Members of Congress introduced the FEHB Dependent Coverage Extension Act this

week --  legislation that would allow dependent children of federal

employees and annuitants to remain on their parents' federal health insurance

plan to age 26.

Current federal law allows people in the Federal Employees Health Benefits

Plan (FEHB) to keep dependents on their health insurance plans until the age of

22.  This bill -- if passed -- would conform current law with the recently

passed health care reform law and ensure that the children of federal employees

are able to remain on their parents' health insurance until their 26th

birthday.  It also gives the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) the

authority to implement this change for the 2010 plan year.

"The legislation I am introducing today will move up to this year the

timetable for allowing Federal employees to keep their children on their health

care until the age of 26.  This will provide emotional and financial relief

for families in the often uneasy transition period from high school and college

to the working world," said Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a sponsor

of the bill, on Tuesday.  "The recent announcement that private health

insurers will voluntarily allow young adults to remain on their parents' health

insurance policies before the enactment date of the new health care law is

welcome news.  However, this voluntary implementation does not extend to

the millions of hard-working federal employees.  And while I commend OPM

for beginning to take steps to apply the age 26 dependent coverage provision to

FEHB plans in 2011, OPM needs the authority to implement this very important

provision sooner.   And this legislation is designed to do just

that."

The bill has been widely supported by federal employee groups.

"This coverage would be particularly helpful to dependent children about to

graduate from trade school, college or university who could have difficulty

finding employment with health benefits in the present unfavorable job market,"

said Margaret L. Baptiste, president of the National Active and Retired Federal

Employees Association (NARFE).  "As a matter of equity, NARFE endorses Van

Hollen's 'Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Dependent Coverage Extension

Act' and encourages Congress to swiftly approve this important bill."

"I have heard from a number of NTEU members asking that OPM implement the

provision earlier as some private sector companies are doing," said 

National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen M. Kelley. "NTEU is

hopeful that this measure will get support in the Senate and will be implemented

in time to help federal families seeking this coverage."

To read a copy of the legislation, go to:  href="http://vanhollen.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FEHBP_Bill.pdf">http://vanhollen.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FEHBP_Bill.pdf