6/10/10: On June 9, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) attempted to offer his bill (S. 3341) as an amendment to the Senate’s “tax extenders” and unemployment compensation bill (H.R. 4213), to allow an early 2010 implementation of FEHB coverage to young adult dependents up to age 26, on their parents’ health insurance family plans. The planned effective date is now January 1, 2011 under the new health care reform law. Many private sector companies have voluntarily committed to covering their employees’ dependents on their health insurance plans in 2010. The Cardin amendment would have allowed OPM to work with its FEHB insurance carriers to voluntarily implement the young adult dependent coverage in 2010, as well.

Unfortunately, the Cardin amendment was defeated in a largely partisan vote on a procedural motion offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Overcoming the Republican backed motion required a “yea” vote of 60 senators. The final vote was 57 yeas to 42 nays, and is available at the U.S. Senate link below: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00179#position

This amendment would have simply put federal employees on the same footing as the private sector. NTEU was the primary advocate for obtaining the current law’s provisions extending young adult dependent health care coverage past the age of 22. We fought for it every step of the way. Bills (H.R. 5200/S. 3341) are still pending in the House and Senate to move up the implementation date, and we will continue to look for opportunities to enact them. For more information on this issue and to see what you can do to help, you can visit www.nteu.org.