Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Q&A for federal workers: Health care on the table?

The Washington Post: Question: Why don’t I see any attention to how the fight over the Affordable Care Act would affect federal employees?

Answer: The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for federal workers, retirees and family members is a separate program that has existed for decades, long before enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare.

With a mix of national and regional plans that must meet certain standards, the FEHBP in some ways served as the model for the insurance-policy exchanges created under the ACA. The FEHBP, for example, barred participating health insurance companies from denying coverage because of preexisting conditions long before the ACA made that a national policy.

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