The Postal Service wants employees to understand the four types of health plans available during this year’s open season.
The plan types are:
• Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, that provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas;
• Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, that offer fee-for-service plans that allow you to choose physicians, hospitals and other health care providers both inside and outside of a network;
• Consumer-driven health plans, or CDHPs, that give users freedom in spending health care dollars and offer plan-funded health reimbursement arrangements that may be used to pay certain upfront medical costs; and
• High-deductible health plans, or HDHPs, that offer comprehensive coverage for high-cost medical procedures and a tax break to save for future medical expenses through health savings accounts.
USPS is encouraging employees to learn about the available plans to find one that best fits their needs.
This year’s open season runs through Monday, Dec. 8.
The MyHR website’s open season page has additional information, as well as a link to Checkbook’s Guide to PSHB Plans, a resource that can help employees evaluate and compare specific plans.
