Federal Daily - December 18, 2008

Blue Cross/Blue Shield Adjusts FEHBP Fees

Some Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) subscribers will get a break now that Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) has announced it has adjusted its fee structure for employees who have out-of-network non-emergency surgery. After meeting with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials, the company backed off a plan to require enrollees in the BC/BS Standard Option plan to pay a deductible of up to $7,500 for each procedure or surgery performed by a nonparticipating physician. Under the revised benefits provision, Standard Option enrollees will be responsible for 30 percent of the plan’s payment allowance for the surgery to be performed, plus the difference between the plan’s allowance and the amount billed by the surgeon, OPM said in a statement on Dec. 16. Previously, enrollees paid 25 percent of the plan allowance for an out-of-network procedure, plus any difference. Enrollees now also can contact BC/BS prior to any surgery that will be $5,000 or more for help estimating out-of-pocket costs ahead of time, OPM said. BC/BS insures more than half of federal employees and retirees. OPM also has instructed federal agencies to accept belated Open Season enrollments through Jan. 30, 2009. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/opm-announces-benefits-change-for-enrollees-of-blue-cross-and-blue-shield-who-use-outofnetwork-surgeons,1446.aspx.

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NTEU Reiterates Criticism of TSA’s Performance Evaluation System

National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley on Dec. 16 criticized the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) continued use of the Performance Accountability and Standards System (PASS) as an employee evaluation/compensation tool. While Kelley praised TSA for announcing the agency would end contractor-based performance testing in 2009, she nonetheless reiterated the union’s position that TSA employees should be moved onto the General Schedule (GS) pay system. “The PASS system is overly subjective, lacks appropriate measures and contains too many aspects that tend to unfairly trip up employees,” Kelley said. “These are not insignificant complaints.” Kelley also disputed claims made in an internal TSA memo which alleged that TSA employees will receive higher pay raises in 2009 under PASS than they would under the General Schedule. “TSA employees earn a lower average rate of base pay under PASS than most federal employees who are paid under the GS scale,” Kelley said. NTEU cited as proof a PASS report issued in November which said that more than half of Transportation Security Officers this year were rated at one of the three lowest performance levels, and so received either a 1 percent salary increase, a one-time performance bonus of $1,000 or less, or nothing at all. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1350.

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VA Urges Vets to Sign-up for Direct Deposit

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is urging the 730,000 veterans and family members who now receive paper compensation or pension checks via the U.S. Mail to sign up for electronic direct deposit. VA touted direct deposit as an anti-fraud measure and noted that about 3.1 million beneficiaries receive their VA funds electronically. The department has several ways to sign up for direct deposit, including calling toll-free to (800) 333-1795, or enrolling online at www.GoDirect.org. Veterans and family members who receive VA payments also can sign up by contacting a VA regional benefits office or their financial institution, VA said. As part of its effort to move away from the paper transactions, VA will include information about direct deposit its monthly compensation and pension envelopes throughout 2009. To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1628.

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