US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) has raised concerns about the impact of the ongoing government shutdown on federal workers’ health insurance coverage. Lankford is seeking information from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regarding how the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program will operate if its trust fund is depleted due to a lack of employer contributions during the shutdown.
In a letter addressed to OPM Director Kupor, Lankford stated, “The Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) health insurance trust funds are sponsored by federal government employer contributions. With no current incoming contributions due to the ongoing government shutdown, I am concerned that these funds will be exhausted if the lapse in funding continues. Approximately, 1.4 million federal employees are either working without a paycheck or are furloughed, and their families depend on the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program for health insurance coverage. They deserve to know whether that coverage will continue uninterrupted.”
Lankford further noted that despite efforts to reopen the government and pay federal workers, essential agencies remain closed and employees have not received paychecks. He warned that access to healthcare for all federal employees and their families could now be at risk.
He requested clarification from OPM on its plans for sustaining FEHB coverage should the trust fund run out of money: “The men and women who serve our nation should not face uncertainty about their paychecks or their health coverage because of political obstruction in the Senate.”
Lankford concluded his letter by stating he looks forward to a prompt response from OPM.
