside of Open Season if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), as defined by the OPM. Examples of QLEs include changes in family status (such as marriage or divorce), changes in employment, or the loss of FEHB or other healthcare coverage for yourself or a family member. For more information, visit the OPM website’s section on QLEs.
