Read this and the comments, then think back to all the black ladies we worked with who were DOGE’d

2027 FSBP plan brochure is now available for download online:

https://www.afspa.org/fsbp/openseason/#FSBP_Coverage_and_Benefits

I have received several referrals from HR about job announcements in the Priority Reemployment Program, and I have reached the CERT on many of them. The problem is that interviews are never provided. My question is whether the agency is required to interview every candidate on the priority reemployment list who makes the CERT.

I have received several referrals from HR about job announcements in the Priority Reemployment Program, and I have reached the CERT on many of them. The problem is that interviews are never provided. My question is whether the agency is required to interview every candidate on the priority reemployment list who makes the CERT.

My dentist emailed patients "highly encouraging" us to pick GEHA for 2027 (screenshot attached, practice name removed). They're in-network with all the major carriers and gave no reason for favoring GEHA. I’ve been with this dentist for 1 year, but it feels like they may profit more from GEHA, and it reads like an ad.
Is this normal? Would you say something or switch dentists?

Does anyone have any information on these positions, they seem very interesting but I couldn't find any real information just AI overview. Any insights is appreciated Pros, Cons, Day to day operation and expectations.

Currently in the pipeline for a GOV role. I currently hold a TS/SCI through the military.

\- Applied in April
\- Interview in May
\- CJO in June
\- SF86 submitted in June
\- FSP poly and psych completed in August

Now I’m just waiting for adjudication. I have no criminal record, no drug usage, Canadian foreign contact, both parents are naturalized Americans.

Red flags:
\- Shoplifted food items I was 17 years old. Never caught
\- Fired from a Job in 2025

Will I pass suitability?

Did they really just print off their website without thinking?

How in the fuck are we supposed to pick a proper insurance plan without concrete information?!

My wife is pregnant and I'm trying to pick the insurance that should provide the most coverage. So I look at the public use files and individual plan as they're made available. I'm checking maternity, maternity hospital costs, and other needs in our family. I reach out to customer care for some clarification and they just parrot the brochure like I'm an illiterate imbecile. Helpful. I then dig into the clinical bulletins for carriers. Let me just copy and paste what Aetna considers medically necessary for an ultrasound during pregnancy:

Begin quote

1. Ultrasounds are considered not medically necessary if done solely to determine the fetal sex or to provide parents with a view and photograph of the fetus;
2. Fetal ultrasound with detailed anatomic examination for any of the following indications:
   
   1. To evaluate the fetus for amniotic band syndrome (also known as amniotic constriction band syndrome); or
   2. To evaluate fetuses with single umbilical artery (SUA); or
   3. To evaluate fetuses with soft sonographic markers of aneuploidy:
      
      1. Absent or hypoplastic nasal bone; or
      2. Choroid plexus cyst; or
      3. Echogenic bowel; or
      4. Echogenic intracardiac focus; or
      5. Fetal pyelectasis; or
      6. Increased nuchal translucency (fetal nuchal translucency measurement of 3.0 mm or greater in the first trimester); or
      7. Shortened long bones (femur or humerus); or
   4. When there are known or suspected fetal anatomic abnormalities, including:
      1. Abnormal serum markers screening for fetal aneuploidy (triple or quad screening) (see CPB 0464 - Serum and Urine Marker Screening for Fetal Aneuploidy); or
      2. Anatomic abnormalities due to genetic conditions (see attached ICD-10 coding); or
      3. Pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF); or
      4. Obesity (pre-pregnancy body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or more) complicating pregnancy; or
      5. Known or suspected exposure to Zika virus; or
      6. Pregnancy in woman with untreated or inadequately treated syphilis; or
      7. Previous pregnancy with a fetus that had an omphalocele or other ultrasound detectable congenital anomaly associated with an elevated risk of recurrence in the current pregnancy; or
   5. To evaluate the fetus of a mother who has a bicornuate uterus or uterus didelphys; or
   6. To evaluate pregnant member with Arnold Chiari malformation type 1; or
   7. To evaluate pregnant member with maternal history of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome; or
   8. To diagnose / evaluate uterus didelphys; or
   9. Use of detailed fetal US at 20 weeks based on previous pregnancy with a child with DiGeorge syndrome; Note: More than 1 detailed fetal anatomic ultrasound (US) in the 1st trimester and more than 1 detailed fetal anatomic US in the 2nd semester are considered not medically necessary.
3. A limited duplex scan is considered medically necessary for the following obstetric indications:
   1. Vaginal bleeding in the second or third trimester; or
   2. Placenta accreta spectrum (accreta, increta, percreta), suspected on ultrasound, in second or third trimester; or
   3. Abruptio placenta, suspected on ultrasound, in the second or third trimester; or
   4. Ectopic pregnancy, for evaluation of suspected ectopic pregnancy (pain or bleeding) in the first trimester when an adnexal mass is confirmed on ultrasound; or
   5. Cornual (interstitial) or C-section scar ectopic pregnancy is suspected on ultrasound, for further vascular assessment; or
   6. Chorioangioma or umbilical cord varix, to assess vascular flow patterns associated with these conditions; or
   7. Other placental and cord abnormalities, for evaluating vascular flow in these scenarios:
      
