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For Active and Retired Federal Employees
RETIREMENT LIFE
NOVEMBER 2010, Volume 86, Number 11
LEGISLATIVE REPORT 8 12 14 16 17 18 19
New Method for Deciding COLAs Discussed Hoyer Meets With NARFE Members Scenes From Meet Your Candidates Month Registration Begins for 2011 Legislative Training Conference Legislative Training Conference Registration Form Civics 101: NARFE Speaks for All Feds The Federal Family: Civilian Annuitants, Employees and Postal Employees
COVER STORY 20
Convention Confronts Challenges. Here’s a look at what took place as delegates gathered for NARFE’s 31st Biennial National Convention in Grand Rapids, MI.
DEPARTMENTS 38 42 64 66 67 70
Questions & Answers
Cover photos by JonathanTramontana Cover design by Jim Richards Clockwise from top: Delegates vote; attendees ride museum carousel at Michigan Night; new President Joseph A. Beaudoin (center); delegate speaks; convention listens to OPM Director John Berry; Berry delivers address; Virginia Federation president accepts Alzheimer’s award;Vice President Paul H. Carew, Secretary Elaine Hughes and Treasurer Charles W. Saylor take oath of office; electronic voting.
COLUMNS 6 Message From the National President
32 Managing Money 34 Live Well 36 Civil Service Career Coach
SPECIAL SECTION 46 Open Season Report 2011 FEHBP Rates
Retirement Benefits NARFE News
NARFE Resources
Out & About
NARFE-PAC Coupon . . . . . . . .10 MembershipApplication . . . . . .65 Alzheimer’s Coupon . . . . . . . . .66 NARFE Member Perks . . . . . . .68
Letters For the Record: COLA Chart,TSP Investments
visit us online at www.narfe.org
NATIONAL OFFICERS JOSEPH A. BEAUDOIN, President natpres@narfe.org Editor Margaret M. Carter Assistant Editor Donna J. St. John Graphic Designer Beth Bedard Contributing Designers Charlene Gridley Jim Richards Editorial Board: Joseph A. Beaudoin Paul H. Carew Elaine Hughes Charles W. Saylor Editorial Office NARFE, Attn: NARFE magazine 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7781 E-mail: rl@narfe.org Advertising Sales Warren Berger Media People Inc. 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 725 New York, NY 10168 212-779-7172, ext. 223 E-mail: wberger@mediapeople.com National Headquarters NARFE Telephones Open 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday Telephone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7785 E-mail: hq@narfe.org Toll-free phone numbers (specific use only) Member Records: 800-456-8410 Recruitment & Retention: 800-627-3394 Legislative Hotline: 877-217-8234 Web site: www.narfe.org The Association, since July 1970, has been classified by the IRS as a tax exempt labor organization [not a union]; however, dues and gifts or contributions to the Association are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.
NARFE for the Visually Impaired On the Telephone: This publication can be heard on the telephone by persons who have trouble seeing or reading the print edition. For more information, contact the National Federation of the Blind NFB-NEWSLINEÂŽ service at 866-504-7300 or go to www.nfb newsline.org. On Tape: Issues of NARFE magazine are also available on cassette through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. To find out about availability in your area, call 800-424-8567 and ask for the Reference Section.
4
PAUL H. CAREW, Vice President natvp@narfe.org ELAINE HUGHES, Secretary natsec@narfe.org CHARLES W. SAYLOR, Treasurer nattreas@narfe.org
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS REGION I Gilbert W. Blaisdell (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) 3 Larnards Court Amesbury, MA 01913-3309 Tel: 978-388-1830 E-mail: narf1568@comcast.net REGION II Ronald P. Bowers (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) 404 Kilree Road, #301 Timonium, MD 21093-7599 Tel: 410-308-0420 E-mail: narferbowers@msn.com REGION III Donald Stewart (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Virgin Islands) 531 Sevilla Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33134-5714 Tel: 305-442-6388 E-mail: dejs33149@aol.com REGION IV Paul E. Johnson (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) P.O. Box 234, 7183 Main St. Wadesville, IN 47638-0234 Tel: 812-306-5137 Fax: 812-673-4989 E-mail: pejohnson@tds.net REGION V Richard G. Thissen (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) P. O. Box 485 Lake Ozark, MO 65049-0485 Tel: 573-365-5679 Fax: 573-964-5074 E-mail: rthissen99@msn.com
REGION VI Jerome S. Smith (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Republic of Panama and Texas) 5900 Raleigh Drive Tyler, TX 75703-5636 Tel: 903-534-5849 E-mail: retiredjer@aol.com REGION VII Betty Lucero-Turner (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) 4437 Turnberry Crescent Pueblo, CO 81001-1175 Tel: 719-583-0910 E-mail: blturner2311@aol.com REGION VIII Helen L. Zajac (California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and Republic of Philippines) 106 Cottonwood Drive Vallejo, CA 94591-5659 Tel: 707-644-7565 Fax: 707-644-5019 E-mail: hlz17@aol.com REGION IX Lanny G. Ross (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) 7450 Illahee Road, NE Bremerton, WA 98311-9431 Tel: 360-692-9741 Fax: 360-662-0384 E-mail: lannyjean@comcast.net REGION X William F. Martin (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) 294 Tyler Point Lane Bumpass, VA 23024-4633 Tel: 540-872-3345 Fax: 540-872-3445 E-mail: narfe2065@hughes.net
Volume 86, Number 11. NARFE (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria,VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription. Non-member subscription rate $33.Postmaster:Send address change to: NARFE Attn:Member Records,NARFE 606 N.Washington St.,Alexandria,VA 22314.To ensure prompt delivery, members should also forward changes of address without delay. Because of the volume involved, NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures and manuscripts,although every reasonable precaution is taken.All submissions become the property of NARFE. Contents of this magazine are copyrighted Š 2010. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of products and/or services by NARFE, unless officially stated in the ad. We shall accept advertising on the same basis as other reputable publications: that is, we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear in NARFE, but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
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You Cannot Buy This Coin From the Mint! The U.S. Mint does not sell Silver Eagle Dollars direct to the public. You can only obtain them through an authorized distributor. We have just reserved a fresh shipment of 2010 U.S. Mint Silver Eagles—the current U.S. Silver Dollar. These massive and attractive coins contain one full troy ounce of silver and feature the historic image of Miss Liberty draped in a U.S. flag walking boldly into the future.
Highest Demand Ever for 2009 Eagles. Act Before The 2010s Disappear! The U.S. Mint never experienced such demand for Silver Eagles as they did in 2009. We predict the same for the 2010 Silver Eagles. So please hurry! They’re available RIGHT NOW. And with the current financial crisis they could easily sell out.
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No, We’re Not Crazy! Why are we giving away this silver dollar at our cost? Because we want to introduce you to what hundreds of thousands of our satisfied customers have discovered since 1984—we’re your best source for coins worldwide. That’s why we’re giving away this 2010 U.S. Silver Eagle to you— for just $23.93**—to put you on the ground floor of great values like this—values our customers enjoy every day. *Plus
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A Message From the National President
Let’s Work Together
I
am writing this column having just returned from NARFE’s 31st National Convention in Grand Rapids, MI, and I want to say how extremely proud and humble I am that you – the members of our great Association – have selected me to lead NARFE as National President for the next two years. Saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Our Association has made huge strides during the past 89 years, and I am determined, with the assistance of the new National Executive Board (NEB) as well as all of our members, to continue the great work that we started. We will be facing new issues and challenges during the next two years. In your wisdom, you have voted to increase dues, which will provide us with the necessary funds to do our jobs and to “keep the lights on” at Headquarters. I have the utmost confidence in the abilities and knowledge of our newly elected National Officers: Paul H. Carew, National Vice President; Elaine Hughes, National Secretary; and Charles W. Saylor, National Treasurer. I am sure that they, along with the returning and newly elected regional vice presidents, will work together in order to enhance our organization. I am a strong believer in good communications. I will keep an open line to you, our members, so that Headquarters will have an opportunity to hear your suggestions, complaints or comments and improve the level of services that we provide to you. As I mentioned in my acceptance speech, I am humble at having been selected to hold the second highest position in NARFE. Of course, the highest position, in my opinion, is held by you – the members – because you are the ones to whom we all report. Communications consist of listening and speaking. As Judge Judy has explained on her television program, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” I think this is good advice, and I will try to model this form
of communication at NARFE Headquarters. My intentions are to request the assistance of members who have expertise in specific areas to work on committees that will benefit NARFE as an organization. I want to ask members, such as Mary Burkett from Chapter 2243 and Ken Kaul from Chapter 32, who were the top two recruiters this year, “What is your secret to recruiting?” How do Mary and Ken, along with NARFE’s other successful recruiters, consistently enroll new members each month? Do they have some magic formula that they use to recruit? I want to find out their secrets and share them with all of our members, chapters and federations, as part of our communications efforts. The same is true of retention. Why are some chapters so successful at retaining members while others are watching their members fail to renew? What is the secret of their success, and how can the rest of us learn from these thriving chapters? Again, through the power of communications, we can all learn from, and grow with, each other. I have been amazed and impressed by the knowledge and expertise of our members. We need to acknowledge and tap into their expertise so that our organization, as a whole, can improve the way we do business. I pledge to you that I will do everything in my power to further our organization at the local, state and national levels. I will need your help, as well as the assistance of the other national officers and the NEB, to accomplish this goal. I am confident that “working together – we can make a difference,” and that it is going to be a very productive two years.
I PLEDGE to you that Iwill do everything in my power to further our organization at the local,state and national levels.
6
Joseph A. Beaudoin natpres@narfe.org
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Presenting the VÂœĂ•ĂƒĂŒÂˆV 7>Ă›i ÂŽ Â“Ă•ĂƒÂˆV ĂƒĂžĂƒĂŒi“ ° "Ă•Ă€ LiĂƒĂŒÂ‡ÂŤiĂ€vÂœĂ€Â“ÂˆÂ˜} >Â?Â?‡ˆ˜‡œ˜i Â“Ă•ĂƒÂˆV ĂƒĂžĂƒĂŒi“°
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Shown in Graphite Gray with optional 5-CD Changer.
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*Bose payment plan available on orders of $299-$1500 paid by major credit card. Separate financing offers may be available for select products. See website for details. Down payment is 1/12 the product price plus applicable tax and shipping charges, charged when your order is shipped. Then, your credit card will be billed for 11 equal monthly installments beginning approximately one month from the date your order is shipped, with 0% APR and no interest charges from Bose. Credit card rules and interest may apply. U.S. residents only. Limit one active financing program per customer. Š2010 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. The Acoustic WaveŽ music system II design is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Financing and free 5-CD Changer offers not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. If the Acoustic WaveŽ music system II is returned, the 5-CD Changer must be returned for a full refund. Offers are limited to purchases made from Bose and participating authorized dealers. Offer valid 10/1/10-11/30/10. Risk free refers to 30-day trial only, requires product purchase and does not include return shipping. Delivery is subject to product availability. Quotes reprinted with permission: Sound & Vision, 3/85; Wayne Thompson, Oregonian, 9/10/96.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
New Method for Deciding C-CPI-U COLAs Discussed Using Could Result in
F
rom time to time, the accuracy of the Consumer Price
Index (CPI) and the possibility of using a different formula for determining cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) have been discussed. With the renewed emphasis on deficit re-
duction, entitlement reform and the deliberations of the National Com-
mission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, the debate is on again regarding cost-of-living measurement. Currently under discussion in Washington circles are the merits of adjusting yearly benefits using the socalled Chained CPI for All Urban Consumers, or the C-CPI-U. The C-CPI-U supplements existing indexes and uses a formula that reflects the effect of substitutions made by consumers across item categories in response to changes in prices. Many federal programs and parts of the tax code are currently indexed to increases in the CPI, a measure of inflation calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The annual COLA applied to Social Security benefits and federal and military annuities is currently equal to the increase in the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) between the third quarter of one calendar year and the third quarter of the next year. For several years, there has been an ongoing question among policymakers as to whether the CPI-W over-
8
states increases in the cost of living because it does not fully account for the fact that consumers adjust their spending patterns as some prices change relative to other prices. This is known as the substitution effect. For example, if beef becomes more expensive, then consumers might change to chicken or buy less protein altogether. Some economists say that the CPI-W does not reflect these behavioral attitudes, and they contend that the official measurement of prices is higher than what is actually going on in the economy. The C-CPI-U, however, does take into account changes in consumption patterns made by consumers. And one option for lawmakers would be to link federal benefit programs and tax brackets to the C-CPI-U. The C-CPI-U grows more slowly than the current CPI-W measure does. Over the last decade, the C-CPI-U was lower by an average of 0.3 percentage points per
Lower COLA ■ U.S.workers covered under
employer health insurance plans contribute an average of 30 percent of their total premium for family coverage, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and EducationTrust.Despite claims that federal employees receive overly generous benefits,these statistics show that the average contribution by federal employees – about 30 percent of the total premium – is comparable to private-sector contributions. ■ In a recent study,researchers
found that approximately 13.7-27.1 percent of all hospital emergency room visits could have taken place at an urgent care center or retail clinic for a savings of $4.4 billion annually.
LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE Toll-free! (24 Hours): 877-217-8234 Legislative Action Center: www.narfe.org
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
KISSES for My Daughter Heirloom Porcelain® Limoges imoges Style Music Box im Plays the melody y of “You So You Are Are So eauttifful” Beautiful”
Premiere Issue, “Dear Daughter”
An exclusive limited-edition music box you won’t find anywhere else > Hand-crafted of precious Heirloom Porcelain® and “wrapped” in a silvery finish > Golden plume is inscribed with the words “KISSES for My Daughter” > Opens to reveal a musical movement > Hand-numbered, with a Certificate of Authenticity Shown larger than actual size of about 3¼" high
©2010 The Hershey Company The HERSHEY’S, KISSES, Conical Configuration and Attached Plume Device trademarks and trade dress are used under license.
Because She’s the Sweetest! Just like HERSHEY ®’S KISSES ® chocolates, daughters make life a whole lot sweeter! Now these favorite candies inspire the “Dear Daughter” Limoges-style music box, exclusively from The Bradford Exchange. Hand-crafted of Heirloom Porcelain®, “Dear Daughter” is “wrapped” in a silvery finish with a golden heart clasp and a brass plume that reads “KISSES™ for My Daughter.” It plays “You Are So Beautiful” at the turn of a key. Future editions feature more delightful KISSES®-shaped music boxes, special daughter messages, melodies and “wrappings.” An exceptional value ... satisfaction guaranteed. Act now to obtain this exclusive musical at the $39.99* issue price, payable in two installments of $19.99 each. Send no money now. Just return the Reservation Application today so you don’t miss out! www.bradfordexchange.com/candy ©2010 The Bradford Exchange
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Legislative Report year over the past decade. As a result, using that measure to index benefit programs and tax provisions would reduce federal spending and increase revenues. According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, a Social Security benefit would be 3 percent lower after a 10-year period using a C-CPI-U versus today’s cost-of-living measurement, the CPI-W. Over the years, there also has been a debate regarding the cost of living for the elderly. Older persons tend to pay more in out-of-pocket expenses for health care. Therefore, health care prices can play a larger role in their cost of living. However, according to economists, measuring price growth for health care is more difficult than other goods and services, so determining its true effect on consumers, especially the elderly, is particularly difficult. While some economists believe that the C-CPI-U may be a more accurate measure of the cost of living, they acknowledge that it is not without its disadvantages. Elements of the C-CPI-U are revised over several years, so the tax code and affected programs would have to be indexed to a preliminary estimate of the C-CPI-U, which is subject to estimation errors. Corrections in the CPI and adjustments to affected benefits would be made later. Also, it can be argued that the C-CPI-U may reflect a lower cost of living for groups such as the elderly.
