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Big four

Understanding health coverage types

USPS employees can enroll in four different types of health plans during open season, which runs through Dec. 12.

Do you understand the four types of health plans available to Postal Service employees?

They are:

  • Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which provide care from in-network physicians and hospitals located in particular geographic or service areas;
  • Preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, which offer fee-for-service plans that allow you to choose physicians, hospitals and other health care providers both inside and outside of a network;
  • High-deductible health plans, or HDHPs, which offer plans with low premiums and high deductibles that must be met before insurance begins to cover costs; and
  • Consumer-driven health plans, or CDHPs, which are high-deductible plans that are usually coupled with a tax-advantaged health savings account to help offset costs.

USPS is encouraging you to learn about the available plans to find one that best fits your needs and the needs of your family.

This year’s open season runs from Nov. 14 through Dec. 12.

The Open Season LiteBlue page has additional information, as well as a link to Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, a resource that can help you evaluate and compare specific plans