Health Premiums for Federal Employees to Increase 3.8% in 2012
Wednesday, October 5, 2011(National Federation of Federal Employees)
The
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced
last week that federal workers’ health care
premiums will increase by 3.8 percent next
year. The increase will cost employees an
additional $4.25 per pay period on average, or
$110.50 in total new payments per
year.
For
federal employees entering the second year of a
two-year pay freeze, the increasing cost of
health insurance is putting a great deal of
downward pressure on their families’ bottom
lines. In the first year of the freeze,
premiums rose by 7.3 percent; the year before
that, premiums increased by a whopping 8.8
percent. The aggregate costs of these increases
add up to hundreds of dollars per year, and
thousands over the course of a career.
“For
federal workers and their families who are
already struggling in a bad economy, no
increase is too small to matter,” said
NFFE National President William R. Dougan. “At
a time when every dollar counts, even a modest
increase is tough to
swallow.”
Though the trend appears to be pointing in the direction of lower premium increases, there is no telling how costs will fluctuate going forward. Click here for more information on this year’s FEHB premium increase.
Comments
Stop the pay raises for those in congress - stop the amount that they receive upon ending their position in congress. Isn't it about time that they too have to take a hit on their salaries - they are Federal Employees yet you don't hear that they are taking any cuts. In my opinion this is unjust and unfair to all the Federal Employees and Retirees out there - trying to make ends meet.
Everytime I hear someone say they in congress should take their fair share of cutting back - it never goes any further. What if anything is NFFE doing in regards to this? what is NFFE doing to try and get our colas for 2012? Thank you for letting me vent - Peggy, Retired Federal Employee.
I am not sure where the people saying that are living but all my costs have gone up over the last two years. Our food, gas and energy costs have all gone up in the last two years. We are all having trouble in this current economy and to increase costs to us (taking more money I do not really have to spare) is completely unacceptable.