WASHINGTON (CN) - Seasonal firefighters working for the federal government will be immediately covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, under new regulations adopted by the Office of Personnel Management.
OPM director John Berry said the benefits were extended at the behest of President Barack Obama.
"Issuing this interim final regulation meets President Obama's direction to ensure that the brave men and women who compose our nation's federal firefighter ranks, and who are currently fighting dangerous wildfires in states across the country, are eligible for the same health insurance available to other federal employees, retirees and their families," Berry said.
Until now, most firefighters employed by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior were not eligible for health benefits because they work fewer than 6 months a year.
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