benefits
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The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board kicked off this week a multimillion-dollar plan to revamp the Thrift Savings Plan. The $2.3 million initiative, which was approved by board members last month, calls for TSP officials to broadly survey participants on the services and offerings they desire as well as how the TSP stacks up against other plans, including those in the private sector.
October 15, 2013 -
Preliminary figures suggest next year's benefit increase will be roughly 1.5 percent, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. The increase will be small because consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year.
October 14, 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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
A proposed change to how federal retirees' cost-of-living adjustments are calculated could have a huge, negative impact, according to David Snell of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. NARFE is urging its members and retirees to contact their congressmen during the week of Sept. 16 to express their opposition to the chained consumer price index.
August 21, 2013 -
Congress and some congressional staff members will no longer be eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, when The Affordable Care Act goes in to effect in January. OPM explains what that means.
August 07, 2013 -
The Supreme Court struck down parts of DOMA on June 26. Federal managers now must decide how to recognize legal same-sex marriages. Agencies also must update their enrollment systems to include same-sex spouses and their children.
July 08, 2013 -
Federal employees in same-sex marriages have until August 26 to make changes to their health and life insurance among other benefits, according to a new memo from acting OPM Director Elaine Kaplan. Same-sex spouses of federal employees are now eligible for coverage under under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and Federal Long-term Care Insurance.
June 28, 2013 -
OPM is planning to add four new insurance carriers to the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) for 2014. Premium rates and benefits coverage of the new plans would be announced later this year ahead of the annual federal health-insurance Open Season.
June 21, 2013 -
The Supreme Court says a Virginia law can't override a federal employee's decision to make his ex-wife, not his wife, his beneficiary in a federal insurance program.
June 04, 2013