"[OPM] is providing notice of adjusted present value factors applicable to certain retirees under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS): [1] Retirees who elect to provide survivor annuity benefits to a spouse based on post-retirement marriage; [2] retiring employees who elect the alternative form of annuity; or [3] retirees who elect to credit certain service with nonappropriated fund instrumentalities. This notice is necessary to conform the present value factors to changes in the economic and demographic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System." MORE >>
"[OPM] is providing notice of adjusted present value factors applicable to certain retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS): [1] Retirees who elect to provide survivor annuity benefits to a spouse based on a post-retirement marriage; [2] retiring employees who elect the alternative form of annuity, owe certain redeposits based on refunds of contributions for service ending before March 1, 1991, or elect to credit certain service with nonappropriated fund instrumentalities; or [3] for retirees with certain types of retirement coverage errors who can elect to receive credit for service by taking an actuarial reduction ... This notice is necessary to conform the present value factors to changes in the economic and demographic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System." MORE >>
"[OPM] is revising the table of reduction factors for early commencing dates of survivor annuities for spouses of separated employees who die before the date on which they would be eligible for unreduced deferred annuities. The annuity factor for spouses of deceased employees who die in service when those spouses elect to receive the basic employee death benefit in 36 installments under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986 remains unchanged." MORE >>
"The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is providing notice of revised normal cost percentages for employees covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986." MORE >>
"Advisors with clients who receive federal benefits must become experts in pension rules, service credit calculations, and benefit elections to serve as a valuable resource during both the planning and retirement phases." MORE >>
"The Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act ... would grant federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid family leave each year to attend to a serious health condition or to care for a spouse, child or parent. The measure would also cover absences needed to help a family member who is the survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, as well as to attend to a family member's deployment into active duty military service." MORE >>
"OPM said beginning July 1, federal workers who enroll a child or spouse in health insurance benefits through FEHBP or PSHBP will be required to provide proof of their eligibility.... While much of the rule is aimed at improving eligibility verification when a dependent is first added to insurance coverage, OPM said it is still preparing for the FEHB Protection Act's other major provision: an audit of existing enrollments to verify participants' continued eligibility." MORE >>
"The FEHB Protection Act of 2025 (FPA) requires OPM to issue regulations and implement a process to verify: [1] the veracity of any qualifying life event (QLE) through which a health benefits plan enrollee seeks to add a member of family to their enrollment and [2] that when an enrollee adds a family member to the health benefits plan, including during any open season, the individual is a qualified member of family. This final rule also clarifies responsibilities for initial family member eligibility determinations for the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program." MORE >>
"Although the Plan is a non-ERISA governmental plan exempt under 29 U.S.C.Section 1003(b)(1), the court applied an arbitrary-and-capricious standard derived from New York contract law that closely mirrors ERISA review of plans vesting discretion in the administrator. The decision is significant for ERISA practitioners because the panel borrows substantively from ERISA case law to define the scope of judicial review, the limits on discovery, and the treatment of treating-physician opinions." [Martin v. Fed. Rsrv. Bank of Cleveland, No. 25-3518 (6th Cir. May 7, 2026)] MORE >>
"This Carrier Letter includes the 2027 Community Rating Guidelines and Proposal Instructions for Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program Carriers. FEHB and PSHB plans must be rated separately based on the population covered." [Also available: MLR Threshold; Proposal Tables (XLSX)]MORE >>
"In the two geographic markets we researched, a commercial MA plan was the cheapest plan option, but that may not be true where you live. Consider the following before suspending your FEHB coverage and enrolling: ... Prior authorization ... Provider access ... No family coverage ... Higher out-of-pocket costs ... Higher catastrophic limit ... The ability to return to FEHB during any future Open Season represents a significant advantage." MORE >>
"GAO found that selected FEHB carriers -- which operate health benefit plans -- do not always notify patients that their providers are suspended or debarred, as required. Carriers also did not notify OPM OIG when providers may warrant suspension or debarment, as required by OPM OIG policy. Clarifying requirements would help OPM and OPM OIG ensure that patients are not exposed to risks related to suspended or debarred providers." [GAO-26-108139Apr. 29, 2026]MORE >>
