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2026 Open Season Exchange: OPM’s Shane Stevens on big-picture plans for FEHB, PSHB

14 November 2025 at 15:34


Participants in both the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs may have more incentive than usual to take advantage of Open Season, as premium costs continue to surge in yet another year of double-digit percentage increases.

For 2026, FEHB premiums are rising by an average of 12.3% for enrollees, while those in PSHB will see their premium costs rise by an average of 11.3%. It comes after premiums increased by about 13.5% and 11.1% for FEHB and PSHB respectively in 2025.

Shane Stevens, associate director of healthcare and insurance at the Office of Personnel Management, acknowledged what he said was a “frustrating environment” for insurance enrollees who are facing continually rising premium costs.

“Health care costs have become somewhat unsustainable,” Stevens said during Federal News Network’s 2026 Open Season Exchange. “I’ve watched employees have to get second jobs to get insurance and cover it. I’ve watched where they’ve reduced the amount of coverage in order to afford it. In some cases, they’ve gone completely without insurance.”

Combating federal health insurance premium cost increases

To try to combat rising premiums costs, Stevens said OPM’s strategy will revolve around reducing “fraud, waste and abuse” in the government’s insurance programs.

“We have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers, to our plan participants, the retirees, the current federal workers. Yet we have very little insight into what we’re actually spending this coming year,” he said. “We’re working very hard to try and get all of this information, all of this data, to be able to make good decisions, which will help us to detect fraud, waste, abuse and overpayments.”

OPM is also on a one-year deadline to implement recently added requirements from the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. One provision of the reconciliation bill, called the FEHB Protection Act, requires OPM to create a system for verifying the eligibility of FEHB enrollees. The bill also directs OPM to include eligibility audits in any fraud risk assessments of the program.

The push in Congress came after the Government Accountability Office in 2022 found that OPM may be spending up to $1 billion annually on ineligible FEHB enrollees. Removing ineligible members, however, would reduce costs to the government but not necessarily lower premiums for beneficiaries directly.

“If we get the data and the information we need, I’m convinced that we could save approximately 7% to 8% per year,” Stevens estimated.

Addressing staff needs, other challenges within OPM

OPM’s insurance programs are facing other major challenges as well. The platform for the PSHB program in particular is at risk of an operational failure, according to OPM’s inspector general office. An OIG report over the summer found that staffing shortages at OPM this year, coupled with funding issues, may negatively impact enrollees’ experience or ability to change enrollments during Open Season.

On top of that, GAO recently reported that the staffing shortages at OPM are hindering the agency’s ability to address risks of fraud in the FEHB program.

When asked how OPM has responded to the watchdog’s concerns, “We do believe our staff can work effectively through everything,” Stevens said, adding, “In the short run, we’ve improved our systems and our processes to where we’re not concerned about delays or challenges.”

Stevens added that he plans to roll out more artificial intelligence tools for participants to use in the enrollment process for future years of Open Season.

Emulating the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda

In addition to addressing fraud and saving costs, Stevens also described his goal of shifting the government’s insurance programs toward what he described as a “well care model,” as opposed to what he describes currently as a “sick care model.”

“We want to move more toward a holistic approach and something to where we’re not doing a pharmaceutical-first type of intervention, or where we have faith-based behavioral health care to where they can give true solutions,” he said.

“If we get healthier and we start making better health decisions, then we’re going to be able to reduce the costs, the premiums,” Stevens added.

It’s not yet entirely clear what OPM may change in the FEHB or PSHB programs based on the big-picture priorities Stevens outlined during the interview.

But for 2026, OPM already made one distinct change: Carriers were required to end coverage of all gender-affirming care, in line with an executive order from President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Enrollees who are mid-treatment for gender-affirming care can still continue receiving coverage, according to OPM’s new requirements, but the definition of “mid-treatment” is determined individually by each health carrier. Federal health plan experts have recommended that those impacted by OPM’s change check their carrier’s plan brochure for more details.

Going forward though, Stevens also expressed interest in reconsidering coverage of GLP-1 medications, a class of drugs that are prescribed to treat diabetes and obesity.