Are you in the loop? To keep up-to-date on the latest developments in Washington, sign up for the NARFE Legislative Hotline.Call 800-456-8410 and ask that your e-mail address be added to your member record.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS ■ Discussions have started inWashington about the
■ ■ ■
■
possibility of replacing the current method of figuring cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for federal and military annuities and Social Security benefits. Currently,COLAs are based on changes in the CPIW. Under discussion is changing to the C-CPI-U. The C-CPI-U grows more slowly than the CPI-W. According to one estimate,using the C-CPI-U would result in a benefit that is 3 percent lower after 10 years than one calculated using the current index. NARFE will monitor this debate to ensure the fairest and most equitable method of preserving federal annuities and other earned benefits.
NARFE’s current Legislative Program states: “NARFE supports, and shall continue to evaluate, a CPI based on the objective analyses of the Bureau of Labor Statistics professionals, and oppose any politically arbitrary changes in the CPI. The BLS should establish a research program to develop an accurate measure for retirees.” NARFE will monitor closely the work of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and the statements of current congressional members and congressional candidates regarding their positions on benefits and COLAs to ensure the fairest and most equitable method of preserving annuities and other earned benefits.
By Margaret Hostetler, Assistant Legislative Director I support NARFE•PAC, the Retiree’s Fund for the Future Enclosed is my NARFE-PAC contribution: $ Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.
Please circle:
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
Ms.
Please send check, money order or credit card information to: Attn: Budget & Finance NARFE 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Card Type:
Name
❍ Mastercard ❍ Discover
Address
Card #
City, State, ZIP
Expiration Date
NARFE Membership # ❍ For my contribution of $20 or more, please send a NARFE-PAC pin.
❍ VISA ❍ AMEX
Name on Card (Print) Signature
Date
Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFE will neither favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution, or the failure to make a voluntary contribution to this non-partisan political action fund. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
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Legislative Report Hoyer MeetsWith NARFE Members ep.Steny H.Hoyer,D-MD,the House Majority Leader, met with NARFE constituents on two separate occasions during September.Hoyer requested the first event,a meeting with two leaders from each of the10 chapters with membership in Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fifth Congressional District, home to more than 29,000 federal retirees and 18,800 active employees. The second meeting,a candidate forum for Hoyer and his Republican challenger, Charles Lollar, was hosted by Chapter 969 in St.Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s County, MD. Hoyer spoke about the new law expanding health care coverage,which is designed to spread the risk among the widest possible number of Americans. He reminded the NARFE leaders that tax reduction was a large component of the stimulus bill, $260 billion of the $780 billion cost. And he praised the balanced budgets at the end of the Clinton administration,but he noted that only one of the four balanced budgets could make that claim without counting payroll taxes dedicated to Social Security.
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Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, second from right, meets with: from left, NARFE Legislative Director Dan Adcock; Evelyn Kirby, Maryland Federation 1st vp; and NARFE Legislative Representative Christopher Farrell.
NARFE members voiced concern that the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform would suggest reducing federal retirement and health benefits. The commission is supposed to make spending and revenue recommendations to Congress by December.Hoyer said that hard decisions would have to be made if the federal budget is to be balanced, as the American people have made clear that they want, but he said he would work very hard to protect the interests of federal workers and annuitants. By Christopher Farrell,Legislative Representative
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Legislative Report See p.66 for additional MeetYour Candidates Month photos.
SCENES FROM
F
MeetYour Candidates Month
rom reports coming into NARFE Headquarters, the Association’s “Meet Your Candidates Month” was a success as chapters met with candidates and hosted multicandidate forums during the August congressional recess. “Building rapport with elected officials is essential to effective advocacy,” said Dan Adcock, legislative director. “NARFE officers and activists have proved again that they understand how vital their role is in this process.”
Chapter 262 in Louisville, KY, hosted Rep. John A.Yarmuth, left, at a meeting. Chapter President Sherman Smith is at right.
Several Missouri chapters held a candidate forum. Pictured with Senate candidate Robin Carnahan are: front, Bea Armstrong (Chapter 112); Linda Kurz (2071); Carnahan; Richard Rosenkoetter (1240); Calvin Weber (1278); back, Jim Boyd (2071); Richard Thissen, regional vp; Ben Belhumeur (1278); and Gary Schroeder (1278)
Members of Chapter 397 in Livermore, CA, and District IV met with Rep. Jerry McNerney. From left: Anastasios Piliotis, McNerney, Clara Chew, Suzanne Emberton, Anita Haraughty, John Bluck, Bill Chew and Fil Fong.
Members of Chapter 87 in Columbia, SC, met with Rep. Joe Wilson. From left: front, Sarah Reed, Mary Robinson, Wilson, Clara Gillentine and Linda Toney; back, Paul Donahue, William Toney, Fred Williams and W.K.“Chub” Jordan.
Members of Chapter 977 in Griffin,GA,met with Rep.Lynn A.Westmoreland. From left: Jimmy Coleman, Shirley Coleman, Westmoreland,Al Gillespie, Martha and Frank Dansby, and Nina Winters.
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Chapter 99 in Baton Rouge, LA, hosted Rep. Bill Cassidy at its August meeting. From left: Bob Rolfsen, Jerri Smith, Cassidy, Adele Heuvel, Bill Snider and Dora Pearfurt. NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
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Legislative Report
Registration Begins for 2011 Legislative Training Conference
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egistration is now open for the 2011 NARFE Legislative Training Conference, which will be held Saturday, March 5, through Tuesday, March 8, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Members can register using the form on the opposite page. For the first time, members also can register online at www.narfe.org. When the 112th Congress (2011-2012) convenes in January, its members and the president will face a historic federal deficit, continued high unemployment, the expense of waging war, the pressure that 77 million retiring baby boomers will place on Social Security and Medicare, the continued recession, calls to reduce federal spending, and the recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The biennial training conference is designed to educate NARFE members on the issues facing the federal community and provide valuable resources on how to “break through the noise” and talk with your members of Congress. It is vitally important that NARFE members equip themselves so they can actively reach out to inform their elected officials. NARFE members will be able to return home and conduct advocacy training and grass-roots organizing for their home chapters and federations.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND All NARFE members are welcome to attend, but chapter and federation leaders and legislative activists who have never attended before are particularly urged to participate. Federation 10-percent funds should be used to defray some or all of the costs of aspiring and potential leaders. One person per congressional district would be ideal, especially congressional district liaisons who already are invested in organizing by congressional district.
CONFERENCE DETAILS The conference will begin with a late afternoon registration and a buffet dinner (full dinner) on Saturday, March 5. Registration also will be offered early Sunday morning for those who miss Saturday’s registration. Sunday and Monday will be spent both in general informational sessions with multiple speakers and in break-out training sessions. Past topics for break-out training sessions have included Health
16
Care, the U.S. Budget, Social Security, NARFE-PAC and Contacting Congress. Past guest speakers have included wellknown public policy and political experts, as well as key members of Congress. The final day of the conference, Tuesday, March 8, will be spent on Capitol Hill speaking with members of Congress.
RATES The 2011 Legislative Training Conference room rate at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City will once again be $159, plus 10.25 percent state and local occupancy tax, for a total of $175.30 per night for both single and double occupancy. The conference registration fee is $175. This fee includes all materials, three full breakfasts, two full lunches, one full dinner and transportation to and from the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Located in the Crystal City section of Arlington, VA, on Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1), the Hyatt Regency Crystal City has two restaurants on the premises, a lobby bar, a coffee bar and in-room dining. Additionally, there are restaurants located within walking distance. The Crystal City Metrorail station (Blue and Yellow Lines) is a 10-minute walk away; the hotel also offers complimentary shuttle service every half-hour. Complimentary shuttle service is available to and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport every 20 minutes. Please Note: The hotel is adjacent to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It is 30 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 36 miles from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
REGISTRATION AND DEADLINES Registration is open as of October 1. The deadline for registration and for hotel room reservations is February 8, 2011. NARFE members who plan to attend the conference should: • Register for the conference with NARFE by filling out and mailing in the registration form on the opposite page or registering online at www.narfe.org (go to the Legislation Home Page); and • Make a room reservation by contacting the Hyatt Regency Crystal City directly at 888-421-1442. NARFE members should specify that their room is part of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association’s Legislative Training Conference at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. ■ NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
March 5-8, 2011
Registration must be returned by February 8, 2011
Registration Form Name:
J Mr.
J Mrs.
J Miss
_______________________________
J Ms.
Membership #_____________________________
________________________
Last
___________________________
First
Middle
Name as you would like it on badge: __________________________________________________________ Federation or chapter officer title for your badge (choose only one title): ________________________________________________________________________________________ Home address: ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Cell Phone: _________________________________ Phone number:_______________________________ E-mail address:______________________________ Notify in case of emergency: ________________________________________________________________ Name
Phone number
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________
$175 registration fee is not refundable. Please complete registration form and return with check made payable to NARFE, or charge to your credit card. Mail to: NARFE Conference, Budget & Finance 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Please Note: Conference meals and events are for registered attendees. Registered attendees may bring guests to NARFE-provided meals for a separate fee. Will you have a guest(s) (who is not registering) attend any meals? J Yes J No Name of Guest(s)____________________________ __________________________________________ Please add the amount of $175 per guest to your registration check or charge. NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
J Charge to my credit card $____________ J MasterCard
J Visa
J Discover
J AMEX
Card # ____________________________________________ Exp. Date ________ / _______ (mm)
(yy)
Name on card (print) ________________________________ Signature ________________________ Date ____________
For Internal Planning Purposes Only-This is NOT a Reservation. Do you plan to ride the NARFE-provided bus to Capitol Hill on March 8th? J Yes J No Do you plan to return to the hotel from Capitol Hill on the bus later that afternoon? J Yes J No Desired Return Time:* J 12:30 PM J 2:30 PM
J 3:30 PM
*These times will not necessarily be offered.
17
Legislative Report CIVICS 101:
THE INFORMED CITIZEN
NARFE Speaks for All Feds
N
ARFE chapters and federations speak for voters enumerated on the facing page. NARFE speaks out for the interests of the more than five million members of the federal family – active employees and current retirees. These annuitant counts from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) Statistical Abstracts Fiscal Year 2009 remind advocates that there are 2,497,236 federal annuitants. This half of the federal family is made up of two groups: employee annuitants (1,894,022) and survivor annuitants (603,214).
USING THE ROYAL “WE” When speaking to elected officials, always use the number of federal employees and annuitants the officeholder represents rather than only the number of NARFE members. Do not misrepresent our potential membership as our actual membership, but speak on behalf of those who share our “special interest” in fair treatment of current and former federal employees.
UPDATED FROM JULY 2009 This snapshot is overdue; it last appeared in the July 2009 issue. These counts and dollar amounts are two years newer. We are now eager to obtain similar data by congressional district, especially after the impending redistricting. Counts and amounts by five digit ZIP code will be provided to federation leaders as soon as OPM provides that data to NARFE Headquarters.
DECODING COLUMNS The first column of numbers is the fiscal year 2009 total of federal civilians receiving a monthly annuity. This total is 26,448 larger than the fiscal year 2007 total. It includes both retirement systems – the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the newer Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Both systems include employee and survivor annuitants. The second column is the total dollar amount provided to annuitants in each state each month. The third column shows the counts of employee annuitants, those who served the nation themselves. The fourth column is survivor annuitants, including surviving spouses and, some-
18
STORY HIGHLIGHTS ■ NARFE has compiled a state-by-state roundup of
numbers of federal annuitants,survivor annuitants, active federal employees and postal employees. ■ NARFE activists should use this information to show elected officials the number of people for whom NARFE speaks.NARFE speaks for the entire “federal family.” ■ In all but six states,the number of annuitants is growing. times, children. Among survivors, the ratio of widows to widowers is 13 to 1.
EMPLOYEES: FEDERAL AND POSTAL Column five is the number of current (as of June 2010) federal employees by place of employment (rather than residence) provided by OPM. Column six is the number of postal employees (as of September 2010). Unlike the 2000 Census, the 2010 Census did not use a long form with employment questions (including whether the respondent was a federal worker) useful for our purposes.
MOST STATES SHOW ANNUITANT GROWTH Similar to past patterns, most states have a growing number of annuitants. However, six states are exceptions and have declined over the past five years. These are California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. A shorter duration decrease is shown for the District of Columbia, and Connecticut reversed its threeyear decrease with a slight increase.
AVERAGES AND MEDIANS The latest reliable descriptive statistics come from the fiscal year 2009 OPM Statistical Abstracts. For employee annuitants covered by the CSRS, the monthly average annuity was $2,889. However, for this group, the median (midpoint) annuity was $2,534. For employee annuitants covered by FERS, the monthly mean was $1,051, and the median was $766. At the time of that snapshot, the CSRS covered 82 percent of employee annuitants (down from 87.8 percent in 2005). FERS covered 18 percent (up from 12.2 percent in 2005).
