Search Tags:  Patrick McFarland

Will sequestration, retirement wave derail OPM's backlog goal

The Office of Personnel Management has made steady progress chipping away at a longstanding backlog of retirement claims. But Oversight Committee lawmakers and other government watchdogs remain concerned that the absence of a long-term plan to overhaul the mostly paper-based process combined with across-the-board budget cuts and a lack of strong leadership within OPM could stall or derail the progress the agency has made.

Tags: OPM , OPM backlog , retirement , Ken Zawodny , sequestration , Joseph Beaudoin , NARFE , Valerie Melvin , GAO , improper payments , Jack Moore

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Senators take OPM to task over long wait for pensions

The Office of Personnel Management has a new strategy for tackling its backlog of 62,000 retirement applications. But, after 25 years of hearing such promises, lawmakers are skeptical. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Subcommittee on Oversight brought agency director John Berry to Capitol Hill to explain why this strategy is different.

Tags: OPM , retirement , pay and benefits , workforce , technology , Congress , Senate , John Berry , Mark Warner , Daniel Akaka , GAO , Valerie Melvin , Emily Kopp

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Senate committee to vet OPM annuity processing strategy

The Office of Personnel Management's new strategy to catch up on its backlog of retirement claims will be vetted publicly during a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.

Tags: OPM , Senate , retirement , John Berry , Government Managers Coalition , Emily Kopp

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OPM to hire CTO to handle USAJobs, retirement system

The Office of Personnel Management faces a House subcommittee today to answer questions about its handling of the USAJobs relaunch.

Tags: OPM , USAJobs , technology , workforce , hiring , House , Emily Kopp , Valerie Melvin , Patrick Manzo , John Berry , Stephen Lynch , Dennis Ross , Connie Mack , House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , Monster Government Solutions , cybersecuirty

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OPM officials asking for more transparency in FEHBP prescription drug program

Stopping the high cost of prescription drugs some federal workers pay in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program another goal of new legislation.

Tags: pay and benefits , management , best practices , Congress , FEHBP , Stephen Lynch , House Federal Workforce Subcommittee , OPM , John Berry , John O'Brien

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OMB investigated for intimidating OPM

OPM inspector general sends letter to Reps. Towns and Lynch detailing incident between an agency budget officer and an OMB employee.

Tags: management , Thomas Gavin , Ed Towns , Stephen Lynch , Peter Orszag , Phyllis Fong , OMB , OPM , House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , Inspector General Act of 2008

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OPM commits to stopping payments to dead people

The Office of Personnel Management has created a task force to lead efforts to stop payments to retirees who have died. An inspector general report released Thursday revealed that OPM had paid $601 million in benefits to dead people since 2006.

Tags: John Berry , pay and benefits , OPM , retirement , wasteful spending , OMB , IG , Emily Kopp , pay , benefits ,

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High drug prices targeted in House FEHBP plan

Some federal workers who participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program's prescription drug plan are paying 15-45 percent more than other comparable government programs. The result is feds and retired feds are not getting the best benefit at the best price for their prescriptions. So says a House subcommittee that is considering legislation to fix long-term systemic problems with the FEHBP and its spiraling drug costs.

Tags: P&B , FEHBP , Stephen Lynch , House Federal Workforce Subcommittee , OPM , John Berry , Max Cacas

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Let the sun shine on fed drug costs

A House subcommittee chairman who was once a rank-and-file postal worker is taking aim at the high cost of prescription drugs for federal workers.

Tags: Pay & Benefits , FEHBP , Rep. Stephen Lynch , House Federal Workforce Subcommittee , OPM , Nancy Kichak ,

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