The Big Hearing

Although the FEHBlog touted watching the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the internet, it turned out that the live streaming was quite choppy at least on my computer. Fortunately, the New York Times filled in the gaps for me with this article and the Committee posted all of the Senator's statements and the prepared testimony on its website during the course of the three and a quarter hour long hearing.

The OPM Director in his testimony stood up for the FEHB Program. He explained that the Postal Service's proposal to withdraw from the FEHB Program requires careful study. He advised the Committee that the Administration's plan for helping the Postal Service with of its current financial problems would be included with the President's deficit reduction proposal to be submitted to Congress in the next two weeks.

Also in the next two weeks, OPM should release the 2012 premiums for the FEHB Program, including the change in the government contribution which currently is the 72% of the enrollment weighted average premium capped at 75% of the selected plan's premium.