“We want to look at utilizing these as a tool for weight loss or for treatment of diabetes,” Stevens said. “However, we don’t want it to be viewed as the end-all be-all of, ‘this is going to save me.’”

Currently, OPM requires all carriers to cover at least one type of GLP-1 for enrollees, prescribed for weight loss. It’s a requirement that health care experts have said is a positive development and ahead of the curve compared with the private sector.

But Stevens said he wants to encourage physical exercise and nutrition over GLP-1s, through the government’s insurance programs. That type of change, he said, may also lead to some cost savings.

“I want to try and move away from that, move more to incentivizing providers to have good health outcomes for their patients versus prescribed medications,” he said.

Stevens’ approach for what he sees for the future of FEHB and PSHB mirrors goals of the Trump administration’s larger push toward the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

Stevens, for instance, discussed what he views as a “broken” health care system that focuses on prescriptions first — emulating a sentiment that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed and that has influenced some of the Trump administration’s major health initiatives.

RFK’s MAHA report from May outlined contentious views on vaccines, the nation’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. The HHS report, parts of which have received strong criticism, additionally includes increased scrutiny of childhood vaccines and “fear-based” views on farming chemicals, while also blaming ultra-processed foods for unhealthy Americans.

“We truly have a secretary of health that’s fighting for the real overall well-being of health. We have a president that truly cares about it, and then we have a lot of appointees that are trying to make a big difference,” Stevens said. “It’s a massive shift in the paradigm of how we look at health care — really looking at outcomes versus prescriptions and a lot of the things that have made us an unhealthy population.”

Encouraging Open Season action

In the immediate term, Stevens encouraged participants in FEHB and PSHB over the next several weeks to take advantage of Open Season. Participants have until the enrollment window closes on Dec. 10 to spend time looking at plan brochures and comparing various insurance options that are available to them.

The push to take action during Open Season comes as relatively few insurance enrollees end up selecting a different plan each year.

“Change is tough, change is scary, and a lot of times I think people would just rather stick with their current plan and do the same, regardless of how much it could cost them more,” Stevens said. “It will surprise a lot of people in seeing that if they were to shift over to a different type of plan that they could save a substantial amount of money.”

For measuring this year’s Open Season success, Stevens said he will be looking for any potential shifts in the statistic that just 5% of enrollees change their plans each year.

“We encourage everybody to take the time — I’m talking maybe an hour of your time — to jump in and look at the different tools that we’ve created and make sure that you’re picking the plan that’s best for you,” he said. “We’ll take all of that in and see what we can do to improve our systems and processes to make it even better next year.”

Discover more articles and videos now on our 2026 Open Season Exchange event page.

The post 2026 Open Season Exchange: OPM’s Shane Stevens on big-picture plans for FEHB, PSHB first appeared on Federal News Network.

© Federal News Network

2026 Open Season Exchange (5)

2026 Open Season Exchange: OPM’s Holly Schumann on getting a head start this Open Season

14 November 2025 at 15:14

It’s commonly cited that just about 5% of participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program change their plan during Open Season each year — so it may not be surprising to learn that many FEHB participants who take advantage of Open Season also tend to wait until the last minute to do so.

But during Federal News Network’s 2026 Open Season Exchange, Holly Schumann, principal deputy associate director for health care and insurance at the Office of Personnel Management, urged participants to get started on their research sooner rather than later.

“We do typically see a big surge of traffic on the last few days of Open Season, but I really encourage folks to take action earlier,” Schumann said. “Take the time to study all of the information. And that’s much easier to do if you’re not waiting until the last minute and feeling pressure to make a decision.”

Tips on how to research federal health insurance options

Schumann also gave some advice for where participants can get started on their studying. She recommended going first to OPM’s website. There, participants can find a plan comparison tool, as well as deeply detailed plan information across all health insurance carriers.

The plan brochures from FEHB carriers — as well as those in the Postal Service Health Benefits program — cover benefits changes for 2026, details on Medicare for each plan option, what the premium rates will look like beginning in January and much more.

“We don’t want anybody to be caught surprised by a change in their plan that they weren’t aware of,” Schumann said. “If you have a specific health care need, I really encourage you to take the time find the link on our website, download the brochure and take a few minutes to leaf through it.”

