More On Health Care Maneuvering

I wrote on Friday that House Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Republican Darrell Issa was using the specter of changes to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to try to get the House Democrats' health care reform bill in front of the committee. I wrote at the time "To me, this sounds like a question that could be answered through a simple informational request to the bill's drafters and to OPM itself." And today, Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns said as much in a letter today responding to Issa's request. His staff have been reviewing H.R. 3200 for its impact on FEHBP, and this is what they found. Towns wrote:

I should note initially that the legislation establishes a 5-year grace period for employment-based health plans, which explicitly includes FEHBP. During this period, no substantial changes to the FEHBP would be required. This 5-year period would begin in 2013, providing the Office of Personnel Management and this Committee until 2018--nearly a decade--to make any necessary changes to the FEHBP. During this period, all other group and employment-based health plans will be conducting similar reviews to determine necessary changes.

As for changes to FEHBP, I understand that some administrative and a small number of benefits-related adjustments would be necessary in 2018 in order for all of the individual plans offered under FEHBP to satisfy the applicable requirements of a 'qualified health benefits plan.' However, there will not be a need for a significant overhal of FEHBP, and there likely will not be a need to amend title 5 of the United States Code to either alter the structure of FEHBP or to provide OPM with additional authority.

In other words, don't look for the Oversight and Government Reform committee to be holding health care hearings, but don't worry that major FEHBP changes are on the way, either.