By Christopher Farrell,Legislative Representative NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
THE FEDERAL FAMILY:
CivilianAnnuitants, Employees & Postal Employees Total Annuitants on Roll* Alabama 58,434 Alaska 7,472 Arizona 52,242 Arkansas 24,834 California 214,207 Colorado 46,940 Connecticut 14,648 Delaware 8,759 DC 43,391 Florida 165,100 Georgia 80,977 Hawaii 24,677 Idaho 13,877 Illinois 66,401 Indiana 35,827 Iowa 20,245 Kansas 24,210 Kentucky 32,784 Louisiana 26,224 Maine 13,631 Maryland 152,662 Massachusetts 43,392 Michigan 41,947 Minnesota 27,534 Mississippi 25,143 Missouri 53,010 Montana 12,219 Nebraska 13,278 Nevada 21,409 New Hampshire 12,128 New Jersey 54,613 New Mexico 27,498 NewYork 95,673 North Carolina 70,223 North Dakota 6,178 Ohio 73,799 Oklahoma 48,687 Oregon 32,643 Pennsylvania 106,716 Rhode Island 8,628 South Carolina 43,001 South Dakota 9,759 Tennessee 44,756 Texas 163,319 Utah 34,809 Vermont 4,315 Virginia 139,413 Washington 64,630 WestVirginia 16,997 Wisconsin 26,037 Wyoming 5,622 Other/For./Territ. 42,318 TOTAL * Fiscal Year 2009
2,497,236 ** As of June 2010
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
Monthly Annuities ($000s)*
Employee Annuitants*
Survivor Annuitants*
Active Federal Employees**
U.S.Postal Service Employees***
$131,351 $17,437 $114,937 $47,924 $473,215 $109,401 $30,898 $22,007 $124,928 $376,691 $176,705 $58,602 $30,432 $144,097 $72,803 $39,811 $50,636 $63,275 $53,422 $26,936 $463,844 $90,632 $89,027 $57,297 $50,969 $111,863 $27,422 $26,544 $48,674 $26,620 $126,648 $61,379 $189,579 $156,339 $11,978 $165,635 $98,699 $73,848 $225,691 $17,484 $90,976 $19,591 $95,403 $348,199 $76,583 $9,137 $401,116 $146,835 $37,036 $51,898 $12,055 $61,109
43,721 6,119 40,564 18,600 159,679 36,896 10,573 6,928 34,985 124,803 61,445 17,991 11,099 50,616 27,286 15,224 18,564 24,748 19,926 10,117 121,119 30,707 32,547 20,909 18,964 41,042 9,919 9,982 17,047 9,065 38,862 21,763 69,536 54,246 4,723 55,596 36,391 25,432 79,139 5,845 32,508 7,653 34,256 123,309 27,154 3,315 108,013 49,576 13,487 20,035 4,554 27,444
14,713 1,353 11,678 6,234 54,528 10,044 4,075 1,831 8,406 40,297 19,532 6,686 2,778 15,785 8,541 5,021 5,646 8,036 6,298 3,514 31,543 12,685 9,400 6,625 6,179 11,968 2,300 3,296 4,362 3,063 15,751 5,735 26,137 15,977 1,455 18,203 12,296 7,211 27,577 2,783 10,493 2,106 10,500 40,010 7,655 1,000 31,400 15,054 3,510 6,002 1,068 14,874
42,147 14,390 42,268 14,826 172,134 41,000 8,614 3,429 167,008 88,368 79,913 25,106 11,261 50,936 26,987 9,265 17,570 26,230 20,979 11,142 126,902 29,355 29,855 18,535 19,247 39,824 12,776 10,563 11,718 4,495 30,655 27,820 68,584 43,320 6,790 53,050 39,272 22,952 70,241 7,131 21,602 9,066 28,459 140,324 31,314 4,526 144,166 57,874 16,197 15,626 7,127 86,738
7,120 1,389 9,085 4,522 66,595 10,132 8,325 1,966 1,187 32,486 15,416 2,349 2,119 29,647 11,407 6,598 5,878 7,028 7,031 2,916 15,356 16,420 20,243 11,653 3,998 12,604 1,810 3,777 4,081 3,311 23,708 2,943 43,772 15,314 1,292 22,018 5,977 5,950 28,000 2,446 6,352 1,600 10,499 37,926 3,774 1,303 14,980 11,824 3,203 10,742 905 2,937
$5,635,619
1,894,022
603,214
2,109,677
583,914
*** As of September 2010
19
Convention Confronts Challenges, Celebrates Past
N
ARFE’s 31st Biennial National Con-
vention began Sunday, August 29, with tears, as a former broadcaster
told the heart-wrenching story of
how she quit her promising career to take care of her Alzheimer’s-afflicted father, and ended Thursday, September 2, with a celebration of bygone years, as birthday cakes were cut at every table at the closing banquet to signify the upcoming 90th Anniversary of the Association. In between, the more than 1,200 delegates sent to Grand Rapids, MI, on behalf of their chapters heard reports – from speakers that included the director of the Office of Personnel Management and officials of partner organizations – and conducted the business of NARFE. They selected four new national officers and 10 new regional vice presidents to preside over the Association in the next two years. They raised membership dues to help the Association weather its current financial storm. They made changes to the rules governing the Association and adopted a legislative program for the 112th Congress. And they left, reinvigorated, to rally existing members to take on challenges looming in Congress and to enlist legions of new members to help further NARFE’s mission to preserve and enhance the earned benefits of federal employees, retirees and their survivors. ★
All convention photos by Jonathan Tramontana; convention stories by Margaret M. Carter and Chuck Timanus
Berry’s Goal: Honor Retiree Service
John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, delivers the keynote address.
I
n his keynote address, John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), highlighted the federal government’s use of the talents of retired employees, drawing on their expertise to recruit and mentor new employees. He singled out two retirees who had returned to help him as he took over as OPM director and said it was for people like them – and like those in his audience – that “OPM has made honoring your service a top strategic goal.” Berry admitted that OPM’s retire-
ment unit has “struggled with complex challenges for many years now.” While he said he couldn’t fix the problems “overnight,” he pledged “this administration’s full attention and efforts.” “When you make the decision to transition out, you’re still a member of the federal family,” he said. “You deserve prompt and accurate delivery of the benefits you’ve earned.” It is “early in our transformation effort,” he said, and he asked for patience. He said he was “cautiously optimistic” that OPM is on the right path.
He noted some early achievements of the Obama administration to give active federal employees more flexibility as they prepare for retirement, including the creation of a Roth option in the Thrift Savings Plan; locality pay for Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories, so that workers there will get the same retirement benefits as workers on the mainland; and persuading Congress to give agencies more flexibility to rehire annuitants. Continued on p. 28
Super Recruiters ARFE saluted winners of the 2010 recruiting contest. Chapters competed by size. Winners were: Small – Chapter 198, Fort Dodge, IA; Medium – NW Suburbia-Twin Cities Chapter 2243, MN; and Large – Mory Lewis Chapter 1085, CO. At left, Mary Burkett accepts the prize for Chapter 2243, flanked by Past National Secretary Nathaniel L. Brown, left,and Membership Development Director John Clements.
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NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
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Assessing the State Of the Association
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n their State of the Association reports, NARFE’s four outgoing National Officers emphasized the need for members to help in the effort to return NARFE to robust financial health. President Margaret L. Baptiste called on chapters to take a leadership role in reversing NARFE’s membership decline. “Since the fall of 2008, we have seen two separate but equally devastating forces erode NARFE’s financial position,” she said. “First, there was the drop in the stock market, which severely impacted our investment revenues. Combine this with the continuation of the decline in net members in NARFE, and it’s not hard to see why we have reached a point where some serious soul-searching is necessary.” Baptiste told the delegates that NARFE was losing approximately 10,000 members annually, despite good recruiting years that brought in 22,000 to 25,000 new members. And she wondered out loud if NARFE has “become irrelevant” to the members. More than once, she elicited applause from the delegates by reminding them why NARFE was founded almost 90 years ago: to protect and enhance their annuities and ensure their health care benefits. But she said it was time to “look in the mirror” to see why members were leaving the Association. The “inconvenient truth” is that chapters lose contact with members and members leave NARFE, she said. She urged delegates to “go back to your chapters and make a concerted effort to reach out to those inactive members who feel NARFE is no longer relevant and convince them otherwise.” Vice President Joseph A. Beaudoin
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said NARFE had reached a “crossroads” and appealed for delegates to approve a dues increase during the convention. He reported that all of the departments assigned to him at NARFE Headquarters – Communications, Retirement Benefits Service and Public Relations – are operating successfully. He also noted that the NARFE General Store, with a new vendor, has improved the quality of NARFE logo merchandise and increased responsiveness to members. Secretary Nathaniel L. Presiding over the opening business session,ImmeBrown, whose office has diate Past National President Margaret L. Baptiste primary responsibility for reviewed the Association’s history and launched the recruiting and retaining sale of NARFE’s 90thAnniversary book,NARFE:Celmembers, called the last ebrating 90 Years of Service, 1921-2011. (See order two years “challenging.” In form,p.23). 2009, “our nationwide rebudget for the 2010 fiscal year, but it cruitment was 23,323,” he reported, faces “a major problem” in fiscal 2011. with 10,222 reinstatements. “Unfortu“Dues revenue cannot sustain us as it nately, we had a net loss of 7,415.” has done in past years,” he said. He He applauded membership reasked delegates to support raising dues cruiting incentive programs and noted to $40, a level at which no additional other activity in the Recruitment and adjustment will be necessary until Retention Department, including mail2016, “at a minimum.” ings to lapsed members and outreach “We are a membership organizato such organizations as the National tion, and we have to face the fact that Rural Letter Carriers’ Association. our membership dues are what drive To remain viable, he said NARFE NARFE,” he said. Other income, inmust answer these questions: “What is cluding donations and affinity partner the true value of membership? What royalties, he labeled “frosting.” do we offer our members to retain He also reported that the NARFE them? Why should a federal worker or contingency fund is at $2 million, as reretiree join, and more, important, required in the Bylaws, and the Life main with us?” Membership Fund is on track to be Treasurer Richard C. Ostergren refully vested in three to five years. ★ ported that NARFE has a balanced NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Presenting NARFE’s
Limited Edition 90th Anniversary Book NARFE’s history is closely tied to the origins of the civil service system. Since the Association’s humble beginnings in 1921, when 14 retired civil servants met to discuss the economic plight of federal retirees, NARFE has made remarkable achievements in preserving and improving benefits for federal employees, retirees and their survivors.
Only $10
NARFE’s 90th Anniversary book chronicles the Association’s continuous fight to protect your earned benefits. Find out just how vital NARFE’s efforts have been throughout its 90 years of serving you. Purchase your copy of NARFE’s 90th Anniversary book and learn about NARFE’s remarkable achievements – and the Association’s continuing work on your behalf.
Order your copy of NARFE’s 90th Anniversary Book today! Clip and mail to: NARFE 90th Book, 606 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Name __________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________
Price includes shipping & handling Number of Books:
City __________________________________________State ______ZIP ___________ Member ID# (As it appears on NARFE magazine label)_____________________
❏ Charge to my credit card
❏ MasterCard
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Name on card (print) ____________________________________________________ Signature ____________________________________________ Date _____________
Total cost = _______________
MAIL ORDER ONLY—NO PHONE ORDERS—make checks payable to NARFE NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
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LEFT: A delegate uses one of several standing microphones to speak on a resolution before the convention. ABOVE: Using voting cards, delegates approve a resolution. On the convention floor, each delegate may cast one vote.
Delegates Approve Dues Increase
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elegates solidly backed a resolution to increase annual dues from $29 to $40. Discounted rates will be available to members who sign up for multiple years: $72 for two years and $102 for three years. Members who have their dues withheld automatically from their annuities will pay $34 annually. The amounts are for national dues only; chapters will continue to set their own dues rates.
The dues-increase measure required a ballot vote, rather than a floor vote, because NARFE Bylaws require any resolution that recommends changes in Bylaws governing national dues be placed on the ballot and receive a twothirds vote. The measure received 72.5 percent of the votes, easily exceeding the necessary two-thirds. Past National President Margaret L. Baptiste announced that it will take Headquarters a few months to make
necessary changes in computer programs and membership paperwork. That was the only measure that went to a ballot vote. The only other Bylaws resolution passed on the floor of the convention deleted Regional Leadership Committees. Bylaws resolutions are proposed by chapters or federations, considered by the convention Bylaws Committee and reported to the floor by the committee chair. ★
Other Resolutions Adopted n addition to Bylaws resolutions, convention committees reported general resolutions and membership resolutions for action. Among those passed are those that: • Establish a 10-member committee to prepare a revised set of Bylaws for the Association. The committee’s recommended changes will be presented to the 2012 Convention. • Remove the $100 minimum for requested money in NARFE’s Matching Funds Program, which provides 50 percent of the cost of federation or chapter recruiting and advertising campaigns. • Require Headquarters to print or post online guidance on reporting annuitant/survivor deaths to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This information now is available on the NARFEWeb site, www.narfe.org. Go to the Retirement Benefits & Insurance Home Page and click on“OPM Death Notification Letter.”
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NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Officers Elected
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he Association has four new National Officers for the next two years. Officers were elected by electronic ballot cast by delegates voting for their chapters and, with proxies, for additional chapters. National Vice President Joseph A. Beaudoin of Winchester, VA, was elected National President. He defeated past Maryland Federation President Richard L. Strombotne. Beaudoin is the first sitting National Vice President to succeed to the presidency in recent memory. (Immediate Past National President Margaret L. Baptiste had previously served as National Vice President but had been out of office four years before being elected National President in 2006.) In the race for National Vice President, Region X Vice President Paul H. Carew of Pittsboro, NC, defeated former Region VII Vice President Martha E. Leiker and Massachusetts Federation President Kenneth D. Nolan. For the position of National Secretary, past North Carolina Federation President Elaine Hughes of Asheville, NC, defeated former National Secretary David F. Sullivan and H. Ray Harrington, past California Federation president. In the contest for National Treasurer, Region II Vice President Charles W. Saylor of Towson, MD, defeated Colorado Federation President Frank Impinna and former Region III Vice President Robert S. Harrell. In addition to the four national offices, five of NARFEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 regions had contested elections for the position of regional vice president. Elections in those regions also were settled by electronic ballot. In Region I, a runoff was necessary when none of the original four candidates received a majority of
National President JosephA.Beaudoin
National Secretary Elaine Hughes
FAR LEFT: National Vice President Paul H. Carew LEFT: National Treasurer Charles W. Saylor. Delivering his acceptance remarks, Saylor first donned a red cap and then switched to a black one, signifying a switch from red ink to black ink for the Association.
votes. Newly elected regional vice presidents are pictured below. â&#x2DC;&#x2026;
New regional vice presidents take the oath of office, administered by Immediate Past National President Margaret L. Baptiste, left. They are, from left: Region I, Gilbert W. Blaisdell, Amesbury, MA; Region II, Ronald P. Bowers, Timonium, MD; Region III, Donald Stewart, Coral Gables, FL; Region IV, Paul E. Johnson, Wadesville, IN*; Region V, Richard G. Thissen, Lake Ozark, MO*; Region VI, Jerome S. Smith, Tyler, TX; Region VII, Betty LuceroTurner, Pueblo, CO; Region VIII, Helen L. Zajac, Vallejo, CA*; Region IX, Lanny G. Ross, Bremerton, WA*; and Region X, William F. Martin, Bumpass, VA. *Re-elected
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
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Adcock: You Control Your Destiny
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What’s Next. The economic crisis is translating into public anger over federal spending, Adcock pointed out, which will make it “very difficult” to obtain relief for federal retirees from an increase in Medicare premiums next year. In years when there is no retirement costof-living adjustment, Social Security recipients don’t have to pay the increase, but those not eligible for Social Security, including many federal retirees, do. He said reform, rather than full repeal, of the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision may be the best that NARFE can hope for, even if Congress embarks upon Social Security reform. He also said efforts to get retiree “premium conversion” – ability to use pre-tax funds to pay health insurance premiums – are running counter to trends that call for imposing taxes on health spending. In addition, NARFE must be ready for recommendations from the socalled Debt Commission or Congress for very large cuts in federal spending. He gave the delegates a “todo” list. • Energize and educate the rank-and-file when you get elegates approved a Legislative Program for the 112th Congress,which will convene back home; in January 2011. The convention’s Legislation Committee looked at NARFE’s existing • Get to know and educate initiatives in light of emerging priorities and decided that some needed more emphasis than new and returning lawmakers; in the past.One of these areas is pay parity between federal employees and military perand sonnel. Delegates adopted resolutions that add new items to the existing program. • Recruit and retain memThey call for NARFE to support: bers, telling them that where in★ Allowing members of Congress and congressional staff to remain in the Federal dividual efforts fail, organized Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP); efforts succeed. ★ Monitoring and reporting on the activities of the National Commission on Fiscal With members’ help, Adcock Responsibility and Reform; concluded, “Massive Benefits ★ Providing a refund to the U.S.Postal Service from the Civil Service Retirement and Cuts” does not have to be the Disability Fund,provided that the payments would not result in reduction of federal anheadline in Reno. Rather, he said, nuities; it can be: “NARFE Overcomes Po★ Extending Alaska/Hawaii locality pay reform to retirees;and litical and Budget Gauntlet; As★ Statehood for Washington,DC. sociation Finds Opportunities in Adversity.” ★ n the past two years, NARFE has racked up a long string of legislative victories, Legislative Director Dan Adcock told delegates. If the achievements were described in a story in this year’s convention bulletin, the headline might read, “NARFE Puts Money in Your Pocket and Protects Your Benefits.” But, he warned, when the delegates meet next – in Reno, NV, in 2012 – the headline could be: “Federal Salary, Retirement and Health Benefits Slashed by $50 Billion.” That, he said, “could be our reality if we do not take control of our destiny.” Achievements. Adcock reported on several of NARFE’s legislative achievements: • Equity for federal retires in the economic stimulus bill with a $250 refundable tax credit for the year 2009 for retirees not eligible for Social Security; • Defeat of a budget amendment to cut federal civilian retirement and/or
health benefits by $10 billion over 10 years; • Enactment of several civil service improvements, including authorization for federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees without offset to annuity; ability for Federal Employees Retirement System workers to credit unused sick leave toward retirement, as their Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) colleagues can; provision of locality pay for federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. territories; and permission for CSRS employees to work part time at the end of their careers without reducing their final annuity. More recently, Adcock added, NARFE helped push back four attempts to deny federal workers a modest 1.4percent salary increase for 2011. NARFE was able to achieve these successes, he said, because of its grassroots efforts, donations to NARFE-PAC, the persistence of the NARFE Legislative Department and the involvement of coalitions it leads.
