News Release

Washington, D.C. - The Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Kay Coles James, addressed hundreds of doctors from around the country attending the American Medical Association's National Advocacy Conference. Earlier in the day, President Bush reminded the audience that in the area of health-care choices, "what is good for public servants, including members of the House and Senate, should be good for America's seniors."

During her speech, James emphasized the guiding principles that have shaped her perspective for good health-care policy.

"The first principle is that there are smart consumers out there," said James. "Consumers are capable of making wise health-care decisions. Second, the relationship between the physician and patient should drive health-care decisions. Third, it is competition in the health-care market that promotes innovation and produces better health-care options and higher quality care. And fourth, it is up to patients to be involved and responsible."

In order to meet the Director's vision for a responsive health-care system, one that lives up to her principles and the federal work force's demands, OPM has launched a Healthier Feds campaign. The campaign places new emphasis on educating federal employees and retirees on healthy living and best treatment strategies.

In addition to outlining her principles, James gave the physicians a crash course - "FEHB 101" - on the distinctive features of the federal government's health benefits program.

"Since its inception in 1960, the FEHB program has operated according to a decentralized model, one that has the important and distinctive feature of nationwide availability, guaranteeing that no matter where one lives, every enrollee can choose from at least a dozen fee-for-service options in addition to local HMOs," said James. "OPM contracts with scores of carrier partners in the private marketplace to provide health-care services and process and pay claims to beneficiaries."

James continued, "Over eight million federal workers, retirees and their families rely on the FEHB program for access to affordable health-care. Indeed, close to 85 percent of eligible federal workers choose to participate in the FEHB program - a testament to its popularity. However, it is not its size that makes the FEHB program a pacesetter. What is most noteworthy -- and one of the primary reasons the FEHB program enjoys one of the highest levels of customer satisfaction of any health-care program in the country -- is how the program operates. You find in the FEHB program the essential elements of good health-care policy: a program that is national in scope and defined by market-based competition, innovation, and consumer choice."

More information on the FEHB may be found at www.opm.gov.

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OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.

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