Common Questions: What Does a Seasonal Firefighter Do About Health Insurance?
Health insurance is always a big concern. I’ve been lucky that most of my injuries throughout the years have been on thE fireline so they’ve been processed through workman’s comp and they’VE BEEN only mildly annoying to deal with. Here’s more info on your options.
One of my recent fireline injuries. Others include: my left eye getting poked with a stick and swelling shut and a sprained wrist
Health insurance is hard in the off-season. While you're employed as a temporary seasonal the government will pay the majority of the plan you pick for you, but when you're not actively employed you are on the hook for the full monthly premium if you want to keep your coverage.
For example, I paid $85 (individually, $160 when I changed it to include me and my husband) a month when I was employed, but without the government help it would go up to $500 a month in the winter. Since I'm now in a permanent position the government pays its share for me when I'm not working for the winter and I accrue a debt of $160 a month that I have to pay back when I start work again in the spring.
This is only the case for permanent employees. Seasonals are in a rough spot of paying way more in the off season. So some people I know go without in the winter and restart their plans every fire season. Some people keep it and pay the full amount but that's pretty rare and hard to afford.
No real good answer for you other than to try and get an entry level apprentice position. Then you'll be permanent and get all the perks.
Also I'm way older than 26 but I think the best thing to do is stay under a family health insurance plan until you're 26. Sounds like the cheapest, best way to keep coverage year round if that's an option for you.
Fine print from the Government:
“Forest Service permanent, seasonal employees also have the opportunity to participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHB), which includes health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and long-term care insurance. The agency pays for a prorated percentage of the premiums based on a percentage of full-time service being worked, and employees are responsible for the remaining balance of the premiums.
When they are not actively working for the Forest Service, permanent seasonal are responsible for their share of the premiums.
Forest Service temporary employees working intermittent schedules and seasonal employees working fewer than six months in a year are eligible to participate in the FEHB at the same cost as full-time permanent employees. These employees are eligible for health benefits with the full government contribution towards FEHB if the employee is anticipated to work 90 days or more, and the employee is expected to work full-time (130 hours per month or more).
After they are no longer working for the Forest Service, they can continue to receive health insurance but are responsible for 100% of the costs plus a 2% administrative fee and they enter in a contract directly with the health insurance company. For more information, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.”