Feds, do you get 1% salary increased starting as this week's paycheck?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

Huh? I searched that plan for non-postal feds that are paid monthly (to keep it simple) and the premiums are $168 and $423 a month.

http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/compare-plans/PlanProfiles.aspx?plans=E31VAHMOH&rates=a&benefits=x&quality=abcdefg&general=abcdefghij&emptype=a&payperiod=a&

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

Maybe they think you're exaggerating because you are. You know your numbers include what the feds pay, right? You pay $78 for yourself per pay period, and for a family it would be $195.30. And that's for a "high" HMO, which is not "very basic." That is much less than what most of us in the private sector pay, just for your information. I'm not saying you have dirt-cheap insurance, but the general perception that feds have cheaper healthcare than those in the private sector is, in fact, true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

Maybe they think you're exaggerating because you are. You know your numbers include what the feds pay, right? You pay $78 for yourself per pay period, and for a family it would be $195.30. And that's for a "high" HMO, which is not "very basic." That is much less than what most of us in the private sector pay, just for your information. I'm not saying you have dirt-cheap insurance, but the general perception that feds have cheaper healthcare than those in the private sector is, in fact, true.

While PP did state a higher rate than she is paying, you provide no backup for the bolded statement. In fact I doubt you can back it up as there as so many different plans for federal employees and SO MANY private employers. As an ancedote - I pay more as a fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

I'm asking what YOU pay, not the total including what your employer pays for you. My husband works for a private company. He pays $400 out of his pay which is 26 times a year. His employer pays the rest. this is for a family.

[Anonymous]

I pay more than DH used to pay 5 years ago, but it's really impossible to compare today and 5 years ago.

I consider fed coverage very good and affordable. I think that better and cheaper options are more of an exception than the rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

Maybe they think you're exaggerating because you are. You know your numbers include what the feds pay, right? You pay $78 for yourself per pay period, and for a family it would be $195.30. And that's for a "high" HMO, which is not "very basic." That is much less than what most of us in the private sector pay, just for your information. I'm not saying you have dirt-cheap insurance, but the general perception that feds have cheaper healthcare than those in the private sector is, in fact, true.

While PP did state a higher rate than she is paying, you provide no backup for the bolded statement. In fact I doubt you can back it up as there as so many different plans for federal employees and SO MANY private employers. As an ancedote - I pay more as a fed.

True, I am not citing data, though it may be out there. I pay much more for much worse coverage now at a Fortune 500 company. My husband's coverage and costs at another F500 company are even worse than mine. And to the PP who mentioned what her husband paid 5 years ago, she is right that there is no comparison. My rates at my company have tripled in the past five years. On the other hand, when a worked at a non-profit trade association more than five years ago, I had a great deal on insurance. Ultimately I stand by my belief that feds have much cheaper health care than those with large, for-profit private-sector employers, though as I said I don't think their rates are dirt-cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, my family thinks we get free health care too. When I tell them how much our monthly premiums are, they don't believe it because it's higher than their family premiums in the private sector by a lot. They think I'm exaggerating because they had some relatives work for the federal government (of course 40-50 years ago, but I digress) who didn't have to pay anything or something really minimal (their words). This is fly over country and I've heard it from several different relatives in different states. I'm sure a lot of people outside of federal service believe it too.

Do you mind sharing what your premium is?

Not pp but they're posted online. Everything we have is very transparent:
http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/premiums/

I have VA Kaiser high which is a very basic plan and generally the cheapest insurance. Kaiser is known for being no frills. For myself it's $274.80 a pay period. So $7144.80 a year. DH isn't on my plan The family plan is $632 a pay period, $16,432 a year.

Maybe they think you're exaggerating because you are. You know your numbers include what the feds pay, right? You pay $78 for yourself per pay period, and for a family it would be $195.30. And that's for a "high" HMO, which is not "very basic." That is much less than what most of us in the private sector pay, just for your information. I'm not saying you have dirt-cheap insurance, but the general perception that feds have cheaper healthcare than those in the private sector is, in fact, true.

While PP did state a higher rate than she is paying, you provide no backup for the bolded statement. In fact I doubt you can back it up as there as so many different plans for federal employees and SO MANY private employers. As an ancedote - I pay more as a fed.

Here's a study by the CBO showing that on average, the benefits earned by federal civilian employees were worth 48 percent more than the benefits earned by private-sector employees with certain similar observable characteristics.

[Anonymous]

Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

[Anonymous]

Another one, focused on health insurance premiums (look at comparison of employee contribution): http://meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/st435/stat435.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

Thanks for the cite. I paid less when I worked for a non-profit (god knows how a non-profit is able to provide such great benefits) but I'm overall satisfied with my federal benefits. We do actually pay more than the general public thinks though....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

The link doesn't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

The link doesn't work.

oops, never mind, just had to delete the period at the end that got included with the link and it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

Thanks for the cite. I paid less when I worked for a non-profit (god knows how a non-profit is able to provide such great benefits) but I'm overall satisfied with my federal benefits. We do actually pay more than the general public thinks though....

Agreed. I'm actually not unhappy with my health benefits, but I'm an attorney so I make a lot less than my private sector friends. That being said, I can't complain because I made the choice to sacrifice pay for more reasonable hours. I'm just frustrated about this widespread belief that we get free healthcare, paid maternity leave, fancy trainings/parties, galore. And the belief that we're overpaid on top of it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. Here it is: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/42921.

Thanks for the cite. I paid less when I worked for a non-profit (god knows how a non-profit is able to provide such great benefits) but I'm overall satisfied with my federal benefits. We do actually pay more than the general public thinks though....

Agreed. I'm actually not unhappy with my health benefits, but I'm an attorney so I make a lot less than my private sector friends. That being said, I can't complain because I made the choice to sacrifice pay for more reasonable hours. I'm just frustrated about this widespread belief that we get free healthcare, paid maternity leave, fancy trainings/parties, galore. And the belief that we're overpaid on top of it all.

The healthcare is definitely much cheaper than at a law firm, or at least it was for me. Agree that it was a huge paycut though.