Legislative Program Approved
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NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Care From the Heart
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he cruel reality of Alzheimer’s Disease was brought home by a former broadcaster who told delegates how she gave up a promising career to return to her Michigan home to help her mother care for her Alzheimer’s-afflicted father. Mary Ellen Geist is an award-winning journalist who worked for radio stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City. In 2005, as she was preparing to return to New York after a visit home, she and her father – Woody Geist – went for a walk. She soon realized that he had put on his wife’s jacket, far too small for him. As they walked, he asked her why she had to leave, and, as she looked at him in his wife’s coat, she realized that her place was home. She said the words of feminist scholar Elaine Showalter, “Why not do everything you can?” not only applied to her career but also to more personal decisions. Geist talked about the final years of her father’s life – he died March 17 – and noted the role that music played in her ability to communicate with him when nothing else worked. She said research is being done now to try to ascertain the role that music can play in the lives of other Alzheimer’s victims and their caregivers. Geist said she had no intention to write a book about her experiences, but she had been asked by her former employer to do a blog, which drew more comments from viewers than anything she had ever written or said. The events described in her book, Measure of the Heart: A Father’s Alzheimer’s, A Daughter’s Return, allowed her to truly follow her heart, which she called “the best thing I have ever done.” ★
Mary Ellen Geist
New Alzheimer’s Goal: $10 Million
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elegates signaled approval for NARFE to set another new target in its fundraising for Alzheimer’s research. By their applause, they agreed with the recommendation of the NARFE-Alzheimer’s National Committee to set a new goal of $10 million in 2012. Barb Pretzer, chair of the committee, reported that the Association is very close to achieving the $9 million goal that delegates had set at the 2008 Convention. As of July 31, NARFE
had raised $8,787,824. “We very likely will reach $9 million in the next few months,” she said. At its meeting prior to the convention, the NARFE-Alzheimer's National Committee selected four more research projects to fund for a total of $560,000, Pretzer reported. In all, NARFE has provided funding for 49 projects. This year, NARFE is marking 25 years of working with the Alzheimer’s Association to fund research projects, she noted. In recognition of this milestone, the Alzheimer’s Association gave each delegate a commemorative pin. Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, reviewed
William Shackelford, Virginia Federation president, accepts applause on behalf of his federation, whose members gave the most to the NARFEAlzheimer’s Research Fund in the past year – $66,270. Members of the Mississippi Federation gave the most per capita, an average of $6.49 per member.
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
some of the advancements that have been made in that period of time, and he expressed his appreciation for NARFE’s contributions to Alzheimer’s research. In 1985, the research community had only just realized that the disease that Dr. Alois Alzheimer had found originally in 1906 in a woman age 51 was the same disease that was afflicting people in older age, he said. There was no good way to diagnose the disease and no treatments at all. Today, he said, there are new imaging methods and biomarkers of the disease, and, while there are still no treatments to slow the progression of the disease, treatments have been found to improve the functional lives of its victims. “We are not yet where we want to be,” Johns said, “but your support has changed everything.” ★
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CONVENTION BRIEFS program (67 percent) are for people receiving care at home.
★ FEEA Steve Bauer,executive director of the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA), informed delegates that $1,006,797 has been distributed since 1996, when the Association started its scholarship and disaster assistance programs, which are administered by FEEA.
★ SERVICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR David Snell, director of NARFE’s Retirement Benefits Service De-
partment, announced that Barbara H. Munroe of Talladega,AL, was selected to receive NARFE’s 2010 National Service Officer of the Year Award.
★ FUTURE CONVENTIONS 2012 – NARFE’s 32nd Biennial National Convention will be August 26-30, 2012, at John Ascuaga’s Nugget, a casino resort in SparksReno,NV. 2014 – NARFE’s 33rd Biennial National Convention will be August 2428, 2014, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando,FL.
At Michigan Night, hosted by the Michigan Federation and the Convention Host Committee, delegates were treated to dessert and given free access to the Van Andel Museum Center of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Attendees are pictured riding the 1928 Spillman Carousel.
★ LONG TERM CARE PARTNERS Paul Forte, president of Long Term Care Partners, reported on the impact of the 2010 rate increase imposed on some enrollees in the Federal LongTerm Care Insurance Program. He said 78 percent of those affected maintained or increased their coverage; only 20 percent reduced their coverage; and there were very few terminations. He said the majority of claims in the
More than 20 companies and federal agencies had booths in the NARFE Exhibit Hall. Above, a representative of Kaiser Foundation Health Plans Inc. explains his company’s products.
Continued from p. 21 He suggested other steps to allow for more flexible retirement, such as transitioning out gradually, asking, “As we live longer, healthier lives, why not let those who want to keep contributing do so?” He suggested this might take the form of a phased retirement option where employees reduce their
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hours and mentor their successors, without hurting retirement benefits. Berry surprised outgoing National President Margaret L. Baptiste by awarding her OPM’s highest award, the Theodore Roosevelt Award. Baptiste, in turn, presented Berry a copy of the newly published NARFE 90th Anniversary book, NARFE: Celebrating 90 Years of Service, 1921-2011. ★ NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
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Only 46 states remain in free state $2 bill giveaway Hotline operators can barely keep up with all of the calls because with each vault pack residents get a free state $2 bill, so before calling the World Reserve, residents are being asked to make sure their state still appears on the list of remaining states below NEW STATE $2 BILLS: Each of the new state $2 bills being overlaid and released exclusively by the World Reserve feature their state’s skyline and significant state symbol with President Thomas Jefferson on the front. NATIONAL TREASURE: The reverse of the $2 bill features a detailed engraving of John Trumbull’s famous 1820 painting “The Signing of the Declaration of Independence.” The original hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.
REMAINING STATES Only residents of these states can still get their state $ 2 bills free: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Residents of the remaining 46 states have just 7 days to get their state’s new $2 bills free Only existing state $2 bills being given away free to the first 3,956 residents from the remaining states who beat the deadline to order the state $2 bill vault packs containing 4 protective estate wallets each loaded with its own state $2 bill By Joan Tedeschi Universal Media Syndicate
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N FREE PUBLIC GIVEAWAY: Shown above are the World Reserve’s state $2 bill vault packs that residents from each state are trying to get their hands on. That’s because they are the only existing state $2 bills. But only the first 3,956 state residents who call before the 7-day deadline to order the vault packs are getting their state $2 bill for free. So if lines are busy keep trying, all calls will be answered.
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leather wallet. That's why they are being released in individually loaded rich protective estate wallets. They are so impressive, everyone will swear they must have been taken right from the Governor's desk. "Everything in our vault may soon be gone. So residents who want to get them now had better hurry and call," said Jefferson Marshall, Executive Director of the private World Reserve Monetary Exchange. Some collectors are always trying to snatch up all the original $2 bills issued by the Government they can get their hands on. They know that $2 bills are almost impossible to find in your pocket change these days. Originally issued in 1928, the currently designed $2 bills have largely been locked away in the bowels of the U.S. Federal Reserve vaults, rarely distributed by banks and almost never seen
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HOW TO GET YOUR FREE STATE $2 BILLS RESIDENTS OF THE REMAINING 46 STATES ONLY The special Toll Free Hotlines are open to state residents only. The first 3,956 state residents who call to beat the 7-day deadline get their state $2 bills free beginning at 8:00am today. The only thing residents need to do is get the state $2 bill vault pack containing 4 protective estate wallets, each loaded with its own state $2 bill for just $12 per wallet and shipping. The first 3,956 residents from the remaining states who do are also getting their new state $2 bill free. The World Reserve Monetary Exchange is releasing the exclusive state overlaid $2 bills free for the next 7 days. If you miss the deadline you’ll be turned away and forced to wait for future announcements in this publication or others, if any. There is a strict limit of 10 state $2 bill vault packs per household. To claim yours call the special Toll Free Hotline number below or visit us online. SPECIAL TOLL FREE HOTLINE:
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CODE: NL199
1-866-584-2443 1-866-545-7705
WHAT TO DO IF ALL LINES ARE BUSY If you are a resident of one of the 46 remaining states trying to get the state $2 bills within the 7-day deadline and have not been able to reach an operator by calling the special Toll Free Hotline or any of the five Overflow Hotline numbers, follow the steps below or visit us online. 1) Immediately call the Toll Free Hotline number below. 2) You will then be connected to a special operator who will ask you for the code number below and arrange delivery of your free State $2 bill.
Call Toll Free: 1-866-561-3784 Code: NL199 www.State2DollarBill.com N LIMITED RELEASE BEGINS: This is the entire 50 state $2 Bill Collection™ shown off by the World Reserve. You can’t get these exclusive state overlaid $2 bills from local banks, credit unions or even the Federal Reserve. But getting the entire 50 State $2 Bill Collection™ may be hard, since the release is being restricted. That’s why the World Reserve Monetary Exchange has also decided to release all 50 states together in one complete collection to state residents who call 1-866-497-6717 in the next 7 days.
THE WORLD RESERVE MONETARY EXCHANGE, INC. IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. ALL TRANSACTIONS LESS SHIPPING ARE BACKED BY THE WORLD RESERVE MONETARY EXCHANGE WITH A 90 DAY LIMITED MONEY BACK GUARANTEE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE UP TO $10,000.00. THE INCREASE IN COLLECTIBLE VALUE OF CERTAIN PRIOR ISSUES OF U.S. COINS AND CURRENCY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT CURRENT ISSUES WILL ALSO INCREASE IN VALUE. OH AND FL RESIDENTS REQUIRE THE REMITTANCE OF APPLICABLE SALES TAX. SORRY NO SHIPMENTS TO CA, MA, PA AND VT RESIDENTS. 8000 FREEDOM AVE., N. CANTON OH 44720
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Managing Money
Filtering the Doomsday Noise By Mark A. Keen, CFP®
T
his is the so-called information age or the digital revolution. Cell phones have turned into supercomputers capable of doing the most amazing things. From one cell phone, we can watch live streaming video of natural disasters, scan barcodes and compare prices, and even get voiceprompted, turn-by-turn directions without having to have a separate GPS. Unfortunately, all of this technology and access to information has not made us better investors. A study conducted by DALBAR, a financial services market research firm, compared the average equity fund investor’s return to that of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index and found that the average equity fund investor grossly underperforms the S&P 500. Over the 20-year period from 1990 to 2009, the S&P 500 Index averaged an annual return of 8.2 percent while the average equity investor averaged just 3.17 percent. It’s clearly not the quantity of the information that is lacking but rather the quality. In fact, most of what we read and hear is simply noise, and we’re constantly bombarded with it – on the Internet, television, billboards, radio and phones, and in books, magazines, newspapers and e-mail. Perhaps if all of this noise were somehow filtered specifically to our goals, objectives and financial circumstances, we’d find it to be useful information. Rather, what we get instead is an overdose of mind-numbing, conflicting and sensationalized reporting, which leads to irrational exuberance or irrational despair based on fear, confu-
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sion or greed. And therein lies the problem. Benjamin Graham, the father of Value Investing, once said, “Individuals who cannot master their emotions are ill-suited to profit from the investment process.” Great investors like Graham have long understood that there are no shortcuts to building long-term wealth. It requires patience, discipline and the ability to control one’s emotions to avoid fear-based, self-destructive behavior. I believe we know this as well. But when, at the smallest setback, the media tap into investors’ fears and parade dozens of stories on topics such as the “Hindenburg Omen” – a market signal that just predicted financial Armageddon – it’s darn near impossible not to drop the dinghy and abandon ship. Never mind the fact that it’s been right less than 50 percent of the time. Why is there so much attention paid to something that’s no more predictive than flipping a coin? Because sensationalism sells, and it’s the media’s job to sell stories – to increase their circulation. Knowing this, we can begin to understand their bias for catastrophes. As the great investment expert and author Peter Lynch once said, “Far more money has been lost by investors preparing for corrections or trying to anticipate corrections than has been
lost in the corrections themselves.” Besides creating fear, the noise the media generate has the propensity to create confusion as well. For example, turn on the television to CNBC (one of a handful of channels dedicated entirely to money), and, within the first hour, you’ll hear a dozen prognosticators tell us where the markets are headed and how we should position our portfolios. This would be terrific if they weren’t all offering contradictory advice. And then, there are the newspapers. Follow them and your emotions are sure to be whipsawed. On July 1, 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported, “Dow Slides 10% in Volatile Second Quarter.” A couple of paragraphs in, the reporter goes on to comment, “Now, the question dominating financial markets as the first half closes is when the renewed bout of heightened fear will end. The answer, some observers say, is not anytime soon.” Dozens of other ominous articles from various publications could be cited from that day – any of which could have easily scared more timid investors from their strategy. Never mind the fact that the market had rallied 80 percent in 14 straight months without so much as a single 10-percent correction. Regardless, many were certainly persuaded to take action and get out.
BESIDES creating fear, the noise the media generate has the propensity to create confusion as well.
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Those who did get out might have been surprised to read the following article in The Wall Street Journal one month later: “Blue Chips Rose 7.1% in July, Best Stock Month in a Year.” This time, the reporter offered a rosier perspective. “Earnings have been great, better than most people expected,” said Mike O’Rourke, strategist at brokerage firm BTIG, who said May and June’s selloffs were overdone. “We had hit extreme levels of pessimism.” Give up? It’s no wonder individual investors jettison any semblance of a long-term strategy. In an age when we can’t get away from noise, it becomes increasingly important for us to develop a knack for weeding out the fearmongering reporting from relevant news.
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
So how do we do that? For starters, we can look at the cyclical nature of the economy and stock markets. We can accept the fact that it’s normal for markets to decline 20 percent or more. We can concede that things will improve, and the markets will recover because time has proved that to be true. When reporters sensationalize what’s happening in the world, they are reacting with their own emotions and predictions, and trying to sell their point of view. My advice is to take that point of view with a grain of salt and do your own research, either independently or with a financial adviser, before you make any hasty changes to your portfolio.
Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is president and
owner of Bennett Financial Advisors in Fairfax,VA, and an investment adviser representative and registered representative of The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Securities and advisory services are offered through SFA. E-mail: mkeen@tributaryadvisors.com.
Recycle NARFE “I caught the NARFE magazine while in the YMCA last week for my daily exercise. To be honest, I took the magazine home with me and read it thoroughly. I’ll be joining NARFE shortly!”
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Live Well
A Family Tree for Health By Marilyn S. Radke, M.D.
A
family health history is a written record of the diseases and medical conditions in a family – like a family tree for health. It contains information about family members’ medical histories, lifestyle habits (such as smoking), and where and how they grew up. For older adults, a family health history might help explain why you have developed certain health conditions. It also provides information that may help your children and grandchildren live longer, healthier lives. Many diseases result from a combination of genes (inherited from your parents), lifestyle and environment. While you cannot change your genes, you can change your diet, physical activity and medical care to help prevent diseases that run in your family. Diet, weight, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use, occupation and where you live can alter disease risk. Smoking increases the chance of developing heart disease and cancer, and may be more important in causing disease than genes. The family health history shows if you, your children or your grandchildren might be at risk for developing serious health problems. Your health care professional can use the history to help assess your risk of diseases that run in the family and then recommend actions to lower the chance of getting them. Actions to reduce the risk of dis-
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ease include lifestyle changes, such as eating more healthful foods, exercising more, getting certain medical tests and taking new medicines. If you have a disease, your children and grandchildren may have a greater chance of developing that disease than someone without a similar family history, but it does not necessarily mean that they are certain to get it.
chances of developing a disease can increase if a family member gets the disease at an earlier age than usual (10 to 20 years before most people get it). Ovarian, colon or prostate cancer, and heart disease before age 50 are danger signs for other family members. Coronary artery disease in men before age 55 and women before age 65 is a warning sign. Risk can go up if a rela-
A FAMILY HEALTH history is a written record of the diseases and medical conditions in a family – like a family tree for health. Examples of genetic diseases are Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia. Common health problems that can run in a family include: • Alzheimer’s disease/dementia; • Arthritis; • Asthma; • Blood clots; • Cancer; • Depression; • Diabetes; • Heart disease; • High cholesterol; • High blood pressure; • Pregnancy losses and birth defects; and • Stroke. The more close relatives with breast cancer a woman has, the greater her risk of breast cancer. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles a man’s risk of prostate cancer. The
tive has a disease that usually does not affect a certain gender (for example, breast cancer in a man) or if there are certain combinations of diseases within a family (such as breast and ovarian cancer, or heart disease and diabetes). A family health history involves blood relatives, and the most helpful information comes from “first-degree” relatives: parents, children, brothers and sisters. Information from “second-
To Learn More
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or more information, write to the National Institute on Aging, Building 31,Room 5C27,31 Center Drive, MSC 2292, Bethesda, MD 20892;or call the National Institute on Aging Information Center at 800222-2225; or visit the Web site at www.nia.nih.gov.
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Aging in the Home™ Technology
Marilyn S. Radke, M.D., is board certified in preventive medicine and practices in Atlanta, GA. NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
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This innovative and affordable solution enables you to maintain your independence and stay in the home you love. Like most people, the older I get, the more I miss life’s simple pleasures. The thing is, I want to stay in the home I love, the home where my wife and I raised our children. Recently, when my doctor told me that I should not climb stairs, I thought I had no choice but to move. Our bedroom’s on the second floor, and neither my wife nor I feel safe walking up or down the stairs. I had even started looking at brochures for homes in a senior community when a friend asked me why I would move when there was such an easy solution. It’s called the Easy Climber TM, and it’s enabled me to stay put. If you or someone you love lives in a home with more than one floor, the staircase can be more than an inconvenience, it can be a health threat. Whether it's due to mobility issues or cardiac concerns, why risk your life climbing stairs when an easy solution is only a phone call away? You’ll be surprised how easy, simple, and affordable this system is. It features a reliable, aircraft-grade
cable drive that’s been tested over 30,000 cycles. Also designed for basements and outdoors. It’s simple enough for most people to install on either side of the stairs, a snap to use, and comes with an exclusive lifetime warranty* on the drive train. Call our toll-free number now, and a friendly, knowledgeable product expert can answer all of your questions and help you get on the road to independence and safety in the home. 350 lb. weight capacity.
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55746 Copyright © 2009 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.
degree” relatives – nieces, nephews, half-brothers, half-sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles – also can be used. Family get-togethers, such as holidays, may be a good opportunity to ask your blood relatives about the following: • Age or date of birth; • Chronic conditions (heart disease, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure); • Serious illnesses (cancer, stroke); • Any known specific disease or illness in your family; • Age when they developed illnesses; • Problems with pregnancies or childbirth; • Countries from which family members came; • Birth defects, learning problems, Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities; and • Illnesses and cause of death for deceased parents and grandparents, and age at their deaths. A state or county vital statistics office may provide death certificates that confirm the cause of death of a relative, or funeral homes and obituaries may have useful information. Adoption agencies may have information about birth parents, and a local health or social service agency may help obtain information for adopted children. Your family health history is an heirloom that you can pass down to your children. Update it as new health conditions, births and deaths occur. Find out more about the diseases that run in your family, and create a family health history to help yourself and your loved ones live longer, healthier lives.
Are you in love with your home, but afraid of your staircase?
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Civil Service Career Coach
Preparing for a Promotion By Dale S. Brown
P
romotion can seem like an impossible dream if you have been at the same level for a long time. But opportunities are definitely available. By 2012, federal agencies will lose nearly 530,000 employees, and the Obama administration is looking to fill more than 50,000 entry-level positions this year. These new employees will need supervisors. So, how can you get ready for promotion? To find out, the Civil Service Career Coach interviewed Franklin S. Reeder, age 70, who has guided hundreds of high potential federal employees. He worked his way up from a GS-5 to an SES 6 when he was a government worker. Reeder explained that promotions
are extremely competitive today. “With the current economic conditions, awesome, well-prepared people are coming in.” To be considered for advancement, “First and foremost, do the job you are assigned to do exceedingly well,” Reeder said. “That is a given. Recognition and re-
TO BE considered for advancement,first and foremost,do the job you are assigned to do exceedingly well. ward follow good work.” In a recent report on career advancement, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) stated, “Quality of experience matters more than quantity
of experience. Neither life experience (as measured by age) nor work experience (as measured by an employee’s length of service) enhanced an employee’s prospect for promotion.” The report noted that an employee had to “distinguish himself or herself from a large pool of equally qualified competitors” in order to be selected for higher level jobs. How do you stand out as the one the manager thinks of when new leadership is needed? Reeder suggests volunteering for difficult assignments. “You could say to your manager, ‘If you need someone to stay and do “X” (that tough piece of work), I’m available.’ You want the manager to think, ‘Here
Overcoming Stereotypes
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ranklin S.Reeder made several recommendations for solving problems presented by prejudice against older civil servants: Problem: Managers know you are eligible to retire, causing them to think it is a waste of time to help you further develop your skills and abilities. Solution: Bring energy, exuberance and passion to everything you do. Be direct with your manager. If you perceive stereotyping,name it and say it.Say,“I love this organization. I am committed to our mission. While I may be eligible to retire,that is not my intent.I expect to work here for another 10 years.” Problem: You sense that you are thought of as“old” or“seasoned,” or“on the shelf.” Solution: Change your behavior and dress.Be contemporary in speech and work habits. Hang out with people who are behind you in age.Use social networking,such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Problem: You are a strong performer in a unique job.You are often complimented on your work.But your managers can’t imagine you doing any other job. Solution: Speak directly to your superiors about your desire to grow and make a stronger contribution to the organization. Here are two possible statements to make: • Please don’t view my strong performance as a sign that I am content. Give me a stretch or growth opportunity. “X” is something I aspire to do. • I appreciate the opportunities you have given me.I think I can make a greater contribution by ...
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NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Dale S. Brown, nationally recognized for her contributions during her 25 years in the civil service, is the author of five books, including one co-authored with Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute? E-mail: civilservicecoach@yahoo.com. NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
“Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and get a cell phone. My kids have been bugging me, my book group made fun of me, and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones are so small I can’t see the numbers, much less push the right one. They all have cameras, computers and a “global-positioning” something or other that’s supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren’t much help. They couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were complicated, confusing, and expensive… and the contract lasted for two years! I’d almost given up when a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the convenience and safety of being able to stay in touch… with a phone I can actually use.”
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Try our pre-recorded Toll-Free Hotline1-877-774-2604. The cell phone that’s right for me. Sometimes I think the people who designed this phone and the rate plans had me in mind. The phone fits easily in my pocket, but it flips open and reaches from my mouth to my ear. The display is large and backlit, so I can actually see who is calling. With a push of a button I can amplify the volume, and if I don’t know a number, I can simply push one for a friendly, helpful operator that will look it up and even dial it for me. The Jitterbug also reduces background noise, making the sound loud and clear. There’s even a dial tone, so I know the phone is ready to use.
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Affordable plans that I can understand – and no contract to sign! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I’m never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won’t find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign – so I’m not locked in for years at a time or subject to termination fees. The U.S. – based customer service is second to none, and the phone gets service virtually anywhere in the country.
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is someone willing to take on the tough cases.’” The MSPB report pointed to the importance of personal relationships in decisions about promotions. Two “career accelerators” were mentioned by 85 percent of employees who filled out the Career Advancement Survey. They are: • A supportive supervisor to encourage my development and advancement; and • A senior person/mentor (other than my supervisor) looking out for my interests. Having contacts who know the selecting officials was mentioned by more than 78 percent of employees as a critical factor in being chosen for higher level jobs. Networking can help develop those contacts, but Reeder suggests caution. “I see too many people who overuse networking. Too many people think that if they hang out with the right people, they can stop doing their jobs. Network with a pound of caution. Don’t be a climber or an exploiter. Be someone who networks for the purpose of genuinely shared values or interests. Professional advancement might come from that kind of networking.” To summarize. Do excellent work. Develop a strong relationship with your supervisor. Find mentors and people who will vouch for your work when the time comes for a promotion. Then, you will be seen as the person who must be told that a job opening is available when it is announced.
Finally, a cell phone that’s… a phone!
ice ed Pr uc 8 d 4 Re y $ b
o t N rac nt Co
IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: All rate plans require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35.00. Coverage and service is not available everywhere. There are no additional fees to call Jitterbug’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees are subject to change. Savings are based on marketing materials from nationally available cellular companies as of June, 2010 (not including family share plans). The full price of the Jitterbug Phone will be refunded if it is returned within 30 days of purchase, in like-new condition, and with less than 30 minutes of usage. A Jitterbug Phone purchased from a retail location is subject to the return policy of that retail location. The Jitterbug phone is created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Jitterbug is a registered trademark of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its related entities. Created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Questions & Answers NOTE: The following Questions & Answers were compiled by Retirement Benefits Service Department staff. These are real questions received by the Department and real answers, based on the members’ personal circumstances. The answers are not universal and may include information that is relevant to the correspondent’s particular situation. NARFE does not provide legal advice or assistance, does not provide financial planning advice or assistance, and does not provide tax advice or assistance. For legal, financial planning or tax advice/assistance, NARFE recommends members contact an attorney, financial planner or certified public accountant/tax adviser.
RETIREES SS CREDITS QUESTION: I need 40 credits to qualify for a Social Security benefit,but I have only 32. Can I “buy” the other eight credits I need in order to be eligible? Response: No, you cannot buy credits. The only way you can get credits is by earning wages in a job covered by Social Security taxes or by having net income from self-employment.
DROPPED FEHBP COVERAGE QUESTION: I dropped my spouse from my Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) plan by changing to self-only, and he enrolled inTRICARE For Life. We were later informed that, when enrolling in TRICARE For Life, we should suspend rather than drop coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) in
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order to maintain the right to re-enroll in the future. At age 65, I suspended my BC/BS coverage and enrolled myself in TRICARE For Life. Since we were not informed in the beginning about the option to suspend rather than drop,can my spouse retroactively suspend his FEHBP coverage in case he survives me and wants to re-enroll in the FEHBP? Response: If you suspended your selfonly BC/BS coverage, your spouse could not return to your FEHBP plan as a survivor. You could elect the BC/BS family option during the next Open Season and then suspend it again for TRICARE For Life. The family coverage would restore your spouse’s eligibility to elect FEHBP coverage as a survivor during any Open Season.
TSP WITHDRAWAL QUESTION: I will turn age 70-1/2 later this year. I know the amount of my required minimum distribution (RMD),but I want to leave my money in my Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account and elect less than my RMD. Is this legal, and what is the minimum amount I can elect?
total amount of your monthly payment does not satisfy the requirement, the TSP will issue a supplemental payment for the remaining amount in December.
TSP LUMP SUM QUESTION:I retired under the Civil Service Retirement System and took a lump sum payment from my Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account. TheTSP has just disbursed the check and withheld about $3,000 for tax purposes. I realize that I have 60 days to roll over this money into an IRA. However, I would like to get back from the TSP the $3,000 I paid in taxes so that I can roll this money into my IRA. Response: We wish you had contacted us before you made this withdrawal. The TSP will not refund the $3,000 because you have already received your payment from them. However, if you have an additional $3,000 to roll over into the IRA now, then you may get your money back when you file your taxes at the end of the year. You would use lines 16a and 16b on the current form 1040.
CSRS OFFSET QUESTION: My wife and I retired under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset. My wife is now age 62 and is not employed. We expected that her annuity would have been re c a l c u l a t e d when she turned age 62,but no change has been made in her annuity.Does she need to apply for Social Security before the offset takes effect? The guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) indicates that the recalculation will take place automatically, but it is unclear if the annuitant must do something to initiate this.
QA &
Response: Twentyfive dollars is the smallest amount that the TSP will disburse. If you do not withdraw your account balance or begin receiving payments from your account in the year you turn age 70-1/2, the TSP is required to make the required distribution to you by April 1 of the following year. If you are already receiving a series of monthly payments from your TSP account when you turn age 70-1/2, your monthly payments will be used to satisfy the Internal Revenue Service minimum distribution requirement. If the
Response: Upon eligibility for Social SeNOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
curity, usually at age 62, an amount equal to the portion of her Social Security based on service under both the CSRS and Social Security should have been deducted from her CSRS annuity. Therefore, your wife doesn’t have to apply for her Social Security benefit before her annuity will be reduced. OPM will automatically reduce her annuity. If she believes that her federal retirement benefit is incorrect, she should contact OPM, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017, or call 888-767-6738.
ANNUITY DIRECT DEPOSIT QUESTION:Could you tell me how I can change the direct deposit of my annuity? Response: You can change your direct deposit at your new bank by com-
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
pleting standard form 1199A, which should be available at your bank. You can make this change by mail, phone or online. You will need to provide your CSA or CSF retirement claim number on the form. You can mail it to the Office of Personnel Management, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017. You also can make the change in your direct deposit by calling 888-767-6738. Or you may make the change online at the Office of Personnel Management’s Services Online by using your CSA or CSF retirement claim number and your personal identification number.
