Fedweek/Oversight.gov -The Postal Service Health Benefits program faces “critical resource issues” and the OPM has not ensured that the underlying system “will remain fully staffed, supported and funded” in light of OPM’s downsizing and reorganization, an inspector general audit has said.

OPM further does not have “a contingency plan to ensure continuity of operations for the PSHB program in the absence of secure funding,” leaving the program at risk of being unable to process open season enrollment decisions or enrollment changes due to life events, it said.

The “flash report” from the IG comes as the PSHB is in the middle of its first year of operation as a carve-out from the FEHB for Postal Service employees and retirees, and about four months before the open season for enrollment decisions for the 2026 plan year.

The report said that the central enrollment system created for the PSHB is based on a data platform requiring 11 skilled employees to operate but OPM has not filled vacancies in four of those positions due to the hiring freeze and three other current employees are due to leave under the deferred resignation program. “The loss of critical staff, in conjunction with the hiring freeze, risked operational failure of the data platform,” it said. Read more at Fedweek

Read full report from Oversight (PDF)

PEN: We never expected much from this change in our health insurance – and our expectations are bang proven right.