Business Wire, Dec 09, 2009
Federal Employees Use PlanSmartChoice to Make Informed Health
Insurance Choices
DURHAM, N.C. — Asparity Decision Solutions is pleased to report that nearly 40,000
federal employees have used PlanSmartChoice to evaluate their health
plan options and make an informed health plan choice during the 2010
open season, which ends December 14, 2009. PlanSmartChoice, an online
suite of health plan selection tools, is free to all federal employees
who participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program during
the open season and throughout the plan year.
According to Google Analytics, PlanSmartChoice has had nearly 150,000
visits during the open season to date. Federal employees who have used
PlanSmartChoice:
-
Live in all 50 states. More than 40,000 visits have occurred from the
Washington, DC area (including Virginia and Maryland), 15,000 in
California, and 10,000 in New York. -
Work in 83 countries or territories, including civilian federal
employees in Germany, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Iraq. -
Find the site through a wide range of channels. Nearly 50 percent of
users come directly to the site, and another 30 percent link through
the Office of Personnel Management (www.OPM.gov).
Other referral sources include federal agency web sites, Employee
Express, employee blogs, radio programs, and print publications. -
Spend an average of 12 minutes, which is consistent with past
experience.
Just as Congress debates health insurance reform and the role of the
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, federal employees are using
PlanSmartChoice to evaluate their health plan options and simplify the
decision making process, said Colleen
M. Murphy, Asparitys President and CEO. In other words, by
spending 10 to 15 minutes on PlanSmartChoice, they are informed health
care consumers.
While 50 percent of users are from five of the largest federal agencies,
Asparity reports that federal employees from about 150 federal
organizations have already used PlanSmartChoice. Usage is highest by
employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense
(including the U.S. Airforce, Army and Navy), Department of Agriculture,
U.S. Postal Service, and Internal Revenue Service. Federal agencies of
all shapes and sizes have done a terrific job of making sure their
employees have the help they need to make an informed health plan
choice, said Murphy.
In terms of site usage, 70 percent of PlanSmartChoice users have used
the tools two or more times before making a final selection. The medical
cost calculator is the most popular tool, which is consistent with
federal employees concerns about their cost increases, family budgets,
and financial security. Approximately 40 percent of the users are
currently enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, and the remaining
60 percent are enrolled in another 240 medical plans.
PlanSmartChoice is free to all federal employees. Federal employees
access the health plan selection tools at www.PlanSmartChoice.com
and use them to:
-
Learn which medical plan best meets their personal needs and financial
circumstances -
Estimate total health care costs based on their own need for medical
services - Determine how much to set aside in a flexible spending account
-
Compare detailed benefits across their medical, dental, and vision
plan options.
In 2009, federal employees, who had an average choice of 21 medical plan
options, as well as dental, vision, and tax savings plans, were most
concerned with the cost of their health care. Federal employees who used
PlanSmartChoice evaluated financial issues when selecting a medical
plan, learned that the total cost of health care varied significantly by
health plan, enrolled in more cost-effective plans, and reported that
cost concerns drove their decision to switch plans
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