Earlier this week the Government Accountability Office issued an FEHBP related ruling. Several federal court employees in California filed a employee grievance over the fact that OPM would not allow them to enroll their same sex spouses under their FEHBP self and family coverage. The court internally agreed with the employees and wanted to give them employees additional compensation so that they could purchase health insurance for their spouses. The GAO ruled that

Where the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) does not permit the enrollment of an employee’s spouse under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), appropriated funds are not available to reimburse the employee for the costs of health insurance for his spouse. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959 charges OPM with the administration of the FEHBP, and OPM has advised that same-sex spouses are not eligible for enrollment. Accordingly, a federal court may not use its appropriation to reimburse its employee for the cost of purchasing health insurance outside of the FEHBP.

Today HHS announced that the government is teaming up with pharmacy chains that will encourage seniors with Medicare coverage to obtain “free” preventive care. Today’s Wall Street Journal included an interesting opinion piece explaining that “To meet the promise of free preventive care nationwide, every family doctor in America would have to work full-time delivering it, leaving no time for all the other things they need to do.”

Speaking of pharmacies, the Wall Street Journal reports that the major chains and prescription benefit management companies have been announcing second quarter results. Quick and dirty, CVS Caremark cleaned up on the Walgreens – Express Scripts contract disputes and expects to retain 50% of the new business that it attracted during that dispute once Walgreens and Express Scripts start doing business again on September 15. The pharmacy chain — PBM business model seems to be working out pretty well.