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Employee Benefits

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers its employees a wide array of benefits.

Salary Information

Each job is posted at a certain grade level, and that grade level determines the amount of pay based on the Federal Pay Scale. The majority of the positions are based on the General Schedule Locality Pay Tables which vary according to region. Information Technology employees are paid according to Special Salary Rates which also vary according to region. Other positions may include those for employees who are members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and are paid according to the Locality Rates of Pay for Members of the Senior Executive Service.

For specific salary information, please see the links at the bottom of this page.

Retirement Information

All employees hired on or after January 1, 1984 are covered automatically by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered system which includes the following:

Social Security

All FERS employees pay the full Social Security tax (6.2%). The Social Security system has three cash benefit components:

  • Retirement program
  • Disability program
  • Survivor benefits program

Basic Annuity Component

All FERS employees pay a small percentage (1.20% of their basic pay) toward a government annuity.

You must have at least 5 years of creditable civilian service for retirement benefits. Survivor and disability benefits are available after 18 months of civilian service.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Employees may contribute up to 15% of their basic bi-weekly salary to one or more of the following TSP investment funds:

  • Government Securities Investment (G) Fund
  • Common Stock Index Investment (C) Fund
  • Fixed Income Index Investment (F) Fund
  • Small Capitalization Stock Index Investment (S) Fund
  • International Stock Index Investment (I) Fund

Regardless of whether the employee participates, the Government will contribute 1% of the bi-weekly salary. The Government will make a matching contribution of up to 5% of what the employee contributes. Contributions and earnings are tax deferred until retirement.

For more information please visit the Thrift Savings Plan website at www.tsp.gov.

Health Insurance Information

  • Government-subsidized Premiums:
    (Government pays up to 75% of plan's total premium)
  • Options to Select Among:
    Fee-For-Service, Health Maintenance Organizations & Point-of-Service Plans
  • No Physical Examination or Waiting Period
  • Once a Year Opportunity to Enroll in a Different Plan
    Which Meets Your Current Insurance Needs
  • Optional Coverage for Family Members

For more information on federal employee health benefits, please visit the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) homepage at www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.htm.

Life Insurance Information

  • Government-subsidized Premiums
    (the Government pays one-third)
  • Variety of Options Available
  • No Physical Examination or Waiting Period
  • Insurance Coverage Automatically Escalates as Salary Increases

For more information on federal employee life insurance benefits, please visit the Federal Employees Life Insurance Homepage at www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.htm.

Work Schedules

CMS has established and supports a variety of flexible work arrangements that enables employees to balance work with their personal and family life.

Flexible Work Schedule

Flextime is a work schedule whereby employees work 10 days per pay period with a daily 8-hour tour of duty. Employees may vary arrival/departure times daily. In Central Office, employees may report for work anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Regional Office reporting times may vary.

Compressed Work Schedules (CWS)

"5-4/9" and "4/10"
These are work schedules whereby employees complete the 80-hour basic biweekly work requirement in less than 10 workdays. CWSs are fixed schedules. There is no employee flexibility in daily reporting/departure times. Under a CWS, employees select a fixed daily arrival/departure time in accordance with Central/Regional Office established reporting hours.

"5-4/9" CWS
An employee works 8 (eight) 9-hour workdays and 1 (one) 8-hour workday with one scheduled day off (Monday or Friday) during the 2-week pay period.

In Central Office, employees working a 9-hour tour of duty select a fixed daily arrival time between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Regional Office fixed arrival times may vary.

"4/10" CWS
An employee works 4 (four), 10-hour workdays each week of the pay period with one scheduled day off (Monday or Friday) each week of the pay period.

In Central Office, employees working a 10-hour tour of duty select a fixed daily arrival time between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Regional Office fixed arrival times may vary.

Credit Hours

Only employees working the 8-hour flexible work schedule may earn credit hours.

Credit hours are those hours in excess of an employee's 8-hour daily tour of duty that an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval, in order to vary the length of a future workday or workweek.

Credit hours may be earned and used in 1/4- hour increments. Full-time employees may accumulate and carry forward indefinitely from one pay period to the next a maximum of 24 credit hours. For part-time employees, the maximum number of credit hours that may be carried forward to the subsequent pay period cannot exceed 1/4 of the hours in the employee's biweekly basic work requirement.

Leave & Holidays

10 Paid Holidays

Up to 104 Sick Leave Hours Per Year
(depending on tour of duty)

13 to 26 Vacation Days Per Year
(depending on length of service and tour of duty)

Less than 3 Years = 104 Hours of Annual Leave Each Year
3 to 15 Years = 156 Hours of Annual Leave Each Year
Greater than 15 Years = 208 Hours of Annual Leave Each Year

Learning Resources

The Learning Resources Group provides learning activities for CMS Central and Regional Office employees and managers which support improving and broadening skills needed at CMS in order to accomplish the mission of the Agency.

Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a professional counseling and referral service designed to help employees with their problems on and off the job. It is free, confidential within the limits of the law, and voluntary.

Downloads

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Related Links Inside CMS

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Related Links Outside CMSExternal Linking Policy

2005 General Schedule Locality Pay Tables
IT Special Salary Rates
Locality Rates of Pay for Members of the Senior Executive Service
OPM's Salaries and Wages Page
Thrift Savings Plan
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Homepage
Federal Employees Life Insurance Homepage

Page Last Modified: 12/14/2005 2:48:00 PM
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