Beyond FEHB and PSHB information, enrollees can also see more details on OPM’s website about the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, as well as FSAFEDS — the government’s program for flexible spending accounts. FSAFEDS allows current federal employees each year to set aside pre-tax dollars to go toward eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Schumann strongly encouraged participants to consider enrolling in an FSA, to help save on out-of-pocket costs.

“It allows you to save essentially 20% or 30% on what you would pay for those things, when you consider the tax savings,” Schumann explained. “There is a ‘use or lose’ rule with a flexible spending account generally, but there are mechanisms where, on the health care side for example, you can roll over any excess funds up to a certain limit — assuming you enroll in a flexible spending account the next year.”

While benefits inevitably change year-to-year in FEHB and PSHB, there are also a handful of coverage updates coming from carriers in FEDVIP as well, Schumann said. That makes it all the more prudent for participants to take a look at what’s out there this Open Season.

“Among dental plans, there are some who are offering additional enhanced benefits for additional cleanings during pregnancy, for example,” she said. “On the vision side, there are some plans that are offering additional benefits for folks with diabetes, since we know that they require some enhanced vision services. Folks who might be interested in those benefits should take the time to look at OPM’s website and find out more information about those.”

OPM’s year-round work on health insurance

Although Open Season is the most public-facing time of year for OPM’s health insurance office, the work for the agency truly takes place year-round when it comes to the government’s various insurance programs.

Throughout the year, OPM issues call letters to collaborate with carriers on any changes to benefits or coverage for the following plan year, as well as to discuss priorities on premium rates and costs within the insurance programs.

The premiums are, in part, driven by costs of care from prior years, while also incorporating predictions of what health care costs will look like in the year ahead, Schumann explained. Based on the estimations, OPM’s actuarial team then negotiates the rates with carriers to reach the final values.

“Really what we’re seeking to do is to find the right balance of comprehensive medical coverage with affordability — we’re always trying to strike that balance,” she said.

In the weeks leading up to Open Season’s start date, OPM works to update all information on its website — including the plan comparison tool, as well as all carriers’ health plan brochures for the following plan year.

“We can add information, if needed, to make sure that people get what they need to make informed decisions,” Schumann said. “We also monitor the web traffic to our site to see where people are coming from and what information sources they are most interested in, so that we can adapt during Open Season.”

Then once Open Season ends, OPM works closely with FEHB and PSHB carriers to make sure any participants who changed plans during the open enrollment period are able to get their new insurance cards and all the information they need, ahead of the actual start of the new plan year in January.

Medicare Part D — and the final word

During Open Season, Schumann also stressed the importance of considering some key differences within Medicare Part D and how that will operate for participants depending on whether they are in the FEHB or the PSHB program.

“Many FEHB plans, though not all, provide a Part D prescription drug plan that works in conjunction with their plan. And if you’re eligible and Medicare-enrolled, you’ll be opted into that plan,” Schumann said. “But you can opt out, and you will still have coverage under the underlying FEHB plan, if you choose not to enroll in Part D.”

But for Medicare-eligible PSHB participants, there is an important caveat: PSHB enrollees can only access prescription drug coverage through the program if they have Medicare Part D.

All Medicare-eligible participants will be automatically enrolled, but there is no underlying prescription drug coverage for PSHB participants if they choose to opt out of Part D.

“Every PSHB plan offers a Part D plan that works in conjunction with the PSHB plan,” Schumann said. “Enrollees still have the option to go out on the retail market, if they prefer to choose a different plan than the one offered by their carrier, and purchase a Part D plan. But they just need to know that they have to have Part D if they want to have any sort of prescription drug coverage at all” through PSHB.

Ultimately, Schumann doubled down on her recommendation for studying up and getting an early start on Open Season to ensure participants find the best plan option for them.

“I know it can be daunting to make your way through all of this information about all of the benefit choices available to you, but it’s really time well spent to make sure that you get the coverage that’s right for you and for your family,” she said. “We welcome the opportunity to serve you, and we always welcome feedback on how we can make things better in the future. So take the time, make those decisions carefully, and we’ll look forward to a successful Open Season.”

Discover more articles and videos now on our 2026 Open Season Exchange event page.

