TOPICS
TOPICS
House approves new dental, vision benefits package
The House voted Monday afternoon to allow federal employees to purchase supplemental dental and vision care insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
The House passed the legislation (S. 2657) unanimously on a voice vote.
The Senate has already approved the measure, so now it goes to President Bush.Under the measure, employees must pay the entire cost of the supplemental coverage, but may use pre-tax dollars to do so.
The Office of Personnel Management will begin soliciting bids from companies to participate in the new program next year. The benefit will not be available until 2006.
Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, pushed for the bill, along with Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii.
Members of Congress and employee representatives said the measure was necessary to close a gap in coverage between the federal health plan and those provided by most private companies.
"An overwhelming majority of private sector plans provide dental and vision coverage," said House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va. "In addition, there has been a groundswell among federal employees and annuitants through numerous surveys and focus groups on this issue."
Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, praised the House vote: "This legislation addresses a glaring hole in the federal employee benefit package."
COMMENTS
- The fallacy I see with this plan is the involvement of OPM. Since when have they EVER had the best interests of government workers in mind? All they care about now is outsourcing government jobs and telling Dubya how "wonderfully" his privatization plan is working. Even if this thing goes through, Kay Cole James will just end up making a quick phone call to an insurance company and say "OK, that price sounds good." You don't think OPM (of ALL agencies) will actually put any EFFORT into negotiating the best prices do you? How in the world can anyone have any confidence whatsoever in anything that has OPM's name attached to it? Can anyone answer that one for me? DSR David Posted December 21, 2004 12:06 PM
- Rep. Collins from Maine does not have a clue as to how much we Fed-employees pay out for health care as of 12-04. To say that we are giving Fed-employees additional dental care means nothing if the cost is astronomical. I believe taxpayers pay all of her benefits, and not one dime comes out of her pocket. I can not wait until 2008 when we can vote these Republicans out of office for good. Send her a copy of this statement if you want to. Rosalind Coleman Posted December 9, 2004 2:23 PM
- Now it all boils down to how much it will cost us to be covered by these plans if we elect to use them. If OPM cannot negotiate a price well below what is already available through private insurance nothing has really been gained nor should it be boasted about as a new entitlement. Dave Posted December 9, 2004 11:58 AM
