Washington, DC- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has concluded a very successful Open Season for the new Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program.

"Open Season allowed federal employees and retirees to select the best health care options for themselves and their families," said OPM Director Linda M. Springer. "With the new option to enroll for dental benefits, vision benefits or both, employees and retirees will be even better able to maintain their overall health throughout the years."

Interest in the Program far exceeded expectations, with over 690,000 enrollees.

Companies offering the new dental benefits include Aetna Life Insurance Company, Government Employees Hospital Association, Inc. (GEHA), MetLife Inc., United Concordia Companies, Inc., Group Health, Inc., CompBenefits, and Triple-S, Inc. Those offering vision benefits include BlueCross BlueShield Association, Spectera, Inc., and Vision Service Plan (VSP).

"I am very pleased with the success of this year's Open Season for dental and vision benefits," said Springer. "It proves that federal employees are ready, willing and able to take charge of their health care needs."

The Dental and Vision Program allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for their vision and dental premiums. However, as specified by law, there is no federal government contribution.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.