FederalDaily - June 15, 2006

New Federal Performance Management Bill Introduced

A new bill introduced in the Senate would change performance management and pay in the federal government. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, introduced the Federal Workforce Performance Appraisal and Management Improvement Act on June 13. The bill would maintain the General Schedule, but require that:

• every federal employee receive an annual, written appraisal;
• the appraisals make “meaningful distinctions in an employee’s performance across a variety of areas,” prohibiting the use of pass/fail; and
• appropriate training is provided for managers to learn how to judge the performance of subordinates.

While the Office of Personnel Management welcomed the new legislation, the National Treasury Employees Union remained skeptical of personnel reform proposals. For more on this story, see the upcoming June 19, 2006, issue of Federal Employees News Digest. To subscribe, click here.

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Health Care Debit Card Unveiled by OPM

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will soon launch a debit card trial program in which some federal employees will use the cards to purchase eligible health care services and products, OPM said Wednesday. OPM plans to distribute the debit card to the 7,600 employees enrolled in the Government Employees Hospital Association (GEHA) flexible spending account (FSAFEDS) program. “Now, with the FSAFEDS debit card, participants will be able to go into the local pharmacy and purchase eligible health care items that will be paid for as if they are using their favorite bank card,” said Robert Danbeck, associate director for OPM. Eligible federal employees will receive a letter from SHPS Inc.—the FSAFEDS administrator— explaining how and when to use the card by the end of June, OPM said.

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FEHB Carriers Encouraged to Improve Technology

Federal government insurance carriers are being encouraged to better leverage health information technology (HIT) to improve flexibility and consumer choices, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) told Congress on June 13. Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program carriers have also been asked to better educate consumers on the benefits of improved health care technology, Daniel A. Green, deputy associate director for OPM, said during the hearing. The hearing also discussed the Federal Family Health Information Technology Act of 2006, which would require FEHB program carriers to implement HIT. Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, worried that provisions of the bill could leave employees’ private information vulnerable. “The development of privacy standards is essential prior to the implementation of this legislation,” Kelley testified. “I cannot say that NTEU is entirely confident that this legislation in its current form fully protects participant privacy.”

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Fed Indicted for Soliciting Bribes

A civilian employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes between May 2005 and May 2006, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Gheevarghese Pappen—in charge of finding apartments in Kuwait for Army employees—offered to recommend a realtor for the Army contracts in exchange for personal payments from the realtor, DOJ said. The indictment accuses the 62-year-old Georgia native of soliciting and accepting a total of $47,000 in bribes. If convicted, Pappen could face up to 60 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

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