Skip to main content

Health care premium increase will reduce take-home pay for federal employees.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dave Snell
October 7, 2014 703-838-7760
  dsnell@narfe.org

WASHINGTON, DC – The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today announced the average Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) premium increase for America’s retired and active federal workers will be 3.2 percent in 2015, with the average enrollee’s share increasing 3.8 percent. In response, Joseph A. Beaudoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), released the following statement.

“The health insurance premium increase will take another bite out of the already diminished paychecks of middle-class federal employees across the country. While the 3.2 percent increase in health insurance premiums is in line with the private sector, any increase means reduced take-home pay for federal employees, who, at most, will receive a 1 percent pay raise next year.

“Over the last four years, federal employees have endured a three-year pay freeze, reduced pay increases since then, and lost pay due to sequestration-related furloughs. Now comes a 3.8 percent increase in health insurance premiums on top of that. I call on members of Congress to appropriate sufficient funding to provide a pay raise next year for our hard-working federal civil servants.”

FEHBP premiums went up 7.3 percent in 2011, 3.8 percent in 2012, 3.4 percent in 2013 and 3.7 percent in 2014. To view FEHBP premiums by plan for 2015, click here.

###

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/retiree organization, NARFE represents the retirement interests of nearly five million current and future federal annuitants, spouses and survivors.