"USPS told the White House Office of Personnel Management that effective Friday it will stop making $200 million payments every other week for its employer contributions for the defined benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System. USPS warned Thursday that without reforms it could run out of cash as soon as February." MORE >>
"[F]or federal employees and other government workers, the decision to convert money from a Traditional TSP to Roth may require more careful timing than the headlines suggest. As 2026 approaches, Roth conversions are still allowed, but the tax planning surrounding them is becoming more complex." MORE >>
"When Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in the mid-1980s, it fundamentally changed how federal retirement works. The earlier Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) relied almost entirely on a large government pension. FERS replaced that approach with a three-part system that resembles private-sector retirement programs. For today's federal employees, retirement planning under FERS requires careful coordination of three sources of income: the basic annuity, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)." MORE >>
"Most federal employees assume their benefits will “take care of things” if they die unexpectedly, become disabled or retire earlier than planned. It’s not a reckless assumption, but a reasonable one. After all, the federal government offers more benefits than most private employers. The problem is that they’re often misunderstood, incomplete or dependent on choices you may not have revisited in years." MORE >>
35 pages. "What's New: [1] Additional deductions for seniors.... [2] Repeal of the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and government pension offset (GPO)." MORE >>
"The guidance issued today provides pharmaceutical manufacturers with assurance that they may sell prescription drugs directly to patients who choose to pay cash -- including patients enrolled in federal health care programs -- when the arrangement meets specific conditions. These include ensuring the drug is not billed to Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal programs, is not used to market other federally reimbursable products, and is not tied to future purchases or referrals." MORE >>
"The Trump Administration is launching TrumpRx, a platform to connect patients seeking lower cost prescription drugs with direct-to-consumer (DTC) programs offered by manufacturers and other private companies to cash-paying patients. These DTC programs create opportunities for cash-paying patients to obtain prescription drugs at lower prices than may be available through other avenues. This Special Advisory Bulletin explains when a pharmaceutical manufacturer's offer and sale of lower cost prescription drugs to Federal health care program enrollees through a DTC program is low risk under the Federal anti-kickback statute." MORE >>
"Ensure both spouses understand the retirement plan ... Avoid the widow's penalty with smart federal tax planning ... Optimize Social Security timing for survivor protection ... Choosing the right pension survivor option ... Evaluate whether life insurance still makes sense ... Protection is a process, not a one-time decision." MORE >>
"[FRTIB] is amending a regulation to permit participants in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to convert amounts in their traditional TSP balances to their Roth TSP balances, subject to applicable tax consequences.... A participant or beneficiary participant may request up to a maximum of 26 Roth in-plan conversions per calendar year. To be eligible for a Roth in-plan conversion, the participant or beneficiary participant must have a vested account balance of at least $500 at the time of the request. The total amount of a conversion request must be at least $500." MORE >>
"[E]ligible participants with at least $500 in vested funds will be able to convert any portion of their traditional TSP balance into Roth savings through their online account portal. Spousal beneficiaries will also qualify. Participants can request up to 26 conversions per account each year, specified in specific dollar amounts or percentages." MORE >>
"As the nation's largest employer-sponsored health insurance program, the FEHB Program covers more than 8.2 million federal government employees and retirees, and it was once celebrated as a national model for controlling costs while giving enrollees many health plan options. But next year, average enrollee premium payments in the system are set to jump more than 12%, on top of a 13.5% hike in 2025. The two-year increase is higher than what many private employers and their workers are experiencing." MORE >>
"Federal annuitants often don't have the same flexibility as federal employees when it comes to offsetting their health insurance costs, making it important to keep certain strategies in mind when weighing Open Season enrollment. Federal annuitants face two significant premium increases next year: [1] FEHB premiums will rise by an average of 12.3% for the enrollee share. [2] Medicare Part B premiums will increase by 9.67%." MORE >>
"This proposed rule would permit all TSP participants (active and separated), as well spouse beneficiaries, to convert amounts in their traditional balance to amounts their Roth balance. In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, the converted amount would be treated as a distribution from the traditional account that is taxable in the year the conversion is done." MORE >>