REMARRIAGE QUESTION:I remarried after retirement. I understand that I can cover my new wife, but she is a widow of a federal retiree and is already receiving
benefits.I realize that she cannot collect from both of us; but if I covered her, could she receive the larger amount that would result from 55 percent of my higher benefits instead of the lower amount received from her previous husband? Would my coverage of her now affect her present survivor’s annuity? Response: Widows or widowers continue their survivor’s benefit after they remarry, if they do not remarry prior to age 55 or unless the marriage lasted for 30 or more years. Widows or widowers who were married for 30 years and are under age 55 may continue the survivor’s benefit, even when they remarry prior to age 55. If you remarried within the last two years, you can elect a survivor’s annuity for your new spouse. Your election will
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Questions & Answers NARFE SERVICE OFFICERS are available to answer questions and to have no effect on her receipt of the current survivor’s benefit at this time. However, she may receive only one survivor’s benefit after your death. She can elect to receive the higher of the two at that time, if she wishes. You should consider the cost to you to provide this benefit before making such an election.
SUSPEND FEHBP? QUESTION:I retired under the Civil Service Retirement System and elected survivor’s benefits for my spouse. I currently have Blue Cross/ Blue Shield (BC/BS) Standard family coverage and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I did not enroll in Medicare Part B when I turned age 65.My wife is covered by ChampVA and is required to enroll in Medicare Part B when she turns age 65.I am thinking about suspending her BC/BS coverage and enrolling in a selfonly plan.Is that possible? Response: Annuitants can suspend their coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for ChampVA. However, your wife cannot suspend the coverage since the policy belongs to you. The annuitant must be entitled to FEHBP coverage based upon his or her own work record to be eligible to suspend coverage. You could switch to a self-only plan; if you predecease her before you re-enroll in family coverage, your spouse would lose her FEHBP coverage.
ACTIVE EMPLOYEES SS BENEFITS QUESTION: I am a CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System) Offset employee. I do not want to apply for Social Security at age 62 and get a reduced benefit because of Social Security’s earnings limitation rules.Since I 40
assist in helping with a variety of benefit matters. Check your chapter newsletter for the name and phone number of your service officer. Call NARFE toll-free at
800-456-8410 for the nearest service officer. NARFE Service Centers are also available in some areas. Use the Service Center listings on the NARFE Web site, www.narfe.org.
will not be receiving Social Security, there is nothing yet for Social Security to report to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).Without information from OPM,it appears that the Social Security Administration cannot compute my reduction. I believe the reduction in the federal pension is mandatory;but if it is not done, what happens? If there is to be a reduction, I want to know about it now, so I can set aside resources for the eventual“overpayment” that will result from my reluctance to draw reduced Social Security benefits at age 62. Response: CSRS Offset benefits are offset by the amount of your Social Security benefit based on federal service while you were covered under both the CSRS and Social Security. The amount is generally less than your total Social Security. The offset will take place at age 62, whether you elect to take your Social Security at that age or later. The offset is based on eligibility for Social Security, not the actual receipt of the Social Security benefit. If you choose not to take your Social Security at age 62, your CSRS benefit will still decrease. The offset reduction is the lesser of: • The amount of the Social Security benefit attributable to the employee’s service after 1983, covered under the CSRS interim provisions or the CSRS Offset service; or • The amount obtained by dividing the total years of offset service by 40 and then multiplying that fraction by the Social Security benefit.
The first computation must be made by the Social Security Administration, probably at its headquarters, and provided to OPM when you reach age 62.
FEHBP REINSTATEMENT? QUESTION: If a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employee retires at the minimum retirement age (MRA) + 10 and waits until age 62 to begin his or her annuity,can the individual reinstate coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) at that time? If a FERS employee resigns with 10 years of service but not at the MRA and begins to draw his or her annuity at the MRA, can the individual reinstate health benefits? Response: If an employee is eligible for an immediate retirement (meets the MRA and has at least 10 years of service) for an MRA + 10 but chooses to delay the annuity until a later date, he or she may reinstate FEHBP coverage (if eligible to carry it into retirement) when the retirement benefit begins. If the employee has 10 years but is not at least at his or her MRA, the FEHBP coverage may not be reinstated when he or she begins to receive the deferred annuity benefit.
FERS SUPPLEMENT QUESTION: I plan to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) at the end of the year. I realize that I will be placed in interim pay for a few months until my annuity is adjudicated. Since I qualify for the NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
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Response: Your interim pay does not include your FERS annuity supplement. The supplemental annuity will not be paid until the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) finishes adjudicating your annuity. Once OPM completes the processing of your retirement claim, you will receive your retroactive pay to your retirement date for your annuity supplement.
MILITARY DEPOSIT QUESTION: Can you tell me how military service is credited under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) once the deposit is made? Response: Creditable military service for which a military deposit has been made is added to the creditable civilian service to increase the total time base for computational purposes. If you have four years of military service and 30 years of civilian service, for example, your retirement benefit will be computed using 34 years.
FERS SURVIVORS’ BENEFITS QUESTION: What survivors’ benefits are payable to the survivors of an employee covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)? Response: The basic employee death benefit is a benefit payable to the spouse of a deceased employee who completed at least 18 months of service under FERS and was employed and died while subject to FERS deductions. This is a payment of $29,722.95, plus 50 percent of the employee’s final salary (or high-three salary, if higher). This amount can be paid in one payment or 36 monthly installments. Barring any court order, a monthly survivor’s annuity is payable only if the employee NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
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41
Questions & Answers
Retirement Benefits
completed at least 10 years of creditable service and was subject to FERS deductions at the time of death.
Health Reform Law Means Changes in FEHBP
DIVORCE QUESTION: I am a current federal employee covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and was divorced after 25 years of marriage. The divorce decree did not give any CSRS retirement or survivor’s benefits to my ex-spouse. We both agreed to keep our own. I would now like to give my ex-wife a survivor’s annuity when I die.I have talked to an attorney, and here inWashington state it is difficult and expensive to amend the property settlement in a divorce decree.Is it possible that,when I retire,I can elect a survivor’s annuity for my ex-wife with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), even though the divorce decree does not require one? Or must the divorce decree be amended? My second concern is to make sure that my ex-wife gets a survivor’s annuity, should I die prior to retirement. Can I elect a survivor’s benefit for my ex-wife to cover this situation without amending the divorce decree? Response: At retirement, you can elect a survivor’s benefit for a former spouse; however, if you are married at the time of retirement, your current wife must consent to the election. An employee cannot elect to provide a survivor’s benefit for a former spouse until retirement. Only the court that approved the divorce can provide a survivor’s annuity benefit for the former spouse. You may have the divorce decree amended since you will have to have the approved amendment in order to protect your ex-wife if you should die as an employee. Please note that OPM will only accept such an amendment if it is made to the divorce decree prior to the date of your retirement. ■
42
S
everal provisions of the new health reform law affect the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Here are the FEHBP changes brought about by enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law on March 23, 2010: • Coverage for Children Up to Age 26. The law now allows children to be covered under their parents’ FEHBP family enrollment until age 26, including married children, children eligible for their own employer-based coverage, stepchildren, disabled children whose disability began before age 26 and foster children. While the provisions for these changes are effective January 1, 2011, the effective date of coverage for an eligible child depends upon the event used to enroll or change enrollment. Employees and retirees who currently have family enrollment and do not change to another health plan for 2011 should contact their current plan to provide them with information on the newly eligible child. Employees not now enrolled in the FEHBP but who intend to do so during Open Season must enroll in family coverage. The same goes for employees and annuitants who are currently in a self-only plan. If the change is made as an Open Season change, the effective date for employees will be the first day of the first pay period that begins in 2011. For most employees, this will be January 2, 2011. For Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) recipients, the effective date will be January 16, 2011. For annuitants, the ef-
fective date is January 1, 2011. • Temporary Continuation of Coverage. Children under age 26 who are currently enrolled under the temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) may no longer need TCC enrollment now that they can be covered again under their parents’ family enrollment. Once the TCC enrollee has confirmed coverage under his or her parents’ enrollment, he or she can cancel the TCC enrollment by contacting the National Finance Center’s DPRS Billing Unit at P.O. Box 61760, New Orleans, LA 70161-1760. • Over-the-Counter Products. Under the ACA, beginning January 1, 2011, over-the-counter products that are medicines or drugs will not be eligible for reimbursement from health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements or health care flexible spending accounts, unless the enrollee has a prescription for that item written by a physician. The only exception is insulin.
OTHER PROGRAMS Other federal benefits programs are not affected by the ACA. The ACA made no changes to the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance or the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.
Retirement Benefits Service Department
Open Season Report Part 2 Starting on p. 46 NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
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PEN SEASON REPORT 2011 FEHBP Rates
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he October issue of NARFE magazine provided preliminary information about this year’s Federal Benefits Open Season. The December issue will contain more details. The 2010 Federal Benefits Open Season will begin
Monday, November 8, and end Monday, December 13. Some of the frequently asked questions about the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and Open Season are answered in this article. The tables on pages 46 and 47 pro-
2011 Monthly Premiums – Fee-For-Service Plan Option
Code
Total Premium
Gov’t Pays
You Pay
Enrollee Increase/ Decrease
Blue Cross/Blue Shield Standard self Standard family Basic self Basic family
104 105 111 112
$578.61 $1,306.89 $453.48 $1,061.97
$391.43 $875.29 $340.11 $796.48
$187.18 $431.60 $113.37 $265.49
$12.10 $30.63 $12.61 $29.51
454 455 481 482 414 415
$611.20 $1,398.76 $394.77 $894.51 $285.91 $681.63
$391.43 $875.29 $296.08 $670.88 $214.43 $511.22
$219.77 $523.47 $98.69 $223.63 $71.48 $170.41
$53.76 $127.18 $20.98 $47.55 $11.77 $28.05
311 312 314 315 341 342
$567.62 $1,290.97 $346.62 $788.28 $380.81 $869.79
$391.43 $875.29 $259.97 $591.21 $285.61 $652.34
$176.19 $415.68 $86.65 $197.07 $95.20 $217.45
$3.86 $12.55 $6.43 $14.78 $0.00 $0.00
321 322
$552.07 $1,202.61
$391.43 $875.29
$160.64 $327.32
$13.64 $27.58
471 472 474 475
$477.08 $1,078.72 $336.70 $757.47
$357.81 $809.04 $252.53 $568.10
$119.27 $269.68 $84.17 $189.37
$7.81 $17.64 $0.00 $0.00
441 442 444 445
$661.68 $1,558.25 $501.78 $1,145.95
$391.43 $875.29 $376.34 $859.46
$270.25 $682.96 $125.44 $286.49
$34.61 $87.53 $16.84 $38.45
401 402
$493.96 $1,181.46
$370.47 $875.29
$123.49 $306.17
$9.18 $11.56
Mail Handlers Standard self Standard family HDHP self HDHP family Value Opt.self Value Opt.family
GEHA High self High family Standard self Standard family HDHP self HDHP family
NALC High self High family
APWU High self High family Consumer-Driven self Consumer-Driven family
SAMBA High self High family Standard self Standard family
Foreign Serv.Ben.Plan High self High family
46
vide lists of six open-to-all, fee-forservice (FFS) plans and the Foreign Service Benefit plan, as well as the largest participating health maintenance organizations (HMOs), the cost of each plan, and the cost increase/decrease when compared to 2010 premiums. If your HMO plan does not appear in the listing, it simply means that it is not one of the largest HMO plans as stratified by the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) plan assignment codes. It does not mean that your HMO plan is a bad plan. In addition, the tables provide the threedigit code for each plan. (When selecting a plan, be sure to use the proper code.) Members with Internet access can go to OPM’s Web site, www.opm.gov/insure, for a complete listing of premiums for all plans. The maximum 2011 monthly government contribution will be $391.43 for self-only coverage and $875.29 for family coverage. (See story on p. 48 for NARFE’s reaction to OPM’s announcement of 2011 FEHBP premium rates.) For 2011, GEHA and Mail Handlers will offer suboptions that will coordinate benefits with Medicare. Each will contribute to the cost of the enrollee’s Medicare Part B premium in return for the enrollee accepting the same costsharing as non-Medicare enrollees.
PLAN CHANGES New Plans. Two health plans were added to the FEHBP this year: • MercyCare HMO (Code EY) in Wisconsin • SelectHealth HMO (Code SF) in Utah. New Service Area Choices. Only one health plan changed its service area: Blue Care Network (Code H6) in the Michigan counties of Benzie, Grand NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Traverse and Leelanaw; and (Code J3) in the Michigan counties of Muskegon, Newago, Oceana and Ottawa. Health Plan Terminations. The following health plans will not participate in the FEHBP after December 31, 2010, and current enrollees must make a positive election to another plan: • Vantage Health Plans (Code MV) in Louisiana • PacifiCare of Nevada (Code K9) • AmeriHealth HMO (Code FK) in New Jersey • Community Blue (Codes BS, BX, BZ) in New York • BlueChip Coordinated Health Plan (Code DA) in Rhode Island • UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Inc. (Code E9), including a high-deductible health plan option and a consumer-driven health plan, in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Enrollment in the terminating plans and codes ranges from 142 to 7,424. The reasons for leaving continue the pattern seen over recent years. In most cases, the plans are making business decisions based on enrollment, penetration in the marketplace and overall margin/ profitability. The federal enrollees in these plans need to select new coverage during the 2010 Open Season for contract year 2011. HMO enrollees should review their plan’s 2011 brochure to see if they still live or work in their plan’s service areas.
INFORMATION Active Employees. Federal agencies NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
2011 Monthly Premiums – Largest HMOs* State
Plan Option
MD, DC, VA
MD-IPA
CA
Kaiser Foundation N. California High self 591 $621.83 High family 592 $1,484.38 Standard self 594 $520.52 Standard family 595 $1,218.01
$391.43 $875.29 $390.39 $875.29
$230.40 $609.09 $130.13 $342.72
$21.28 $57.76 $14.25 $51.02
Kaiser Foundation Mid-Atlantic High self E31 $526.52 High family E32 $1,211.02 Standard self E34 $330.55 Standard family E35 $760.20
$391.43 $135.09 $875.29 $335.73 $247.91 $82.64 $570.15 $190.05
$2.08 $10.36 $10.07 $23.13
Kaiser Foundation S. California High self 621 $478.94 High family 622 $1,106.89 Standard self 624 $306.87 Standard family 625 $709.26
$359.21 $119.73 $830.17 $276.72 $230.15 $76.72 $531.95 $177.31
$5.23 $12.10 $3.44 $7.93
DC
CA
High self High family
DC, MD, VA
Aetna Open Access
HI
HMSA
High self High family Basic self Basic family High self High family
NYNJ
GHI Health Plan
CA
PacifiCare
High self High family Standard self Standard family High self High family
Code
Total Premium
Gov’t Pays
JP1 JP2
$523.64 $391.43 $132.21 $1,207.48 $875.29 $332.19
$391.43 $875.29 $354.71 $830.13
You Pay
Enrollee Increase/ Decrease $10.99 $29.94
JN1 JN2 JN4 JN5
$739.59 $1,656.61 $472.94 $1,106.84
871 872
$452.21 $339.16 $113.05 $1,006.57 $754.93 $251.64
$7.40 $16.46
801 802 804 805
$608.23 $1,520.65 $424.80 $991.64
$216.80 $645.36 $106.20 $247.91
$16.78 $52.10 $9.65 $22.54
CY1 $474.02 $355.52 $118.50 CY2 $1,082.03 $811.52 $270.51
$5.95 $13.58
$391.43 $875.29 $318.60 $743.73
$348.16 $69.27 $781.32 $157.94 $118.23 $13.06 $276.71 $30.59
*Based on information provided by the Office of Personnel Management. If your plan is not listed, it simply means that your plan is not one of the largest. It does not mean that your plan is a bad plan.
