Federal employees will be offered plan featuring HSA, Catholic-approved benefits

St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, Ill., which anchors the OSF Health chain of Catholic hospitals, and its parent system will offer to federal employees a health plan that features high deductibles, a health systems agency and benefits that are approved by the Catholic Church. Thus, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan will offer a choice of price, services and deductibles to federal employees, who also will be able to choose from secular plans that offer different benefits. While those who think this approach under cuts traditional benefits and reduces the quality of care, advocates believe it allows consumers to decide how much and what kind of insurance they want to buy. They will be allowed to decide on the financial risks that they want to buy, and they won’t be forced to buy coverage for services they never would use, such as abortions, sterilization and artificial insemination. The market, therefore, will work better for the consumer. I spent a lot of time in St. Francis as a kid and still have warm feelings about the institution that helped save my life even though I haven’t been in the hospital for more than 50 years.

St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, Ill., which anchors the OSF Health chain of Catholic hospitals, and its parent system will offer to federal employees a health plan that features high deductibles, a health systems agency and benefits that are approved by the Catholic Church. Thus, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan will offer a choice of price, services and deductibles to federal employees, who also will be able to choose from secular plans that offer different benefits. While those who think this approach under cuts traditional benefits and reduces the quality of care, advocates believe it allows consumers to decide how much and what kind of insurance they want to buy. They will be allowed to decide on the financial risks that they want to buy, and they won’t be forced to buy coverage for services they never would use, such as abortions, sterilization and artificial insemination. The market, therefore, will work better for the consumer. I spent a lot of time in St. Francis as a kid and still have warm feelings about the institution that helped save my life even though I haven’t been in the hospital for more than 50 years.

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