Federal employees can be found working across Minnesota. Throughout a variety of roles, both military and civilian, federal employees all do important work as civil servants.

You may find them serving in the National Guard. Others are employed as federal prison guards, postal workers and associates of agencies like the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And still others serve in the offices of federally elected officials, such as those serving in the U.S. Congress.

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, we are proud to provide health benefits for many of them. More than 110,000 federal employees in Minnesota—about 76 percent of the market in the state— are enrolled in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP).

“This market share reflects the quality care that’s being provided under our Federal Employee Program,” says Ben Pries, senior director of government operations and the Federal Employee Program.

The FEP, which began in 1960, is overseen by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Association’s 36 local companies, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, serve as the primary points of contact for members within their service area. As such, customer service needs, benefits and claims questions, appeals and grievances and health management work are all executed by each plan.

More than 110,000 federal employees in Minnesota—about 76 percent of the market in the state— are enrolled in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP).

“Our team is like a small family. We are committed to provide efficient, high quality care for our members,” Ben says. “As long as we are able to offer a high-quality experience at an efficient cost, we are doing what’s best for our members. That’s what we work toward every day.”

Award-winning quality and service

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s drive to provide the best possible care for the federal employees we serve has been twice-recognized this year by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota received the Plan Excellence Award for an outstanding FEP from the Association. This follows the plan’s recognition as being ranked sixth best performing plan in the nation through the Association’s quality metrics rating system.

“While Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is one of the smaller plans to participate in the Association’s Federal Employee Program, we’re very proud that our quality has been recognized as one of the best in the nation,” Ben says.

The makings of a great plan

To receive the FEP Plan Excellence rating, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota earned an excellent rating based on three criteria:

• Service/Transactional: Measured using a Service Experience Profile rating, this evaluates member satisfaction with customer service, claims processing and the appeals and grievances processes.
• Financial: Using a Financial Stewardship Profile calculator, this criterion looks at the overall cost benefit and administrative expenses for the plan.
• Outcomes: Using population health metrics, this criterion looks at the overall quality of the health of members. It also measures member experience outcomes.

The highest obtainable overall score through the Association’s metrics is 120. Blue Cross MN earned a score of 114 for the year, leading to the Plan Excellence rating.

“Without the continued dedication of our team and their drive to achieve this award, we would not be where we are,” Ben says. “This has been our goal from day one. We are always focused on what’s best for our members to drive success.

Learn more about the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Federal Employee program.