The post 2026 Open Season Exchange: OPM’s Holly Schumann on getting a head start this Open Season first appeared on Federal News Network.

© Federal News Network

2026 Open Season Exchange (3)

2026 Open Season Exchange: Consumers’ Checkbook’s Kevin Moss on must-know details of FEHB, PSHB

14 November 2025 at 14:55

Participants will see yet another year of large premium increases for 2026, with increasing costs that will impact virtually all enrollees in both the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs.

But Kevin Moss, director of marketing and fundraising at Consumers’ Checkbook and our Fed With Benefits columnist, said that’s not the full story this Open Season.

“The premiums don’t all move in the same direction,” Moss said during Federal News Network’s 2026 Open Season Exchange. “There are 23 plans next year where the premium is going down in FEHB. … About half of all the other plans are either moving below that average or above that average. So you’ll have to do the research this Open Season.”

Overall, premiums are going up substantially for plan year 2026. FEHB participants will pay an average of 12.3% more toward their premiums. Out of all FEHB plans, 57 are increasing at a rate lower than the average, and 49 plans are increasing at a rate higher than the average.

For PSHB participants, premium costs are rising by an average of 11.3%, with 35 increasing at a rate below the average and 26 increasing more than the average. Thirteen plan premiums are decreasing, and one is staying the same.

Why premiums are on the rise

Some of the major driving factors behind the premium increases are GLP-1 medications, something that the Office of Personnel Management requires carriers to cover, as well as the rising age of enrollees in FEHB and PSHB.

Premiums are also rising in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), but to a much smaller extent. For 2026, the average dental premium increase is 3.35%, while vision premiums will rise by an average of 0.47%.

Still, there are several ways that enrollees can hedge against the rising costs next year, Moss said. For current federal employees, he recommended contributing to a Flexible Spending Account through the FSAFEDS program. It’s an option that’s available to all active federal employees, but right now, just 20% of the federal workforce takes advantage of the program.

The FSA option allows federal employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical, dental and vision costs — and feds may be able to save about 30% on those costs by using an FSA. For 2026, federal employees can contribute about $100 more toward an FSA, for a total contribution limit of $3,400.

“Every federal employee has some out-of-pocket health care costs that they can budget and predict,” Moss said. “When we think about medical expenses and when we also consider vision expenses and dental expenses, I think most federal employees can at least find a few hundred dollars that they predict that they’re going to spend out of pocket.”

Changes to plans and coverage for 2026

At the same time that most health plan premiums are on the rise, it’s inevitable that each year some plans will exit the FEHB marketplace, while some new ones pop up.

For 2026, there will be a total of 47 carriers and 132 plan options available in the FEHB program, according to OPM. For PSHB, there will be 75 total plan options participants can choose from, across 17 different carriers.

A number of smaller and regional plans are leaving the FEHB marketplace next year: Health Alliance’s HMO Standard; AvMed Health Plan’s HDHP and Standard plans; Independent Health’s High plan; Blue Care Network of Michigan’s High plan; and Priority Health’s High plan.

GEHA Elevate and GEHA Elevate Plus are the only two plan options leaving PSHB next year.

But Moss said the most significant change for 2026 are the two plans from the National Association of Letter Carriers that are leaving the FEHB program. NALC’s exit from FEHB will impact about 29,000 enrollees who will have to either select a new plan during Open Season or be auto-enrolled into GEHA High.

That auto-enrollment option might be the right choice for individuals, Moss said, but it also might not.

“You’ll want to find out how it works before getting auto-enrolled in that plan,” Moss said.

There are also several important benefit updates that enrollees should be aware of, Moss explained. There have been some recent changes, for instance, in the coverage of in vitro fertilization through FEHB and PSHB. BlueCross BlueShield Standard and GEHA High both offer a similar benefit of up to $25,000 to cover IVF treatments.

“If you’re thinking about IVF, just make sure that you’re also thinking the other aspects of plan choice before making that plan decision,” Moss said. “What are the premium differences? What about provider network? What about the other benefits that those plans offer? Make sure that you’re really comparing on more than just the IVF.”

