Benefits

  • Millions of federal retirees will have to wait to find out the size of next year's cost-of-living adjustment. The Labor Department says it won't report inflation statistics on time this month, which will delay the Social Security Administration's COLA calculation.

    October 11, 2013
  • Nearly all of the Defense Department's civilians are now working, despite the government shutdown. Many members of Congress believe none of those civilians should have been furloughed to begin with. DoD remains unsure how to address contractors under the Pay Our Military Act.

    October 11, 2013
  • The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Foreign Service Association and others rally against any potential or real proposals to change how the government calculates cost of living adjustments. The groups propose using the CPI-E formula to measure the impact of inflation on retirees, veterans and others.

    October 10, 2013
  • Certified financial planner Arthur Stein will provide tips on how to protect your retirement nest egg, and Federal Times Senior Writer Sean Reilly will give us the latest on the government shutdown. October 9, 2013

    October 09, 2013
  • Many feds are also confused and concerned about how the shutdown -- especially if it's prolonged -- will affect their benefits. Federal News Radio dug through guidance provided by the Office of Personnel Management and other agencies and consulted with the experts to bring you some of the answers to the most-asked questions.

    October 03, 2013
  • The Office of Personnel Management has made it official: Lawmakers and their staff members are required to purchase health insurance from one of the Affordable Care Act's health-insurance exchanges --but the government will still contribute toward their premiums. OPM issued the final rule, which goes into effect immediately, Wednesday.

    October 02, 2013
  • The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service says it can return to being profitable and begin to pay down its debt if Congress gives it the authority to overhaul its health benefits structure. Postmaster General Pat Donahoe told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Thursday that launching a postal-specific health care plan would help save the agency $8 billion annually through 2016.

    September 26, 2013
  • Health insurance premiums on average are going up next year. While the increase isn't as high as many experts predicted it will still be a jolt to feds who have been on a pay raise diet for the past three years, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Then there is the question of whether that "average" increase is 3.7 percent or more like 4.4 percent?

    September 26, 2013
  • Health premiums for federal employees are going up an average of 3.7 percent, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Postal Service employees, who separate negotiating rights over premiums, will see, on average, a 3.8 percent increase.

    September 24, 2013
  • Updated Thrift Savings Plan regulations would allow the same-sex spouse of a TSP participant to collect death benefits as long as they were married in a state that recognizes same-sex unions, regardless of where they live currently.

    September 20, 2013
  • Greg Stanford, director of government affairs for the Federal Managers Association, and Federal Times Senior Writer Sean Reilly will discuss furloughs, layoffs, and other issues affecting federal workers. September 11, 2013

    September 11, 2013
  • NARFE's David Snell will discuss the impact of a proposed change to how federal retirees' cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. September 4, 2013

    September 04, 2013
  • Funds in the Thrift Savings Plan took a plunge last month. With the exception of the government-securities G Fund, all the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan finished August in negative territory.

    September 03, 2013
  • On this week's Capital Impact show, Bloomberg Government analysts will examine vehicle maintenance contract opportunities at the Pentagon, and Maryland State Senator Joanne Benson will discuss the how Affordable Care Act, and other legislation will affect Maryland residents. August 29, 2013

    August 29, 2013
  • The launch of state insurance exchanges will have little impact on most federal employees, the Office of Personnel Management says. It's a different story for OPM, itself, however. Due to its experience managing the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, OPM has been tasked with managing a part of the new health exchange system.

    August 29, 2013