Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 10:10     Subject: Re:Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Help me understand the appeal of BCBS standard. It seems worse to me than basic? Pay way more in premiums to get a deductible too and also relatively high (and therefore unpredictable) coinsurance. Why?
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:59     Subject: Re:Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:BCBS Basic. All of our doctors take it, and it seems to offer the best coverage in the event of a hospitalization or something else unexpected like that. Co-pays are high, but that's a known cost.


Is BCBS focus a good option?


If you don’t use the doctor often, it has pretty low co-pays, but limits the number of visits per year. If you end up going to hospital or getting surgery it’s 30% co-insurance, but of course capped with the out of pocket maximum.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:58     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Checkbook does a helpful book each year. Generally, high-deductible plans are more cost-effective if you consider the much higher premiums for regular plans.

I don't quite understand the GEHA and MHBP HDHPs. The biweekly premiums are the virtually the same as the standard plans. Yes, you get $$ in your HSA from the gov, but the deductible on the standard plans is much cheaper ($350-500). We don't have a lot left over to invest in the HSA, and due to the premiums being about equal, we can't even invest the delta between them.

I tried doing the math for us, and due to a high monthly prescription for me, therapy for a couple of us, and psychiatry appointments, if we did bump up against the family deductible, it would be towards the end of the year. So we would pretty much always be paying out of pocket but not saving any of the money provided in the HSA.


I don't know what plans you are comparing but the GEHA HDP is almost $300 cheaper per month than BCBS basic, and almost $500 cheaper per month than BCBS standard (family option). MHBP has similar premiums. That is a whopping $6000 a year you are saving vs BCBS standard that could go into your HSA. The net deducible for the HDPs is only $1600, so your premium savings more than covers that deductible. Whether you are a low healthcare spender or high spender, GEHA comes out on top compared to BCBS. Now, their issues with JHU is problematic and I will probably be switching to MHBP for the Aetna network.

I am not talking about the BCBS standard/basic plans. I means the GEHA/MHBP standard plans vs the GEHA/MHBP HDHP plans.


The GEHA standard plan is $30 more per month vs HDP. It has a $600 per year lower net deductible, but the OOP max is much higher. It also has a high copay and surgery coinsurance. Basically in 95% of scenarios, you are better off with the high deductible version.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:56     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:I was looking into BCBS but there was “20% con-insurance” listed for a lot of items. That sounds so high. Anyone have experience with that?


It depends on the plan. Basic doesn’t have many percentage co-insurance except now for labs and maybe incidental tests/supplies. It’s also 20% of the “negotiated amount” so for a standard lab test it will be just a few dollars, not what the doctor’s official price is.

BCBS Standard and Focus use the percentage for more items.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:47     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have BCBS standard but the monthly premiums for 2026 are nearly $1000 for the family plan.


That’s insane. I’m sorry, but you should really run the numbers.


The thing is it’s not perfect but it’s about the best health insurance you can have. I know I may be “overpaying” but I’m risk averse in this area.


All plans have out-of-pocket maxes that protect you in worst-case scenarios. If you compare premiums plus OOP maxes, you’ll see that even in a worst case, you are massively overpaying.


For me, the lack of red tape and network of drs with bcbs standard has been good. Obviously ymmv but I’ve been willing to pay for it because of that good experience.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:27     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:Curious what you recommend? Is BCBS the overall winner? Is GEHA better? I’ve got a family of four. Obviously this all andecdotal but helpful.


Family of 5 here, we live in DC -- currently have the United Healthcare Choice Primary High - enrollment code Y82, and its been great for us. premium for a family is fairly low -- (192 biweekly)
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 09:18     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Checkbook does a helpful book each year. Generally, high-deductible plans are more cost-effective if you consider the much higher premiums for regular plans.

I don't quite understand the GEHA and MHBP HDHPs. The biweekly premiums are the virtually the same as the standard plans. Yes, you get $$ in your HSA from the gov, but the deductible on the standard plans is much cheaper ($350-500). We don't have a lot left over to invest in the HSA, and due to the premiums being about equal, we can't even invest the delta between them.

I tried doing the math for us, and due to a high monthly prescription for me, therapy for a couple of us, and psychiatry appointments, if we did bump up against the family deductible, it would be towards the end of the year. So we would pretty much always be paying out of pocket but not saving any of the money provided in the HSA.