OPM additionally requires all carriers in both FEHB and PSHB to cover at least one GLP-1 medication prescribed for weight loss — something that Moss said is ahead of the curve in comparison to the commercial market.

“You’re going to want to go to the prescription drug resource information on the carrier websites to find out about cost coverage, whether there’s pre-authorization requirements and get some pricing information,” he said.

One other notable change for 2026 is that OPM is requiring all carriers to drop coverage of gender-affirming care for participants. OPM’s requirements earlier this year initially told carriers only to stop providing pediatric coverage of gender-affirming care, but OPM later expanded the requirement to block coverage for all enrollees in both FEHB and PSHB.

An important caveat to OPM’s changes, however, is that FEHB or PSHB enrollees who are mid-treatment for gender-affirming care will still be able to continue getting their treatment covered next year.

“The definition of ‘mid-treatment’ is left to the carriers, so anyone who’s using gender-affirming care services will really want to find out from their carrier, either through the plan brochure or the carrier website itself,” Moss said.

Taking advantage of Open Season

Even if enrollees feel satisfied with their plan option, they’d still be wise to do some research during Open Season, Moss said. Usually, just about 5% of FEHB enrollees change their plan options during each year’s open enrollment window.

“There’s homework that every federal employee has, and it all starts with looking at what’s different with your plan that you currently have,” Moss said. “The premium is probably different. The benefits can change.”

Taking a look at section two of a carrier’s plan brochure will detail any changes in benefits and costs that will occur next plan year. Because OPM mandates that all carriers’ plan brochures have the same formatting, it’s relatively easy to compare costs and benefits across different plan options, Moss said.

OPM also has a plan comparison tool, and Consumer’s Checkbook offers a “Guide to Health Plans” for federal employees, which is accessible for free through many federal agencies. The comprehensive guide includes estimated yearly costs and which plans may have the best value.

“All these resources are there for you to help people better understand both their plan and different plan options this Open Season,” Moss said.

In spite of the sharply rising premiums, Moss said, “There could be a positive here: It may spur folks to actually look to see, ‘Are there other plans that maybe can offer greater value, where I can still keep the providers that I’ve grown accustomed to but then save quite a bit of money by switching plans?’ ”

Discover more articles and videos now on our 2026 Open Season Exchange event page.

The post 2026 Open Season Exchange: Consumers’ Checkbook’s Kevin Moss on must-know details of FEHB, PSHB first appeared on Federal News Network.

© Federal News Network

2026 Open Season Exchange

Over 30,000 feds facing possible FEHB premium spike next year

14 November 2025 at 14:30

More than 30,000 federal insurance enrollees may be in for some sticker shock next year, if they choose to do nothing during Open Season.

With eight plan options being discontinued in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, participants currently enrolled with those carriers — most of whom are enrolled in plans from the National Association of Letter Carriers — will, in some cases, face more than a 200% spike in premium costs, if they accept the auto-enrollment plan option for 2026.

Typically, participants whose plans leave the FEHB program are automatically enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan the following year. But for 2026, the Office of Personnel Management chose a different path forward.

The specifics behind OPM’s decision remain unclear, but an OPM spokesperson told Federal News Network the agency chose a plan that’s not the lowest-cost nationwide plan “because we determined it was in the best interest of the program to do so.”

“The default plan designation ensures enrollees who do not choose a plan during Open Season continue to have health insurance coverage, but OPM strongly encourages enrollees in terminating plans or plan options to review the plans available to them for 2026 and choose the one that best meets their needs,” the spokesperson said.

Under federal regulations, FEHB participants whose plans are discontinued — and who do not take action during Open Season — will be automatically enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan that is not a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), and that does not include membership fees. But the regulations additionally state, “OPM reserves the right to designate an alternate plan for automatic enrollments if OPM determines circumstances dictate this.”

For 2026, the lowest cost nationwide plan that fits the statutory requirements is GEHA Elevate. But OPM made the decision to “exercise its authority” to make GEHA High the auto-enrollment plan instead.

A spokesperson for GEHA declined to comment for this story.

All enrollees have the opportunity to make a different plan selection during Open Season, if they choose to. Open Season began Nov. 10 and will run until Dec. 8, for changes that will take effect starting in January. More information on FEHB premium rates is available on OPM’s website and in carriers’ plan brochures. Participants can also use OPM’s plan comparison tool to weigh various options for 2026.