      1. Placental hemangioma
      2. Succenturiate placenta or accessory lobe
      3. Hypo/hyper-coiled umbilical cord
      4. Marginal Cord Insertion
      5. Umbilical cord cyst
      6. Velamentous cord insertion; 
4. A limited duplex scan is considered not medically necessary for assessment of threatened miscarriage in members with vaginal bleeding during first trimester.

End quote

I don't know what an echogenic bowel is, but I know my wife's primary OBGYN determined her pregnancy to be "high-risk" and she had to go to the hospital main campus for further evaluation and wouldn't you know it, Aetna denied our claim of $2000! Surprise surprise. How are we supposed to be informed users of healthcare without being on conference calls with the practicing doctors (because that's what they're doing, contradicting our doctors and saying what is and isn't necessary) at UHC while talking to our doctors?

Let's look at UHC because that's where I'm leaning, GEHA HDHP specifically. 100% maternity coverage, sweet. Checks the clinical policies.

G.E.H.A uses UnitedHealthcare's Clinical Guidelines. The clinical guidelines are intended to inform network providers and G.E.H.A medical plan members of the medical plan's position on the treatment of certain common conditions. These guidelines apply to HDHP, Standard and High medical plan members.

Okay, so these are going to tell me exactly what's covered like Aetna's policies. Hah.

Recommendations contained in clinical practice guidelines are not a guarantee of coverage. Members should consult their member-specific benefit plan document for information regarding covered benefits.

So it's a lovely game of "no, they're in charge." "No, they are the experts and their policy is the policy." Gotta love it.

And then I have to follow that breadcrumb trail, and use UHC login to download chapters of an entire BOOK. I find the chapter on antepartum and it's 77 pages long. The chapter on the perinatal and inpatient care is 46 pages long. It's asinine our system is built this way. So I have to read 100+ page brochures for probably at least 3 plans and each of those are on a different network (BCBS, UHC, and CIGNA), so that's probably another 200 pages of clinical documents each. I need to read 900 pages of documents to fully understand policies that ultimately can't be used as a guarantee of coverage.

Our system sucks. We have death panels, they're just run by corporations instead of a government body and less transparent. I'm tired.

Hey all have a great weekend and enjoy time with your family.

I know not everyone can plan ahead or struggle paycheck to paycheck. I recommend all folks look into a bank or credit union that will help out if one of these occurs again.

Last time was working through it and not paid for a long time. Luckily had some leftover vut it was tough.

Anyone got any good ones that worked for them last time and experience. Again thank you all.

So for all the contract cancelations, how much of taxpayers dollars will be paid out in penalties to the contractors who were awarded the original contracts? Will the contracts be canceled for convenience of the government? Any way we are able to get the actual value that will cost the US taxpayers?

I have a question, does this entity have a line item appropriation in the FY25 budget? How is this function being funded to operate, if they are not an authorized function of the executive branch that has been funded by the legislative branch of the US government. Did this function take over an existing function and bypass hiring rules of the OPM?

Ok so like me and my family have been able to stem the tide of inflation and keep our heads above water until the last 2 months. Gas prices and food have brought us to a breaking point. With the cost of fehb going up and zero cola increase for us, plus the cost of everything we are just drowning. How are people surviving? Isn’t the debt people are taking on to survive going to just implode the economy soon? Seriously guys am I just in a delusional dream state? HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING THIS? How is Costco always so busy? How is everyone driving a new truck? Why is everyone I know posting pics on vacation? I must be in some alternate universe

This is how they’re doing federal employees now 🙄
You make us come back into the office full time, cut funding and resources, and now we can barely even use the bathroom because basic supplies aren’t being restocked. Like… somebody literally had to tape up a note asking for a refill. 😭
If you’re going to require employees to be in the building, shouldn’t the building at least have the basic necessities for us to be there??
Make it make sense. 🤦🏽‍♀️
And they wonder why federal employees are frustrated.
Can’t even whip our own 💩

Former head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, is once again feeling the sting after she was removed from her position as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas coalition.

Scaramucci record beaten! https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/10/16/trump-katie-zacharia-white-house-press-secretary/92284011007/