Effort May Address Other Issues

The Transportation-Treasury bill also often acts as the vehicle for changes to federal benefits policy. The Bush administration has requested that FEHB program rules be altered to allow Blue Cross-Blue Shield to offer a third option, which presumably would be a high deductible plan coupled with health savings accounts. The administration also recently renewed a push for a change in retirement law to remove a provision that has the effect of discouraging CSRS employees from switching to part-time work late in their careers. The administration also wants Congress to remove language that has barred decisions in contracting-out studies on factors other than cost (see below). Congress so far has not held hearings or otherwise actively considered any of those proposals, so it’s uncertain whether the appropriations measure could be used to carry such language.