Federal Employees Health Benefits Program improving carrier performance; conforming changes--OPM. Proposed rulemaking

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to issue a regulation that would amend the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulation (FEHBAR) to underscore accountability for customer service and contractual compliance among the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program community-rated carriers. The regulation would enable OPM to better manage carriers' performance over key contract areas, including customer service measures, information and reporting requirements, and significant events that might affect service to enrollees. Accurate and timely performance by carriers will facilitate the Program meeting its customer service standards.     

Federal employees health benefits program; revision of contract cost principles and procedures, and miscellaneous changes. Final rule

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation amending the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Acquisition Regulation (FEHBAR). This regulation provides additional contract cost principles and procedures for FEHB Program experience-rated contracts and is intended to clarify our requirements and enhance our oversight of FEHB carriers.     

Prohibition of "gag clauses" in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program--OPM. Final rule making

The office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation amending the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulations (FEHBAR) to prohibit health benefit carriers participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program from entering into contracts or employment agreements with health care providers, provider groups, or health care workers that would include provisions or financial incentives that have the effect of limiting or restricting communication of medically necessary services to FEHB enrollees.     

Federal employees health benefits acquisition regulation: Board of Contract Appeals. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is adopting as final,without change, the proposed rule published April 7, 2008 to remove the designation of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA)from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulation(FEHBAR).     

Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and Department of Defense (DoD) demonstration project; and other miscellaneous changes. Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

OPM is issuing a final regulation to implement the portion of the Defense Authorization Act for 1999 that establishes authority for a demonstration project under which certain Medicare and other eligible DoD beneficiaries can enroll in health benefit plans in certain geographic areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. The demonstration project will run for a period of three years from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2002. This regulation specifies only the requirements that differ from existing FEHB Program regulations because of unique aspects of the demonstration project. This regulation also makes other miscellaneous changes to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulations.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program improving carrier performance; conforming changes--OPM. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation that implements OPM's initiative to ensure high quality customer service to its enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program by establishing a performance evaluation program that will hold community-rated carriers accountable for their performance. The regulation would enable OPM to better manage carriers' performance in key contract areas, including customer service measures, information and reporting requirements, and significant events that might affect service to enrollees.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

These regulations call for the simultaneous submission of Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) carriers' benefit and rate proposals. The regulations will permit an assessment of the impact of benefit and rate proposals on both the Government and enrollees in a more timely and orderly fashion than is possible with the present FEHB contract negotiation cycle.     

Procurement regulations--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

These regulations call for the simultaneous submission of Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) carriers' benefit and rate proposals. The regulations will permit an assessment of the impact of benefit and rate proposals on both the Government and enrollees in a more timely and orderly fashion than is possible with the present FEHB contract negotiation cycle.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits program: direct payment of FEHB premiums for annuitants--OPM. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is adopting its previously issued interim regulation that implements section 1 of Public Law 101-303. This section of law allows all annuitants to make direct payment of premiums for their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage when their annuity is too low to cover the insurance premiums. Previously, only annuitants in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) were allowed to make direct payment of their FEHB premiums.     

Federal employees health benefits program: miscellaneous changes--Office of Personnel Management. Final rulemaking

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations which implement a number of miscellaneous changes to the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program regulations. The regulations will improve the administration of the FEHB Program and result in better service to enrollees.     

Federal employees health benefits children's equity. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations to implement the Federal Employees Health Benefits Children's Equity Act of 2000, which was enacted October 30, 2000. This law mandates the enrollment of a Federal employee for self and family coverage in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, if the employee is subject to a court or administrative order requiring him or her to provide health benefits for his or her child or children and the employee does not provide documentation of compliance with the order.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; benefits for medically underserved areas--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is amending its regulations pertaining to benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for individuals in medically underserved areas, these regulations are necessary to implement the FEHB law, as amended, which mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health service in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; benefits for medically underserved areas--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is amending its regulations pertaining to benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for individuals in medically underserved areas. These regulations are necessary to implement the FEHB law, as amended, which mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health service in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians.     

Federal employees health benefits: payment of premiums for periods of leave without pay or insufficient pay. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations to rewrite certain sections of the Federal regulations in plain language. These final regulations require Federal agencies to provide employees entering leave without pay (LWOP) status, or whose pay is insufficient to cover their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) premium payments, written notice of their opportunity to continue their FEHB coverage. Employees who want to continue their enrollment must sign a form agreeing to pay their premiums directly to their agency on a current basis, or to incur a debt to be withheld from their future salary. The purpose of this final regulation is to rewrite the existing regulations to ensure that employees who are entering LWOP status, or whose pay is insufficient to pay their FEHB premiums, are fully informed when they decide whether or not to continue their FEHB coverage.     

Federal employees health benefits program: limitation on physician charges and FEHB Program payments--Office of Personnel Management. Final rule

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is making final its interim regulation that amends current Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program regulations. The final regulation requires that the charges and FEHB fee-for-service plans' benefit payments for certain physician services furnished to retired enrolled individuals do not exceed the limits on charges and payments established under the Medicare fee schedule for physician services.     

Federal employees health benefits program: discontinuance of health plan in an emergency. Final regulation

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to amend the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) regulations regarding discontinuance of a health plan to include situations in which a health plan becomes incapacitated, either temporarily or permanently, as the result of a disaster.     

Federal employees health benefits program; medically underserved areas for 1998--OPM. Notice of medically underserved areas for 1998

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for the calendar year 1998. This is necessary to comply with a provision of FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in states with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 1998, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. North Dakota has been removed from that list, with no new additions for 1998.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Medically Underserved Areas for 1999--OPM. Notice of medically underserved areas for 1999

The Office of Personnel Management has completed its annual calculation of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for the calendar year 1999. This is necessary to comply with a provision of FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in states with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 1999, OPM's calculations show that the following States are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming. West Virginia has been removed from the 1998 list, and Idaho and North Dakota have been added.     

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: limitation on inpatient hospital charges and FEHB program payments--OPM. Interim regulation with request for comments

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim regulation that implements section 7002(f) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (5 U.S.C. 8904(b)). The law sets a limit on the charges and Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program benefit payments for certain inpatient hospital services received by a retired enrolled individual. This regulation defines a retired enrolled individual and sets forth the circumstances under which the limit on charges and FEHB Program benefit payments takes effect.