Benefits
Memo: Employees may take advanced leave for family issues
President Obama has issued a memorandum directing agencies to allow federal employees to receive six weeks—240 hours—of advanced leave to care for a newborn or adopted child, help ill family members, or other sick-leave eligible uses.
Benefits
VA spending per vet varies widely
Government data reveal some disparities in how much the Department of Veterans Affairs spends on vets in various locations around the country.
Benefits
Tricare details process for those leaving the plan
Tricare said this week that it will no longer issue "certificates of creditable coverage" to beneficiaries who lose Tricare eligibility or choose to leave the plan.
Benefits
New OPM rule would head off FEHB coverage gap
The Office of Personnel Management has proposed a new rule that would prevent a gap in coverage for employees who fail to enroll in a new health plan when employees' previous Federal Employees Health Benefits plans or options terminate.
Benefits
Former DOD employee sentenced in $2.5 million health care fraud scheme
A former Defense Department civilian employee was sentenced Dec. 18 to three years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to a health care fraud scheme though which he collected more than $2.2 million.
Benefits
VA explores ways to speed and improve doctors' decision-making
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a pilot program it will use to study new ways for physicians to quickly search electronic medical records and sort through medical literature for studies relevant to patients' specific cases.
Benefits
OPM rule aims to improve FEHB performance
New performance measures proposed by the Office of Personnel Management may soon play a role in improving the quality of health care provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Benefits
VA initiative clears way for private care — or maybe not
The Veterans Choice Cards that the Department of Veterans Affairs began mailing to certain vets last month were supposed to provide those vets with quick access to private care in their communities—but the reality is turning out to be a bit different ...
Benefits
Number of disabled federal employees on the rise
The federal government recorded an increase in employment of people with disabilities in fiscal 2013, according to a new report from the Office of Personnel Management.
Benefits
'Self plus one' coverage coming to FEHB
The Office of Personnel Management issued a proposed rule that will add a "self plus one" health insurance option to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, a move that is expected to reduce premium costs for employees and retirees in two-person households.
Benefits
Open Season: Final days for choosing your 2015 health plan
Employees who still have to review their FEHB coverage for the new year may want to look through the following quick summary of some of the things they should consider in making their decisions, based on recommendations from the Office of Personnel Management.
Benefits
USPS financials on ice as investigation continues
The U.S. Postal Service said it is still investigating the cyber intrusion into its information systems, and consequently is not yet able to file its annual financial statement for fiscal 2014.
Benefits
VA expands eligibility for care related to military sexual trauma
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Dec. 1 announced it has expanded mental health care eligibility for veterans who suffered sexual assault or sexual harassment during their military service.
Benefits
Union says OWCP records also affected in USPS data breach
The recent U.S. Postal Service cyber breach that compromised the postal employees' personal information also exposed employee information related to the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
Benefits
Postal worker enters guilty plea in workers' comp scam
A U.S. Postal Service employee in Baltimore pleaded guilty this month to making false statements to obtain nearly a quarter million dollars in federal workers' compensation and food stamp benefits, the Justice Department said.
Benefits
Open Season: FSAs, HSAs and Health Reimbursement Arrangements
This week, Edward A. Zurndorfer examines another important decision that employees have to make during the 2014 federal benefits open season: Whether to enroll or reenroll in a health care flexible spending account (HCFSA) and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) for the 2015 plan year.
Benefits
VA sends out second round of Veterans Choice Cards
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it began mailing Veterans Choice Cards on Nov. 17 to vets currently waiting for an appointment at a VA facility more than 30 days from their preferred date or from the date medically determined by a physician.
Benefits
OPM rule would expand FLTCIP eligibility
The Office of Personnel Management last week published a proposed rule that would amend the regulation governing the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) to expand the definition of "qualified relative" to broaden eligibility to apply for coverage under the program.
Benefits
USPS says health insurance premium jump less than OPM estimate
The U.S. Postal Service says that the Office of Personnel Management's estimate that USPS employees and retirees will have to pay about 19 percent more on average for their healthcare premiums in 2015 is far off the mark.
Benefits