47
PEN SEASON REPORT
NARFE Concerned About Increases ARFE has expressed concern that federal annuitants and workers will be burdened by the premium increases announced in the federal employee/retiree health insurance program. “The overall average Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) premium increase of 7.3 percent for 2011 will be difficult for federal annuitants to bear in a year when no retirement cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is expected and when the federal employee pay raise is anticipated to be minimal or could be cut altogether,” then-National President Margaret L. Baptiste declared when the premiums were announced October 1 by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). NARFE pointed out that FEHBP premiums could have been lowered if it
N
were not for the administration’s decision to decline a payment available to other public and private employers that provide drug coverage as generous as Medicare’s. The 2003 Medicare reform law provides such employers a payment as an incentive to retain their retiree drug coverage. The Association also expressed concern that federal annuitants who are not eligible to receive Social Security will have to pay for 2011 Medicare Part B premium increases as well as the FEHBP rate hike. While most Social Security recipients are “held harmless” from premium increases in years without a COLA, federal, state and local government retirees who do not receive Social Security pay the full Part B rate hike, plus an extra amount that subsidizes the premium protection most Medicare benefi-
ciaries have in no-COLA years. In 2009, the House passed NARFE-backed legislation (H.R. 3631) that would have protected all retired public-sector employees from the 2010 Medicare Part B premium increase, but the Senate did not take up the bill. NARFE also is interested in Medicarerelated plans to be offered by the GEHA and Mail Handlers health plans in 2011. OPM consulted with NARFE on the proposed project, which will test the viability of a voluntary suboption within the FEHBP that would pay all or part of a Medicare Part B premium (as appropriate) for Medicare-eligible federal annuitants. “Given the potential savings to federal annuitants, and the voluntary nature of the pilot, we believe that the Medicare suboption ought to be given a chance,” Baptiste said. ■
will provide current employees with Open Season information and sources for more information. Employees who do not receive Open Season information, instructions and their plans’ brochures by November 8 should contact their personnel or administrative office. Annuitants and Survivor Annuitants. The federal retirement systems will provide Open Season information to all eligible annuitants, survivor annuitants and former spouse annuitants. For most retirees and survivors, OPM is their retirement system administrator. (OPM manages the Civil Service Retirement System [CSRS] and the Federal Employees Retirement System [FERS].) Annuitants, survivor annuitants and former spouse annuitants who do not receive Open Season packets by November 8 should contact OPM. Your plan will send you a copy of its
2011 brochure. Annuitants and survivor annuitants paying FEHBP premiums directly to the National Finance Center will receive Open Season material from that agency. Federal Compensation. Those whose FEHBP enrollment is handled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs will receive Open Season material from that agency. Hearing Impaired Hotline. The Open Season telephone line for the hearing impaired will be included in the Open Season packet sent to enrollees. Effective Date of Changes. All Open Season changes for retiree and survivor annuitants are effective January 1, 2011, and premium changes are reflected in February 1, 2011, annuity payments. Open Season changes for federal employees are effective at the beginning of
the first pay period after January 1, 2011. Annuitants who join or change HMOs must use the new HMO’s doctors, facilities, etc., beginning January 1. If verified enrollment is required, the change notice from OPM should suffice. Any follow-up questions from annuitants related to Open Season should be placed to 888-767-6738. Annuitants in the Washington, DC, metropolitan calling area must use 202-606-0500.
48
COMING IN DECEMBER The December issue will include an analysis of the open-to-all, fee-forservice plans’ benefits changes and information about consumer-driven plans, HDHPs, HSAs and HRAs. Members will receive the issue before the Open Season closing date.
Retirement Benefits Service Department NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
PEN SEASON REPORT
Health Benefits Questions & Answers 1.Which is the best plan? There is no one good answer to that question. People have different health care needs and look for different things in a health benefits plan. A plan can be best for one person but not for another. Statistically, most annuitants have chosen Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Standard, followed by GEHA and Mail Handlers.
2. How should I go about choosing a plan? Review your health care needs for the past year or two and consider the kinds of care you think you may need during the next year. If you or a family member have been using a lot of hospital inpatient care, and you think you will continue to use that kind of care, choose a plan that has excellent hospital inpatient coverage. These include health maintenance organization (HMO) plans and any fee-for-service (FFS) plans with good preferred provider arrangements with hospitals. If you think you need better coverage for outpatient doctors’ visits, diagnostic tests or prescriptions, choose an HMO or an FFS plan that has good preferred provider agreements with a wide variety of doctors and labs. Before you change to another plan, obtain and review the brochure for that plan, and check on the availability of preferred providers.
3. Are there waiting periods for benefits, limitations or exclusions on pre-existing conditions? FEHBP plans cannot (by law) impose waiting periods, exclusions or limits on benefits because of a pre-existing condition. There is no medical underwriting in the FEHBP.
4. Is it possible to make a serious mistake in choosing a plan? All FEHBP
50
plans are good. All cover hospital and physician care, prescriptions, outpatient diagnostic lab tests, treatment of mental illness, home health care, routine mammograms for women over 35, routine prostate cancer tests for men over 40 and smoking cessation programs. Some also cover special benefits like acupuncture and dental care. In addition, many HMOs provide more comprehensive preventive care (see question 6). Generally, you can make a serious mistake only if you enroll in: a costly plan or option when you don’t need one (most of you don’t); a plan that doesn’t cover a special benefit when you need it; self-only coverage when you need family coverage, or vice versa; or, if you live outside the continental United States and Puerto Rico, and enroll in a plan that does not cover “overseas” benefits.
5. Which benefit is the most important? For those not enrolled in Medicare Part B, the Catastrophic Protection Benefit is very important. It puts a dollar limit on the amount of money you have to pay out-of-pocket in terms of co-payments and coinsurance for the expenses that the plan covers. Considering the Catastrophic Protection Benefits for a two-option plan, it is not possible generally to recover enough in additional high-option benefits to offset the much higher premiums. However, you should carefully compare the options, especially prescription drug coverage.
tions and well-baby care. Many HMOs offer more comprehensive coverage (including dental) at lower premiums than FFS plans. HMO plans tend to be offered more frequently in metropolitan areas and less frequently or not at all in rural areas.
7. Are there disadvantages with HMOs? For most care, enrollees must use doctors and hospitals that are approved by the HMO, or with which the HMO has working agreements. Most HMOs require that an enrollee’s care be coordinated by a primary care physician. Compared to FFS plans, enrollee access to specialists is more limited under an HMO plan. HMOs generally limit benefits outside of their full service areas to emergency services only. Sometimes, HMO plans that participate in the FEHBP are harder to find in rural areas. Doctors’ contracts with HMO plans do not necessarily run from January 1 through December 31, which means that a plan doctor may leave the plan during the FEHBP contract year.
6. Should I consider an HMO? Yes. HMOs are available to most employees and annuitants, and offer a good alternative to FFS plans. HMOs cover hospital and physician care and prescriptions, but they stress preventive care, covering routine physicals, immunizaNOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
From annual eye exams to free glasses.
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PEN SEASON REPORT 8. How can HMOs offer such good coverage at reasonable cost? The very tight control measures mentioned in question 7 enable HMOs to control their costs and premiums. FFS plans have different kinds of controls, the most notable of which is Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) networks.
9. What kinds of changes can an annuitant make during this Open Season? Annuitants can change
plans, options, type of enrollment (self-only or family) or any combination of those changes. Annuitants can, for example, change from Plan A’s high option, self-only coverage to Plan B’s standard option, family coverage. If an annuitant has suspended his or her FEHBP coverage to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, TRICARE, TRICARE-For-Life, as a Peace Corps volunteer, CHAMPVA or Medicaid, he or she may revoke the sus-
pension by re-enrolling in the FEHBP. (Always check with the “losing” plan to see if there are any dis-enrollment procedures to follow.)
10. Can I change plans, options or type of enrollment (self-only or family) at times other than Open Season? Yes. There are events that permit one or more of these changes, such as a change in marital status or moving outside the service area of the HMO
Important Reminders for Retirees
H
ere are some important reminders and tips for annuitants on the upcoming 2010 Open Season. • Open Season Notification. This year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will send annuitants notification by mail or electronically if you have provided OPM with your e-mail address. Both notices will provide details on the Open Season and guidance on how to obtain information and materials. • Plan Participation. Make sure your current plan will participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for 2011. This is especially important if you are currently enrolled in a health maintenance organization plan. • Staying Put. After reading your current plan’s brochure – particularly the changes and premiums for 2011– if you decide to continue your current coverage, you do not have to do anything. Your enrollment in your current plan will continue into 2011, and the new premiums will be deducted from your February 1, 2011, monthly annuity payment. • Low Annuity. If your monthly annuity is not enough to cover your plan’s 2011 premiums, you must either change to a less costly option or change to a plan that you can afford. You also may pay your monthly premiums directly to OPM, if you want to stay with your current plan but your monthly annuity is not sufficient to withhold the premium amount. • Research Preferred Providers. Fee for service (FFS) plans use preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and doctors to help contain program costs and keep premiums at a reasonable rate. Usually, you will save a lot on
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out-of-pocket costs if you use your plan’s preferred hospitals or doctors. However, PPO arrangements are business contracts that are not always renewed. PPO arrangements can be made and also can be discontinued from one year to the next. In addition, there may not be PPO arrangements in all parts of the country. If you are enrolled in an FFS plan or thinking of enrolling in one, you should check with the hospitals and doctors you use and ask them if they are a PPO in your plan. You also can review your plan’s PPO directory to see if your doctor or hospital is a PPO for your plan. • Ask Questions. Be careful to confirm information in your plan’s brochure by speaking with a plan representative. Do not assume anything. For example, plans may describe benefits in terms of “annual” or “annually.” This would seem to mean “each year,” when, in fact, the plan may mean that a year must have elapsed before the plan will cover you again. • ID Cards.New plan identification cards showing your enrollment are sent out by the health plan, not by OPM. If you do not change to another plan or option during Open Season, you don’t necessarily get a new ID card from the plan. • Medicare Enrollees. Make sure that you read your plan brochure’s sections titled “When you have Medicare” and “Coordinating benefits with other coverage.” • Age 65 and Not Enrolled in Medicare. FFS plans include a section in their brochures titled “When you are age 65 or over and do not have Medicare.” This section details how, by law, the plan must use Medicare’s approved amounts on which to base its payments. ■ NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Have You Heard? Through Blue365®, FEP Members Enjoy Hearing Aid Savings from Beltone! Beltone Discount (through Blue365) + FEP Service Benefit = Big Savings for YOU! Beltone is a national provider of hearing instruments and hearing accessories. Now, stepping up to Beltone is easier than ever. When you combine your FEP Hearing Aid benefit with the discount Beltone offers through Blue365, you can save on over 80 models of Beltone digital hearing aids.
Schedule your free hearing assessment today.
Here’s What You Get— s 25% discount off retail prices s Free hearing screenings s Free second year warranty with loss, stolen, damage coverage s Free batteries for one full year s National BelCare™ Aftercare Program Ask your Beltone professional about additional features for upgrade exchanges, follow-up care and a 30-day refund.
Beltone’s new line of True™ hearing aids features one-of-a-kind “wireless” technology. Hearing aid patients can hear the TV directly in their True hearing aids, without cords.
To find out more about your Blue365 discounts go to www.fepblue.org. Find your nearest Beltone provider office – over 1500 offices nationwide! Dial 1-888-896-2365 or visit www.beltone.com *Hearing aids are a covered benefit under the FEP Service Benefit Plan for adults age 22 and over, limited to $1,000 per hearing aid per ear per 36-month period. *Hearing aids are a covered benefit under the FEP Service Benefit Plan for children up to age 22, limited to $1,000 per hearing aid per ear per calendar year. Member cost sharing applies. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is an association of independent, locally operated, licensed Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. Blue365® offers access to savings on items that you may purchase directly from independent vendors, which may be different from items that are covered under your Service Benefit Plan policy or any other applicable federal healthcare program. For hearing aids, certain hearing tests, and vision services, please remember to use your Service Benefit Plan benefits. To find out what is covered under your policy, contact the Service Benefit Plan. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under any local Blue company’s contract with the Medicare program. In addition, they are not subject to the Medicare appeal process. Any disputes regarding these products and services are not subject to the Service Benefit Plan’s Disputed Claims process. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) may receive payments from Blue365 vendors. Neither the Service Benefit Plan, or BCBSA, or any local Blue company recommends, endorses, warrants or guarantees any specific Blue365 vendor or item. The Service Benefit Plan reserves the right to change, modify, or terminate any items and vendors made available through Blue365, at any time.
PEN SEASON REPORT in which you are enrolled. See question 17 for more information.
11. What is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)? A PPO consists of agreements between a health benefits plan and hospitals, doctors, laboratories and other medical care providers. Under the agreements, the preferred providers agree to provide services to the plan’s enrollees and covered family members at a lower cost. Health plan contracts with PPOs do not necessarily run through the course of the FEHBP contract year. This means that an organization that was a PPO on January 1 and has a PPO agreement that expires during the course of the year would go into renegotiation with the health plan. If the negotiations are successful, the medical provider continues its PPO status with the plan. If the negotiations are not successful, the PPO relationship is broken, and plan beneficiaries must seek other PPOs for medical services.
12. What are the advantages of preferred provider programs? They help keep the plan’s benefit payments and your premiums down.
13.What are the advantages of using a mail order (also referred to as home delivery) prescription drug service? Mail order prescription services enable plans to provide prescription drugs at lower (wholesale) prices, resulting in savings to both the plans and you. Mail order services also have extra quality controls that generally aren’t available through local retail pharmacies. Also, the mail order service controls when a prescription should be refilled, based on your doctor’s written prescription.
