Midweek update

David Ermer–Uncategorized–

Govexec.com has offered its version of the backstory on OPM Director Pon’s departure from the agency last Friday. His departure, in stark contrast to U.N Ambassador Nicki Haley’s departure yesterday, was not graceful. The Govexec.com article notes that “Multiple individuals confirmed that senior aides to Pon were also removed from OPM, including his chief of staff and his confidential assistant.” In support of this assertion, the FEHBlog found that the online OPM organization chart is “under maintenance.”    

OPM today posted on its homepage an October 4 statement from then Director Pon applauding “No Time to Wait: Part 2”, a report recently released by the National Academy of Public Administration.”

In Part 2 builds on the framework of Part 1 with a more-detailed plan of action to transform the public service:

  • Build flexibility in the pursuit of mission.
  • Replace the over-defined job specifications of the current system with a competency-based, talent-management model.
  • Reinforce the pursuit of merit-system principles.
  • Lead from the center.
  • Transform the federal government’s human capital backbone.

Federal News Radio reports on a speech by OMB Deputy Director and OPM acting Director Margaret Weichert made earlier today.  In the course of this speech, Director Weichert

outlined some of her top priorities in the new role [at OPM]. “There’s a lot that I need to get from a baseline perspective, but what I did tell the team yesterday is I have two primary areas of focus,” the President’s Management Agenda — particularly building the  workforce of the future — and general management * * *.

Not much difference between the Pon and Weichert messages. The FEHBlog suspects that the Administration wants speedier implementation.

Also today, the U.S. Justice Department announced that

it is requiring CVS Health Corporation (CVS) and Aetna Inc. (Aetna) to divest Aetna’s Medicare Part D prescription drug plan business for individuals in order to proceed with their $69 billion merger.  The proposed divestiture to WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare), an experienced health insurer focused on government-sponsored health plans, including Medicare Part D individual prescription drug plans, would fully resolve the Department’s competition concerns.

This is a big step forward but not the final step as CVS and Aetna are working on wrapping up loose ends with state regulators as discussed in this Healthcare Dive story.  The FEHBlog expects that both the CVS – Aetna and Cigna – Express Scripts mergers will close as planned later this year.

OPM and the Department of Health and Human Services are encouraging federal employees and annuitants and their family members to get a flu shot this fall as FedWeek reports. Here’s a link to HHS’s website with details on the flu shot and how to get the vaccination.

In Affordable Care Act news:

  • Fierce Healthcare reports that insurers and trade associations are rolling out association health plans. 
  • Politico reports that the Senate rejected an effort to overrule the Trump Administration’s shot term health plan rule. The rule still faces court challenges.
The FEHBlog personally supports both the association health plan and the short term health plan rules because American consumers should be able to exercise product choice. One size does not fit all even in healthcare.