PlanSmartChoice Available Free to Federal Employees
The PlanSmartChoice benefit selection tools have been available to federal employees since 1998. In the past, federal agencies
purchased access to the site for their employees. Given the economy, as well as an average increase of seven percent in the 2009 health care premiums, Asparity is making PlanSmartChoice
available at no cost to all federal employees at a publicly available, easy-to-find Web portal. The site is live on November 10,
2008 — at the start of the open season — and remains live throughout the year for new hires.
Federal Employees. Federal employees are overwhelmed by their health plan options. They need accurate, timely information and easy-to-use tools to help them better understand their options and make more informed choices. PlanSmartChoice is an online suite of benefit selection tools that helps federal employees select medical, dental, and vision coverage and tax savings plans (such as a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account) that meet their personal needs and financial circumstances.
Federal Agencies. Agency benefit officers are committed to providing their employees with accurate and timely information about their health benefits. By purchasing Asparity's promotional package, federal agencies can communicate the benefits of using PlanSmartChoice to their employees and evaluate the success of their health care consumerism initiatives. The package includes a PlanSmartChoice link, sample employee communications, participation in health fairs, and the annual report, that summarizes their population's enrollment results and buying behavior.
Site Sponsors. Sponsorships are available to companies that serve this important market. Sponsors can use ad placement on PlanSmartChoice to promote products or services and increase brand awareness. Asparity provides information about a sponsor's experience with PlanSmartChoice through either a standard or optional data package. As part of Asparity's conflict of interest policy, we are not offering sponsorships to health (medical, dental, and vision) plans at this time to eliminate any perception of bias in the PlanSmartChoice tools.
Health Plans. Health plans are an important part of the PlanSmartChoice experience for federal employees. The site provides information about benefit plans, employee premiums, service areas, and other features that Asparity obtains from the Office of Personnel Management. Health plans may learn about their plans' performance in the PlanSmartChoice site, as well as other consumer information and buying behavior of federal employees, through Asparity's optional data package.
Additional Government Programs Information