TGIF

The Federal Times reports that "President Obama on Friday signed a six-month temporary spending bill that will keep the government open — and further freeze federal pay scales — until March 27 [, 2013]." The new 2013 federal fiscal year begins on Monday October 1.

Last year the FEHBlog discussed Highmark Blue Cross's investment in the West Penn Allegheny Hospital System in Pittsburgh. Today, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that  Saying that Highmark Inc. wanted it to restructure through bankruptcy, West Penn Allegheny Health System canceled the $475 million deal under which the insurer planned to acquire WPAHS."

The Affordable Care Act authorizes OPM to contract for at least two multi-state plans to participate in all of the state health insurance exchanges by 2017.  A Health Affairs blog post discussed a draft application to act as multi state plan carrier that OPM posted last week. The draft application is available here. OPM is accepting public comments on the draft application until October 22.