Comparing FEHB premiums, benefits

In total, eight plan options across six plans are leaving FEHB in 2026, which will impact roughly 32,000 participants. The vast majority of affected participants were enrolled in a health plan from the National Association of Letter Carriers. NALC had two plans — NALC High and NALC CDHP (Consumer Driven Health Plan) — in the FEHB marketplace. Neither will be available in FEHB for plan year 2026, although NALC will remain a carrier in the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program.

Between those two plans, about 29,000 total participants were enrolled in NALC for 2025. Nearly 26,700 were enrolled in NALC High. A smaller portion, just over 2,300 FEHB participants, were enrolled in NALC CDHP.

Regardless of which NALC plan they were in, all of those enrollees will have to either pick a new plan during Open Season, or be auto-enrolled by OPM. NALC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Outside of the two NALC options that will account for the vast majority of impacted enrollees, others from various smaller plans leaving FEHB will also be automatically enrolled in GEHA High, if they do not select a different plan during Open Season this fall.

The other plans leaving the FEHB program in 2026 are:

  • Health Alliance’s HMO Standard
  • AvMed Health Plan’s HDHP and Standard plans
  • Independent Health’s High plan
  • Blue Care Network of Michigan’s High plan
  • Priority Health’s High plan

In terms of premiums, the exact cost increase depends on a participant’s plan option.

For instance, an enrollee in the “self and family” plan option of NALC High has been paying $283.94 per biweekly pay period for their insurance in 2025. If that enrollee takes no action, and gets auto-enrolled in the “self and family” plan for GEHA High next year, the biweekly cost will increase to $525.18, beginning in January 2026 — an increase of nearly 85% in premium cost to the enrollee.

In a more striking example, an enrollee in the “self and family” plan option of NALC CDHP, who has been paying $146.26 per biweekly pay period this year, will see their premium cost surge by nearly 260% next year — paying a premium of $525.18 per biweekly pay period, if they are auto-enrolled into GEHA High.

By comparison, the average premium increase across all FEHB plans for 2026 is 12.3%, when taking into account the 47 carriers offering a total of 132 total plan options for next year. Not all plan options are available to all FEHB enrollees, as some are specific to certain agencies or geographic regions.

Premium costs, however, are far from the only factor that enrollees should be considering when making a plan selection, according to federal health plan experts.

“FEHB enrollees losing their NALC health plan should carefully consider which health plan will be the best fit for them,” said Kevin Moss, director of marketing and fundraising at Consumers’ Checkbook. “Besides reviewing the plan premium and out-of-pocket costs for benefits, make sure to check the website of the new plan you’re considering to see if your current providers will be in-network, and how any prescription drugs you may take will be covered.”

Notably, the lowest-cost nationwide plan, GEHA Elevate, has lower premiums, but also much lower coverage than GEHA High. NALC High — which the vast majority of those impacted by OPM’s decision are coming from — is more similar to GEHA High than it is to GEHA Elevate, but still with some differences in benefits.

For instance, an enrollee in NALC High who had a $300 deductible for a “self only” plan in 2025 would move to a $500 deductible in 2026 under GEHA High. By comparison, the enrollee’s deductible would increase to $750 under GEHA Elevate.

As another example, an enrollee in NALC High with a catastrophic out-of-pocket maximum of $3,500 for a “self only” plan would see that limit increase to $7,500 under GEHA High. The out-of-pocket maximum for GEHA Elevate, in contrast, is $10,600.

John Hatton, senior vice president of policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), said a higher-premium plan with more coverage may be the best plan for some enrollees, but not necessarily others.

“Maybe the high premium plan with more coverage is the right choice for you, but you may want to look at some other alternative plans that might be cheaper. Because there are options, even with really low deductible plans, that have lower premiums than the main big dogs in the program,” Hatton said in a recent interview on The Federal Drive. “So it’s really critical that you look and choose what’s best for you.”

The post Over 30,000 feds facing possible FEHB premium spike next year first appeared on Federal News Network.

