WHAT DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SAY ABOUT THE FOREIGN SERVICE BENEFIT PLAN?
Every Open Season, with the Office of Personnel Management’s permission, the Department of State, Office of Medical Services (OMS), sends a cable to all Department of State employees. The cable assesses various Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Plans as they relate to coverage for employees posted/traveling overseas. In the cable sent in 2007 for the 2008 Open Season, as in past years, OMS has gone on record as stating: The FSBP pays overseas providers at the PPO co-insurance rate (normally 90%) for each respective benefit that has a PPO co-insurance…. FSBP generally does not reduce claims from providers outside the United States to a plan allowance. The FSBP offers overseas enrollees a number of desirable benefits, including up to one year’s supply of medication through the mail order system. The FSBP treats mental health services provided overseas as PPO and does not require precertification. Services in a hospital do not require a co-payment or deductible. Translation of fo
