Senate panel passes pay and benefits bills

By Michael Posner CongressDaily July 21, 2004

Without little discussion and no objections, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday approved a series of bills that would make changes in pay and benefits for federal employees. They included the following:

  • S. 2657, which authorizes the Office of Personnel Management to negotiate improved eye and dental coverage plans for federal employees. The employees would have to foot the entire cost of premiums for the better coverage. But OPM would leverage the purchasing power of the federal government to negotiate the lowest rates.

  • S. 593, which would require federal agencies to make up the difference between federal salaries and military pay when National Guard personnel or military reservists go on active duty. The legislation approved by the committee on a voice vote was a substitute by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., clarifying that reservists would not get pay reductions and authorizing $100 million for the pay differentials.

  • S. 2409, which is aimed at ensuring that federal health benefits are continued for military reservists called to active duty. The bill authorizes agencies to pay for an employee and his or her government contributions to health plans for up to 24 months. An amendment by Durbin to add federal employee life insurance to the continued benefits was approved on a voice vote without debate.

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    • GEHA and Blue Cross do have riders for dental benifits. Granted they are about 25% of the cost of your regular coverage and have long waiting periods for major work but they do exist. As anybody with a spouse working for the state or local government or any corporation will tell you, their benefits are better and cheaper than FEHB and they will take coverage under their spouses plan rather than FEHB. With the greater number of federal employees we should have more leverage than Wal-Mart but it is obvious that either we need to take lessons from Wal-Mart or the Fed just doesn't give a darn. GovExec.com reader Posted July 26, 2004 3:54 PM
    • You might say half a loaf (Make that a third of an overpriced loaf.)is better than nothing. That depends...if the same OPM negotiators are used that allowed Mail Handlers Benefit Plan to rip us off last year; we can expect very little. OPM needs "to put down the donut" and get serious with our Health Benefits. As one of your readers recently said, "What do our members of the Senate pay for Dental and vision coverage?". The President needs to realize that screwing Civil Servants is not the way to go...AFGE just dumped him for "Candidate Kerry"...I look in horror upon Kerry as our CINC. Is this what it is going to take to "wake-up" George and Dick? They need to go over to OPM and "kick some butt" before OPM loses the election for them! Need less "yes" people in OPM, Jungle Jon GovExec.com reader Posted July 26, 2004 10:34 AM
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