Figuring out net from federal GS; Health & Dental recommendations

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Received a job offer for a GS-13-1 and trying to figure out net after everything that will be taken out -- what am I missing?

I live in MoCo, filing married with 0 allowances

Gross Pay: $89,924 annual = $3458.62 gross biweekly

Pretax deductions:
FERS -- 3.1%
TSP -- 6% (for now)
Health -- BCBS Basic Family (boy do I wish they had the only spouse option) -- $142.65
Dental -- $37.61 United Concordia PPO
Vision (not electing)
FEGLI -- Not sure I understand this one, help?

So that works out to $2177.52 biweekly net according to paycheck city. What am I missing?

Also does anyone have opinions on federal health and dental?

[Anonymous]

Life insurance (FEGLI) is almost always more expensive than you can get on your own if you are healthy (and you don't get much). I'd skip that.

Dental insurance tends to be sort of a wash unless you need something big like a crown.

[Anonymous]

Fers for new hires is now 4.4 percent. For the same benefit that someone hired in 2012 pays 0.8 percent. The 3.1 percent only applied to 2013 hires.

[Anonymous]

BCBS Basic will cover routine preventive dental care (cleanings, Xrays on certain schedule) with a copay, so make sure you actually need the separate dental coverage.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget short and/or longterm disability.

[Anonymous]

Federal dental options are quite poor. With decent premiums you can get like 30% coverage. Not great, but better than nothing.

BCBS Basic is quite decent. They will pin you down for hospital stay/prescription meds, but you s/b able to afford it.

There is no short/long term disability, no paid maternity leave etc. However, the combo of accrued leave is quite generous compared to the private sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fers for new hires is now 4.4 percent. For the same benefit that someone hired in 2012 pays 0.8 percent. The 3.1 percent only applied to 2013 hires.

Are you serious? That really really sucks.