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Republican lawmaker raises concerns about funding FEHB program

  • As Open Season approaches, one Republican is raising concerns about funding for the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) is questioning the Office of Personnel Management on how it plans to avoid exhausting the FEHB’s trust fund. He said it’s a concern, since there aren’t any incoming contributions to the trust fund under the government shutdown. In response to Lankford’s questions, OPM said that if needed, it would be able to let health carriers request additional funding from contingency reserves. But for the time being, OPM said all FEHB plans have sufficient funds to pay claims.
    (Letter to OPM on FEHB program under shutdown - Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.))
  • The Senate has confirmed Lieutenant General Christopher Eubank to lead Army Cyber Command. He will take over the command from Lieutenant General Maria Barrett, who has served in the role since 2022. Eubank is currently serving as special assistant to the commander of Army Space and Missile Defense Command and has previously led the Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command. The Army has not announced when Eubank will officially assume command.
  • The Senior Executives Association is lowering its membership fees across the board in an effort to attract and retain its federal leaders. SEA said active members, including those in the SES, at the GS15 and 14 levels will pay $20 less next year to renew their status at $159. Retired members of the Senior Executive Service will see a rate of $99, down from $103. Meanwhile rising leaders for those at the GS 12 or 13 levels will pay $99. SEA said this update underscores its dedication to providing exceptional value, accessibility and connectivity for our members.
  • The Office of Personnel Management is hinting at some upcoming tech hiring initiatives. The specific timeline for launching the OPM initiatives is unclear, and many details of the tech hiring efforts are still in the works. But agencies should be focused on tech recruitment, particularly in artificial intelligence, according to OPM Director Scott Kupor. “I think the thing that government has to do is not be the last dinosaur. If we do that, there’s no amount of organizational structure or marketing or anything else that’s going to save us, we have to be willing to embrace these things,” Kupor said at a NAPA conference on Monday.
  • The White House said it’s prepared to hold talks with congressional Democrats over back pay for furloughed federal employees as part of negotiations to end the government shutdown. Furloughed workers received back pay at the end of every shutdown and President Donald Trump signed legislation in his first term guaranteeing back pay. But the Office of Management and Budget has floated the possibility that furloughed workers are not automatically entitled to back pay. A recent OMB memo suggests lawmakers would have to include language in a stopgap spending bill or comprehensive spending deal in order for furloughed federal employees to receive back pay.
  • Pentagon leaders are under fire for overhauling part of the department’s policy office without telling Congress. The Senate Armed Services Committee learned about the changes just two days before Tuesday's confirmation hearing for Austin Dahmer, who was nominated to serve as assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said that according to a memo provided to the committee, the changes took effect Oct. 8. “We were informed this weekend that these changes had been made, and they were designed to, quote, realign certain policy activities and rebrand parts of the organization to better reflect the priorities of the Trump administration," Reed said.
  • The Department of Homeland Security is moving up the effective date of new rules for protecting federal property to today, Nov. 5. The rules had been set to go into effect on Jan. 1. They lay out processes for protecting federal property after that mission transferred to DHS from the General Services Administration. DHS said there’s an immediate need to institute the rule due to what it called a substantial increase in civil unrest near federal buildings in recent months.
  • The government shutdown is leading to staffing shortages at some agencies. Two Social Security Administration offices were closed on Monday due to staffing shortages. But an agency spokesperson said one of the offices reopened for normal operations on Tuesday. SSA has more than 1,200 offices across the country. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns more flight cancellations and delays are possible if air traffic controllers miss a second full paycheck next week. “You will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays. You'll see mass cancelations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don't have the air traffic controllers,” he said.
  • A bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency needs support from both the Senate and the White House. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-M.O.) is bullish that his Fixing Emergency Management Act will quickly pick up support in the House and Senate. The bipartisan bill passed out of committee in September. And Graves is optimistic President Trump will support it as well. But the FEMA Act would overhaul FEMA processes and move it out from under the Department of Homeland Security. Trump has set up a FEMA Review Council to study the issue, and it’s not clear whether the council’s recommendations will line up with Graves’ bill.

The post Republican lawmaker raises concerns about funding FEHB program first appeared on Federal News Network.

© Alexander Kharchenko

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