FEHB ‘Underserved’ Areas Expanded

OPM has expanded the list of “medically underserved” areas for FEHB program purposes by adding Illinois; no states were dropped. States on that list are deemed to have critical shortages of primary care physicians. The designation requires FEHB fee-for-service plans to provide benefits to participants who use any health care provider licensed to perform the medical service at issue. The 2009 list is Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.