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New DOF memo clarifies Aetna rates for govt workers
The Department of Finance has released a new memo offering lower insurance rates for government employees and retirees should they sign up for an insurance policy with Aetna Global.
An earlier memo showed higher insurance rates that infuriated government workers and lawmakers.
Igisomar
According to Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan), the old memo issued last March 13 contained typographical errors. The new memo issued March 16 amended the errors, he said.
For instance, the old memo showed that an active government worker with a family needs to pay $485.65 (for 22 pay periods) if he or she chooses Aetna’s “low plan.”
Should the government worker with a family get the “high plan,” the rate shoots all the way up to $820.94 (for 22 pay periods).
However, in the new and updated memo, a government worker with a family only needs to pay $242.83 (for 22 pay periods) for the “low plan,” and $410.47 for the “high plan.”
Igisomar said the rates for the “low plan” are lower than previous rates in 2014. For instance, the family plan of $242.83 is $72.04 lower than the $314.87 rates in 2014.
Those getting the “high plans,” however, do not have a decrease in their payments.
For government retirees, the old memo showed that a retiree with a family needs to pay a $534.22 for the “low plan” and a whopping $903.03 for the “high plan” in 20 pay periods.
But the new memo showed that retirees with a family only needs to pay $267.11 for the “low plan” and $451.52 for the “high plan.”
The 2015 rates for retirees are also significantly lower than rates in 2014, Igisomar said.
Earlier, Rep. Edwin K. Propst slammed Aetna saying that the rates were not affordable to most government employees, particularly those with families.
He warned that by increasing the rates, “most healthy, young families are going to cancel their health coverage.”
The Aetna insurance is not mandatory for government employees.
