By Ian Smith – February 1, 2017 Legislation has been introduced in the House to make a number of reforms to the Postal Service. The Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 756) would make pension funding reforms, allow for postal rate increases and even allow the Postal Service to provide non-postal services in some…
By Ken Garner – December 2, 2016 Earlier this week a group of industry representatives met with Emily Murray, Staff Director of the Ways & Means Health Subcommittee to discuss the prospects of H.R. 5714. During the meeting the group learned that the Ways & Means Committee had serious concerns about the bill and would not…
By Walton J. Francis – November 16, 2016 The 2016 Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 5714) is pending before Congress and may be considered in the lame-duck session in December 2016. The bill would force age-65 postal annuitants to purchase duplicative Medicare Part B medical insurance, despite already paying for better insurance under the Federal…
Press Release – October 18, 2016 Alexandria, VA – – Federal retirees received bad news today with the announcement of the 2017 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), said National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) President Richard G. Thissen. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that COLA to federal civilian and military retirement annuities…
Press Release – Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 65 million Americans will increase 0.3 percent in 2017, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 0.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries in January…
By Walton J. Francis – September 14, 2016 The 2016 Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 5714) proposes shifting postal retirees’ primary health care coverage from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to Medicare. Proponents call this a consensus proposal for integrating the FEHBP with Medicare. It is not. The proposal’s impact on both postal…
By Richard G. Thissen – July 20, 2016 When people think of the U.S. Postal Service’s finances, if they even do, they worry about the impact on their magazine delivery or the spoils of their late night shopping habit. I know I worry about these things. But another, less noticeable part of the debate over…
By Bill McAllister – July 12, 2016 Prospects for congressional approval of major postal reform legislation have sharply increased with the approval of a bill that would boost stamp prices and require postal retirees to depend on Medicare for most medical expenses. The action by the House Oversight Committee on July 12 does not assure…
