FEHB ‘Underserved’ Areas Redefined

The Office of Personnel Management has added Arizona and West Virginia to the list of “medically underserved” areas for Federal Employees Health Benefits program purposes–and has deleted Texas—for the 2006 plan year. 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. In addition to Arizona and West Virginia, the 2006 list includes Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.