News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

FEHBP--A recent General Account Office study reports savings of over $600 million in 1995 by three health plans participating in OPM's Federal Employees Heath Benefits Program. These savings also reduced pharmacy benefit costs of the plans studied by between 20 and 27 percent ([OPM] Office of Communications News Release, March 19).

THE FEDERAL DIARY--"Federal and military retirees would get smaller COLA adjustments and upper-income retirees would take an additional hit under the budget plan being pushed by the so-called Blue Dog coalition of conservative House Democrats" (The Washington Post).

AROUND GOVERNMENT--The Administration and Congress are divided on contractor executive pay (The Washington Post)...A bill currently in Congress proposes a private corporation to handle reviews of inventions, revamping the 207-year-old U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (The Washington Times).

COMP TIME OR OVERTIME?--In the personal economies of workers across the USA, time is worth far more than money. Respondents to USA TODAY's fax and e-mail forum support the idea of trading overtime pay for time-and-a-half away from work (USA TODAY).

FEDERAL ISSUES--Civil service subcommittee approves Veterans' Preference bill...and...President Clinton has announced plans to nominate Jim King to a second four-year term as director of OPM (Federal Human Resources Week, March 10).

OTHER VIEWS--OPM finds retirees are satisfied with service (Chief, NY, NY, Feb. 21)...Questions and answers on federal health insurance (Retirement Life Magazine, Washington, DC, March)...Federal retirees can provide health care coverage for their dependent grandchildren (Retirement Life Magazine, Washington, DC, March).

OF INTEREST--Lifelong, never-changing electronic mail addresses are a coming wave (USA TODAY).