New Legislation Reflects Distrust of Federal Bureaucracy
The Senate passed the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act which the author says appears to indicate a lack of trust in the federal government.
What is the Best Way to Measure Inflation?
The Social Security Administration states that the goal of a cost-of-living adjustment is to ensure that the purchasing power of seniors is not eroded by inflation, but with no COLA planned for 2016, does that mean that seniors do not have to worry about inflation? As the author notes, it depends on how inflation is measured.
CMS Publishes Final Medicare Part B Premium Rates For 2016
After months of speculation and debate, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the official rates for Medicare Part B premiums beginning in January 2016.
What Can We Learn From The 2015 Employee Viewpoint Survey?
The 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results were recently released by the Office of Personnel Management. The author notes that agency leaders take the survey results seriously, even if employees find it hard to draw relationships between the survey results and agency responses. He highlights the highest and lowest positive scores across the six main categories of questions from the survey.
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 Signed Into Law
President Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law on Monday. Among its provisions, the two-year budget deal sets 2016 Medicare Part B premium rates.
Who Wins and Who Loses From The Proposed Legislation For Medicare Part B Premiums?
Following an outcry by many groups, new legislation would reduce the premium increase facing Medicare Part B participants in 2016. However, some will benefit and some will not. The author explains who comes out on top and who doesn’t under the new law.
GAO Study on OFCCP Underway
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has informed its members that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is currently interviewing federal contractors to gather their views on policies and processes of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
What are the Options For Stopping A Rise In Part B Premiums?
Without immediate action by Congress or the administration, a combination of economics and law may lead to Medicare Part B premiums rising as much as 52%. The author looks at some different ways the government could potentially prevent this from happening.
NARFE Sets Up Web Page and Letters to Protest Medicare Part B Premium Increase
The National Active and Retired Federal Employee Association (NARFE) has started a web page devoted to opposing the projected 52% increase in Medicare Part B premiums.
50th Anniversary Celebration of a Little Known Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency
The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The author describes how this agency operates and also a recent discrimination case it oversaw against a federal contractor.
