Watch for FEHB Plan Dropouts

The total number of FEHB plans will be 257—the overwhelming majority of them HMOs available only in certain areas—reflecting the addition of four plans and the dropout of five. New plans are UnitedHealtcare in the Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Atlanta areas, Priority Health in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Keystone Health Plan West in western Pennsylvania and Innovation Health Plan in northern Virginia. The dropouts affect more than 25,000 enrollees, who will have to elect new coverage for 2015: United Healthcare of the Midwest in Illinois and Missouri, Coventry Health Care in Maryland, Total Health Care USA in Michigan, and Anthem Healthkeepers and Optima Health Plan in Virginia. Also, Aetna Open Access in Kansas and Missouri will reduce its service area.