Blue Cross And Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP) Basic Option Increases Enrollment By 12 Percent During 2006 Open Season

FEP BlueVisionSM enrolls nearly 64 percent of those choosing vision coverage

March 27, 2007

WASHINGTON - The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Government-wide Service Benefit Plan, also known as the Federal Employee Program (FEP), gained more than 133,000 new members during the 2006 open enrollment season - marking the program's 22nd consecutive membership increase.

Both Basic and Standard Options continued to increase enrollment this past open season with Standard Option increasing by approximately 1.5 percent and Basic Option by nearly 12 percent over last year's enrollment.

Beginning in 2007, federal employees and retirees were offered a new FEP vision product, called FEP BlueVisionSM.  This product was created as a result of the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reported nearly 199,000 federal employees and retirees selected FEP BlueVisionSM during the 2006 open enrollment.  This represents about 64 percent of all participants in the vision portion of the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).  Nearly 313,000 federal employees and retirees are enrolled in one of the vision program plans.

FEP now serves more than 59 percent of all federal employees and retirees who receive their healthcare benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).  These subscribers and their families receive health coverage through their local Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans across the country.

"FEP is delighted to continue to serve the majority of those federal employees, retirees and their families who choose their healthcare insurance under FEHBP and their vision care coverage under FEDVIP," stated Stephen W. Gammarino, BCBSA's senior vice president, National Programs.  "Both our existing and newest members have come to depend on FEP's long-standing dependability and commitment to providing the best value in healthcare services.  We are proud to continue to earn their trust with our established abilities to deliver responsive, quality care in a timely manner."

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Government-wide Service Benefit Plan, or FEP, has been part of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program since its inception in 1960.  FEP covers roughly 4.7 million federal employees, retirees and their families who receive their benefits through FEHBP.  BCBSA works with the Office of Personnel Management to administer the Service Benefit Plan on behalf of the 39 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.