Congress is in recess this week after completing work on the continuing resolution extension and their budget resolutions.

Of course, yesterday was the Affordable Care Act’s third birthday. The Hill reviews implementation challenges facing federal and state governments.

On January 1, 2014, Senators, members of Congress, and their personal staffs will have to exit the FEHBP. Reg Jones in the Federal Times answers a staffer’s question about the wisdom of retiring on December 31, 2013, to preserve his FEHBP coverage. (Smart move.) It will be interesting to see the details of this transition develop.

Tammy Flanagan in govexec.com explains why it would not be prudent for a federal employee to cancel his FEHBP coverage as a way to cut personal expenses in the face of a furlough. The FEHBlog agrees. Govexec.com also maintains an agency by agency furlough watch here.

AHIP has issued a report on rising hospital service prices and a retort to Commonwealth Fund report poo-pooing health plan efforts to improve patient care.