BCBS Federal Employee program

Federal Employee Program

The Federal Employee Program (FEP) provides benefits to federal employees and their dependents. These members access the Preferred Care PPO Network. FEP members have two benefit plans from which they may choose: Standard Option or Basic Option. Under Standard Option, members receive the highest level of benefits when they receive care from in-network providers and reduced benefits when they receive care from out-ofnetwork providers. Members with Basic Option receive no benefits when they receive care from out-of-network providers except for select situations such as emergency care.

For more information on FEP benefits, please see the Benefit Information section of this manual.

Office of Group Benefits Benefit Plans

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana administers benefits for the Office of Group Benefits’ (OGB’s) state of Louisiana employees, retirees and dependents. Effective March 1, 2015, five new benefit plans are available: Pelican HRA 1000, Pelican HSA 775, Magnolia Local, Magnolia Local Plus and Magnolia Open Access. These products are self-insured plans that utilize our networks of doctors, hospitals and other medical care providers as well as Blue Providers nationwide.
Pelican HRA 1000 (Active Employees & Retirees with and without Medicare) This benefit is a consumer-driven benefit plan (CDHP) paired with a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). This benefit plan utilizes the OGB Preferred Care network, which is Blue Cross’ Preferred Care PPO network of doctors and hospitals.

Pelican HSA 775 (Active Employees Only) This benefit plan is a consumer-driven benefit plan that is paired with a health savings account (HSA) option. The Pelican HSA 775 benefit plan utilizes the OGB Preferred Care Network, which is Blue Cross’ Preferred Care PPO network of doctors and hospitals.

Magnolia Local (Active Employees & Retirees with and without Medicare) This benefit plan utilizes our BlueConnect or Community Blue provider networks. Magnolia Local is HMO Point of Service product that allows members to choose each time they need care—at the point of service— whether to use a PCP (Primary Care Physician) or a specialist without a referral. This benefit plan is only available as follows:
BlueConnect network (New Orleans Area) - Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes; Community Blue network (Baton Rouge & Shreveport Areas) - Ascension, Bossier, Caddo, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes. Magnolia Local members in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes do not have coverage if they choose to see Community Blue providers just as Magnolia Local members
in the Community Blue Parishes do not have coverage if they choose to see BlueConnect providers. With this benefit plan, there is no coverage for services performed by non-network providers. Please refer your patients to providers within their network to ensure they receive the highest level of benefits available.


Magnolia Local Plus (Active Employees & Retirees with and without Medicare) This benefit plan has an HMO benefit design but through a PPO network. Members with this benefit plan are not limited to a local-area only network. Members who choose the Magnolia Local Plus benefit plan will instead have access to the OGB Preferred Care network, which is Blue Cross’ statewide Preferred Care PPO network of doctors and hospitals. With this benefit plan, there is no coverage for services performed by non-network providers.

Magnolia Open Access (Active Employees & Retirees with and without Medicare) This benefit plan is OGB’s PPO benefit plan. Members with this benefit plan have access to the OGB Preferred Care PPO network of doctors and hospitals.