The Congressional Health Care for Seniors Act would allow seniors to select any of the plans currently offered under the Federal Employee Health Benefit program, starting in 2014.

Co-sponsors of the legislation include Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Mike Lee (R-Utah). Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said “Medicare as we know it is a false promise. It is unsustainable. Why don’t we take a program that’s worked for years in a fashion that people can relate to? If it’s good enough for your senator, it ought to be good enough for you.”

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association President Joseph Beaudoin said the bill raises serious concerns. “For more than four decades, the FEHBP has provided a stable, though not overly generous health insurance benefit to federal civilian employees, retirees and their dependents. To throw open the doors of the plan to absorb the flood of seniors currently enrolled in Medicare poses certain risks and must be examined closely.”

Sen. Paul did acknowledge in his report on the Bill that the plan was not necessarily beneficial to federal employees. “Federal employees are the one group who may have a legitimate argument with the Congressional Health Care Plan for Seniors. Asking them to share their health care with the elderly will cause premiums to increase.” However, the change is expected to save taxpayers $1 trillion dollars over 10 years by more efficient use of the federal programs already in existence.

What do you think of the proposal? Are overall savings to the federal budget (and deficit) worth paying a higher personal health care cost or would you rather Congress find other ways to save the money and/or change Medicare? Let us know in the comments.

Shanna Fowler, career services manager, said “A common setback faced by transitioning service members is how to translate military experiences into corporate language — and how to best highlight their wide variety of skill sets for a specific position.” Many former military can easily qualify for federal employment positions but aren’t sure how to get themselves noticed by hiring managers.

Fowler went on to say “…employers have shared they’re interested in learning about recruiting best practices and challenges, and understanding how to review military experience for a civilian job description.”

Because of this interest by employers, the first series is for companies interested in hiring veterans and former military service members. These Webinars will held bi-weekly on Thursdays at 1pm CST starting March 8th. Register here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/400442606

Transitioning service members, veterans and federal employees are invited to participate in weekly Webinars held each Tuesday at 1pm CST. Register for these Webinars here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/330926542

According to the American Federation of Government Employees, newly hired and rehired federal employees would have 3.1% of each paycheck put toward their Federal Employees Retirement System pensions. The current contribution rate is only 0.8%, so that amounts to a 2.3% increase.

The increase will affect new hires and rehires beginning in 2013. The increase is expected to raise $15 billion to cover part of the cost of a $30 billion boost to unemployment benefits offered by the federal government.

Unions have criticized the deal, saying that federal employees have already sacrificed $60 billion over a decade because of a two-year pay freeze currently in place. However, some in Congress have said that because the contribution increase will apply to new hires and rehires only, current employees will not feel any further impact in their paychecks.

The House has recently voted to continue the pay freeze through 2013, saying it would save taxpayers $26 billion. The proposed budget put forth by President Obama last week calls for a 0.5% pay increase and 1.2% increase in retirement contributions.

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