I don't know what plans you are comparing but the GEHA HDP is almost $300 cheaper per month than BCBS basic, and almost $500 cheaper per month than BCBS standard (family option). MHBP has similar premiums. That is a whopping $6000 a year you are saving vs BCBS standard that could go into your HSA. The net deducible for the HDPs is only $1600, so your premium savings more than covers that deductible. Whether you are a low healthcare spender or high spender, GEHA comes out on top compared to BCBS. Now, their issues with JHU is problematic and I will probably be switching to MHBP for the Aetna network.

I am not talking about the BCBS standard/basic plans. I means the GEHA/MHBP standard plans vs the GEHA/MHBP HDHP plans.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 08:50     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have BCBS standard but the monthly premiums for 2026 are nearly $1000 for the family plan.


That’s insane. I’m sorry, but you should really run the numbers.


The thing is it’s not perfect but it’s about the best health insurance you can have. I know I may be “overpaying” but I’m risk averse in this area.


All plans have out-of-pocket maxes that protect you in worst-case scenarios. If you compare premiums plus OOP maxes, you’ll see that even in a worst case, you are massively overpaying.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 08:10     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Checkbook does a helpful book each year. Generally, high-deductible plans are more cost-effective if you consider the much higher premiums for regular plans.

I don't quite understand the GEHA and MHBP HDHPs. The biweekly premiums are the virtually the same as the standard plans. Yes, you get $$ in your HSA from the gov, but the deductible on the standard plans is much cheaper ($350-500). We don't have a lot left over to invest in the HSA, and due to the premiums being about equal, we can't even invest the delta between them.

I tried doing the math for us, and due to a high monthly prescription for me, therapy for a couple of us, and psychiatry appointments, if we did bump up against the family deductible, it would be towards the end of the year. So we would pretty much always be paying out of pocket but not saving any of the money provided in the HSA.


I don't know what plans you are comparing but the GEHA HDP is almost $300 cheaper per month than BCBS basic, and almost $500 cheaper per month than BCBS standard (family option). MHBP has similar premiums. That is a whopping $6000 a year you are saving vs BCBS standard that could go into your HSA. The net deducible for the HDPs is only $1600, so your premium savings more than covers that deductible. Whether you are a low healthcare spender or high spender, GEHA comes out on top compared to BCBS. Now, their issues with JHU is problematic and I will probably be switching to MHBP for the Aetna network.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 08:02     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have BCBS standard but the monthly premiums for 2026 are nearly $1000 for the family plan.


That’s insane. I’m sorry, but you should really run the numbers.


The thing is it’s not perfect but it’s about the best health insurance you can have. I know I may be “overpaying” but I’m risk averse in this area.


Hmm how is it best? I have had BCBS deny me treatments. They also didn't cover a surgery I had. Trust me when I say, there is no best insurance. Get the one that allows you to save your own HSA and pay for the treatment you want.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 07:47     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
No one has mentioned Kaiser, but we love it! I paid exactly $0 for my 3 pregnancies and births. ($30 copay to get pregnancy confirmed and then absolutely everything else was free, even the hospital stay). We especially love their urgent care system. And we've liked all our doctors and pediatricians.

But yes, switching to Kaiser would mean all new doctors if you're new to Kaiser. You can only see Kaiser doctors. And they aren't into therapy.
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 06:31     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
I was looking into BCBS but there was “20% con-insurance” listed for a lot of items. That sounds so high. Anyone have experience with that?
Anonymous
Post 11/18/2025 06:18     Subject: Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
We were on GEHA for 15 years, but they are known for high denial rates. I had some weird things denied. And then Johns Hopkins dropped them and that told me everything I needed to know. We are doing one of the bcbs plans next year.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 22:29     Subject: Re:Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
Anonymous wrote:BCBS Basic. All of our doctors take it, and it seems to offer the best coverage in the event of a hospitalization or something else unexpected like that. Co-pays are high, but that's a known cost.


Is BCBS focus a good option?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 19:13     Subject: Re:Random, but as a Fed what is your preferred health care plan? It’s open season.
BCBS Basic. All of our doctors take it, and it seems to offer the best coverage in the event of a hospitalization or something else unexpected like that. Co-pays are high, but that's a known cost.