14. Should annuitants enroll in Medicare when they become eligible? In many cases, the answer is “yes.” The
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combination of a low-cost, standard option, FFS FEHBP plan and Medicare Parts A and B provides excellent total coverage of medical services. However, be sure to check both options concerning prescription drugs, where there may be significant differences. The consideration in these cases is the cost of Medicare Part B coverage, for which each eligible individual must decide whether to enroll (there is no family coverage under Medicare). Although many FFS plans waive their deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments (except for prescription drugs) for enrollees covered by Part B, the question is whether a person will save money by signing up for Medicare Part B and have very limited out-of-pocket costs, or will a person save money by not signing up for Part B and paying his or her deductibles, coinsurance and copayments? This decision is one that will be dictated by the individual circumstances of the FEHBP enrollee and covered family members. If you are enrolled in an HMO that covers most of your medical care with only small co-payments (such as $20 per doctor’s visit) and if you plan to remain in an HMO indefinitely, there probably would be little advantage in enrolling in Part B. Medicare Part B would not add enough to your total package of benefits to justify paying the higher premium. HMO enrollees who travel extensively in the United States may want to sign up for Part B, since it would allow them to get nonemergency medical services outside of the HMO’s service area. Or, an HMO enrollee might want to have Part B so that he or she could go “out of network” to consult specialists without a referral from the primary care physician. Note that these flexibilities do not exist for people who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. In those
cases, Medicare Part B can only be used at the Medicare Advantage plan. However, if you change to an FFS plan at some future date, Part B would be helpful. You could enroll in it during a Part B open enrollment period (January through March of each year). While it would cost you more, the savings that you realize by not paying the Part B premium would likely offset any premium surcharge you would have to pay. The premium surcharge is 10 percent of the monthly Part B premium for each 12-month period that you could have been enrolled in Medicare Part B but were not. This surcharge is permanent and is recalculated every time the Medicare Part B premium increases. More and more people are becoming concerned about the number of HMO plans that are leaving the FEHBP or have left over the past few years. If you are retired and live in an area where there is only one FEHBP HMO, you may want to consider enrolling in Medicare Part B as a hedge against the future. Or you may want to consider switching to an FFS plan at age 65 and enrolling in Medicare Part B when you are first eligible. This will enable you to avoid the Medicare Part B late enrollment surcharge in the future. In addition, no one can predict where he or she will live in the future. Accordingly, HMO enrollees may also want to consider signing up for Medicare Part B as a further hedge against future events. An HMO enrollee who lives in a large metropolitan area with many HMO choices may have to NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
We’ve got a lot to talk about. 0 0 0 m , 5 u $ m i x a m l a annu it out!) k c e h c (
Open season runs from November 8 to December 13
There’s so much to say about your dental benefits, so here’s a few conversation highlights... • Freedom of choice. You have the ability to select between two plan options—a High Option and a Standard Option. Choose the one that best meets your needs. • Increased Annual Maximum for the High Option. The new $5,000 annual maximum for our High Option means you get more coverage out of your dental benefits. • Select the dentist of your choice: in-network or out. In the past year, we have added over 10,000 dentist locations to our network. With over 130,000 in-network dentist locations, there’s a good chance your dentist is already part of MetLife’s network. • Fast claims processing. 99% of approved federal dental claims are paid in 10 days or less.1 To review The MetLife Federal Dental Plan information and rates, visit the MetLife Federal Dental website at federaldental.metlife.com To enroll visit BENEFEDS.com or call 877-888-3337 TTY 877-889-5680. 1
June 2010 FEDVIP Claim Time Service Report. Like most group accident and health insurance policies, MetLife dental insurance policies contain certain exclusions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. Please contact MetLife for costs and complete details. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY 10166. © 2010 MetLife, Inc. © UFS, Inc. L0910131266[exp0911][All States][DC,GU,MP,PR,VI] 1008-2448
© PNTS
PEN SEASON REPORT move to a more rural area where HMO choices are limited or do not exist to care for a family member. Or the HMO enrollee may fall into ill health and have to move to a more rural area to be cared for by his or her family members. In such cases, Medicare Part B can act as a hedge against the future for an HMO enrollee who has to sign up for an FFS plan because of the lack of an HMO option.
15. How do I apply for Medicare Part B? If you are not receiving Social Security payments, you should call 800-7721213 three months before the month in which you reach age 65 and request an appointment with your local Social Security office to file an application for Medicare. If you are receiving Social Security payments, Social Security will automatically send you a Medicare card enrolling you in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. If you decide that you do not want Part B, you must contact Social Security. If you don’t want Part B, return the card to the office that sent it to you and be sure to indicate on the card that you wish to cancel Part B. Depending on when you retired from federal service (1983 or later), or if you have 10 years of Social Security work coverage, or if you paid Medicare taxes for 10 years, or if you are married to a person who is eligible for Medicare, you could qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A for hospitalization. Of course, all Medicare Part B enrollees have to pay a premium (for Part B coverage). Due to no cost-of-living adjustment increase for Social Security, the basic premium will again be $96.40 per month in 2011 for many beneficiaries protected by the “hold harmless” provisions of the Social Security law. At press time, Medicare has not officially announced the premium costs for Part B, but we expect them to go up.
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16. How do I obtain FEHBP coverage for my grandchild who lives with me and is financially dependent on me? Grandchildren, per se, are not eligible dependents under your FEHBP enrollment. However, if the grandchild lives with you in a parent-child relationship, is financially dependent on you, and you have a reasonable expectation of raising the grandchild into adulthood, a grandchild can be considered your foster child and can be covered under your FEHBP family enrollment. To have a grandchild covered as a foster child, contact the OPM Retirement Benefits Branch, 1900 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20415-3532.
17. Who do annuitants contact at OPM about changing their FEHBP enrollment? For Open Season changes, call the Open Season Express number provided in your FEHBP Open Season packet or log on to Open Season Online at the Internet address provided in your Open Season packet, or contact the Open Season Processing Center at the address provided in your Open Season packet. The Open Season notice will be mailed to annuitants in early November. Those receiving information by e-mail from OPM will receive their notice at about the same time. For information about changes or to make changes at other times of the year, annuitants should call 888-767-6738 or write to the OPM Retirement Benefits Branch, 1900 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20415-3532. Annuitants in the Washington, DC, metropolitan calling area must use 202-606-0500.
benefits under Medicare. You do not need to sign up for Medicare Part D or even consider a Part D plan unless you have high out-of-pocket drug costs after your FEHBP plan pays. OPM has issued a statement in your FEHBP plan brochure telling you that your FEHBP prescription drug benefit is at least as good as or superior to Medicare’s. If you decide to sign up later for Medicare Part D, the brochure certification of your prescription drug coverage will excuse you from any Medicare Part D late enrollment penalty.
19. What is an HDHP/HSA? HDHP stands for high-deductible health plan. Anyone who is enrolled in an HDHP may be eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). HDHP monthly premiums may be lower than traditional FFS or HMO plans. However, such coverage may not be appropriate for retirees or those with higher annual medical costs. HSAs and HRAs allow HDHP enrollees to set money aside to pay for out-of-pocket health care costs. An HDHP enrollee is encouraged to be prudent about his or her health care treatment and expenditures.
20. How will an HDHP/HSA or an HRA help the FEHBP member? An
18. If I have my FEHBP health plan coverage, do I need to sign up for Medicare Part D prescription drug plan benefits as well? Your prescription drug benefits
HDHP/HSA or HRA provides insurance coverage and catastrophic coverage in a tax-advantaged way to help save for future medical expenses. It provides greater flexibility and discretion over how to use your health care dollars. However, if you or a member of your family get very sick, you will have to pay your health plan’s deductible and your coinsurance, which could be as much as $10,000 in out-ofpocket expenses in a calendar year.
under the FEHBP are at least as good as or better than the prescription drug
Retirement Benefits Service Department NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
PEN SEASON REPORT
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) This information was provided by the Office of Personnel Management.
T
he Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) is a supplemental dental and vision program authorized by the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004. It is separate and different from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). OPM has contracted with 10 insurance carriers to provide comprehensive coverage under the program. There are seven dental plans: Aetna Life Insurance Company; Humana/ CompBenefits; Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (GEHA); Group Health, Inc. (GHI); MetLife, Inc.; Triple-S, Inc.; and United Concordia Companies, Inc. There are three vision plans: FEP BlueVision (Blue Cross/Blue Shield); UnitedHealthcare Vision Plan (formerly Spectra, Inc.); and Vision Service Plan (VSP).
DENTAL INSURANCE Dental plans will provide a comprehensive range of services, including the following: • Class A (Basic) services, which include oral examinations, prophylaxis, diagnostic evaluations, sealants and Xrays. • Class B (Intermediate) services, which include restorative procedures such as fillings, prefabricated stainless steel crowns, periodontal scaling, tooth extractions and denture adjustments.
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• Class C (Major) services, which include endodontic services such as root canals, periodontal services such as gingivectomy, major restorative services such as crowns, oral surgery, bridges and prosthodontic services such as complete dentures. • Class D (Orthodontic) services with up to a 24-month waiting period. Please review the dental plans’ benefits material for detailed information on the benefits covered, costsharing requirements and provider directories.
VISION INSURANCE Vision plans will provide comprehensive eye examinations and coverage for lenses, frames and contact lenses (in lieu of eyeglasses). Other benefits such as discounts on LASIK surgery may also be available. There are no deductibles or waiting periods. Please review the vision plans’ benefits material for detailed information on the benefits covered, cost-sharing requirements and provider directories.
Who is eligible to enroll in FEDVIP? Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees eligible for FEHBP coverage (whether or not enrolled) and annuitants (regardless of FEHBP status) are eligible to enroll in a dental plan and/or a vision plan.
What enrollment options are available? The following options are available: 1. Self-only, which covers only the enrolled employee or annuitant; 2. Self-plus-one, which covers the enrolled employee or annuitant plus one eligible family member specified by the enrollee; and 3. Self-and-family, which covers the enrolled employee or annuitant and all eligible family members.
Which of my family members are eligible? Eligible family members include your spouse, unmarried dependent children under age 22, and unmarried dependent children age 22 or over incapable of self-support because of a
Key FEDVIP Facts • FEDVIP is separate and different from the FEHB program. • Coordination of benefits with the FEHBP plan, if enrolled in an FEHBP plan, is a requirement under the FEDVIP law. The FEDVIP plan is secondary to the FEHBP plan. • Premiums for the nationwide dental plans and one regional dental plan are based on home ZIP codes. This is called a rating region. Vision plans do not have rating regions. • There is no 31-day extension of coverage, Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC), spouse equity coverage, or right to convert to an individual policy (conversion policy).
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Proudly Covering FEDVIP Smiles ... From the Start
E
ver since FEDVIP was introduced in 2007, we’ve offered federal employees great
dental coverage, affordable rates and expansive dentist networks. This year is no different— you can benefit from a plan with no deductible, benefits in- or out-of-network, $2,000 in dental accident coverage and a $3,500 annual maximum. By selecting United Concordia at this year’s open enrollment, you can join the 1.9 million TRICARE members and more than 6 million other Americans who trust United Concordia with their smiles.* Visit www.uccifedvip.com to learn more or call us at 1-877-FYI-UCCI.
*Statistics based on United Concordia internal research & reports, 07/10. ADV-0022 0810 NARFE
PEN SEASON REPORT mental or physical disability that existed before age 22.
How can I find out about the plans that are available? OPM will mail you a guide separate from the FEHBP Open Season packet prior to the Open Season. You can also find a comparison of the plans available and their premiums on the OPM Web site at www.opm.gov/insure/dentalvision. This site will be available before Open Season begins. This site also provides links to each plan’s Web site, where you can view detailed information about benefits and preferred providers.
What are the premiums? The premiums will vary by plan and by enUHC3016 NARFE ad
8/12/10
10:43 AM
rollment type (self, self-plus-one, or self-and-family). Premiums for the nationwide dental plans and one regional dental plan are based on home ZIP codes. There is no government contribution to the premiums. If you are an active employee, your premiums will be taken from your salary on a pretax basis when your salary is sufficient to make the premium withholding. If you are an annuitant, premiums will be withheld from your monthly annuity check when your annuity is sufficient. Based on Internal Revenue Service Code, pretax premiums are not available to annuitants. For information on each plan’s specific premiums, visit www.opm.gov/insure/ dentalvision. Page 1
Rating areas. For most dental plans, there are five rating areas for each carrier. Please note that the rating areas for each carrier are not the same for all plans. Please see the specific plan brochure or call the plan’s customer service number to determine your specific region and premium. When can I enroll? Eligible employees and annuitants can enroll, cancel or change enrollment in a dental and/or vision plan during this Open Season — November 8 to December 13, 2010. You can enroll, cancel or change your enrollment during subsequent annual Open Seasons or because of a qualifying life event. New employees will have 60 days from their first eligibility date to enroll.
Enroll Today, And Get The Best of Both Worlds!
All participating providers meet or exceed established quality and licensing standards as certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
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FEDVIP Open Enrollment period: November 8—December 13, 2010 ®
www.myuhcvision.com/fedvip 1-866-249-1999
2011
Our national network of more than 30,000 providers is made up of both private practices and retail chains. This offers you the best of both worlds: the personal service of a private provider, along with the convenience, extended hours and selection offered by retail chain providers. And nine out of ten UnitedHealthcare Vision FEDVIP members would recommend our plan to family and friends.*
*UnitedHealthcare Vision Member Survey. UnitedHealthcare Vision® coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by Spectera, Inc., United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates.
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Brazil Expedition Uncovers Thousands of Carats of Exquisite Natural Emeralds
Special O ffer
Receive a $100 Stauer Gift Co upon w ith the purcha se of th Yes, yo is necklace.
u that rigread ht.
Brandish a whopping 50 carats of genuine South American emeralds in a handcrafted new necklace design for less than $200..…. and get a $100 Stauer Gift Coupon!
“You will rarely find an emerald necklace with 50 carats and certainly not at this price!”
alfway into our ambitious trek through the rain forest I had to remind myself that “Nothing good comes easy.” These days it seems that every business trip to Brazil includes a sweltering hike through overgrown jungles, around cascading waterfalls and down steep rock cliffs. But our gem broker insisted it was worth the trouble. To tell you the truth, for the dazzling emeralds he delivered, I’d gladly go back to stomping through jaguar country.
H
Now our good fortune is your great reward. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own an impressive 50 carat strand of genuine South American emeralds for under $200. And for a limited time, we’ll sweeten every necklace order with a $100 Stauer Gift Coupon! Faced with this embarrassment of riches, our designer transformed this spectacular cache of large stones (each is over 8 carats average weight) into a stunning 50 ctw necklace of faceted emeralds set into .925 sterling silver. Each emerald is surrounded by delicate sterling silver rope work and filigree in the Bali-style. The 18" necklace dangles from a sterling silver chain that fastens with a secure double-sided shepherd’s hook clasp.
What is the source of our emerald’s timeless appeal? The enchanting color of the Stauer Carnaval Faceted Emerald Necklace comes from nature’s chemistry. Our polished and faceted, well-formed natural emeralds are immediately recognized as something special. Indeed, when we evaluated these emeralds, color was the most important quality factor. Today, scientists tell us that the human eye is more sensitive to the color green than to any other. Perhaps that is why green is so soothing to the eye, and why the color green complements every other color in your wardrobe.
Emeralds are, by weight, the most valuable gemstone in the world. Now you can wear genuine emeralds and feel great about knowing that you were able to treat yourself to precious gems without paying a precious price. A 100+ carat emerald necklace found on Rodeo Drive or 5th Avenue could cost well over $250,000…but not from Stauer. Wear and admire the exquisite Stauer Carnaval Faceted Emerald Necklace for 30 days.
— JAMES T. FENT,
Stauer
GIA Graduate Gemologist
If for any reason you are not dancing the Samba with pure satisfaction after receiving your faceted emerald necklace, simply return it to us for a full refund of the purchase price. But we’re confident that when you examine this stunning jewelry, you’ll be reminded of the raw beauty of the Amazon rain forests mixed with the flash and dazzle of the exotic Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Call Today. This cache of genuine emeralds is extremely limited.
A. 50 ctw of genuine emeralds. Enlarged to show details.
A. Carnaval Necklace (50 ctw) $195 +S&P B. Carnaval Ring (13 ctw) $125 +S&P C. Carnaval Earrings (20 ctw) $125 +S&P
B.
D. Carnaval Bracelet (50 ctw) $175 +S&P Carnaval Collection (83 ctw) $445 Includes necklace, ring and earrings. Now only $295 +S&P Save $150! *Special Offer—Receive a $100 Stauer Gift Coupon with the purchase of each individual Carnaval.
C.
1-888-306-7179 Promotional Code FEN308-02 Please mention this code when you call.
Stauer
14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. FEN308-02 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
Smar t Luxuries—Surprising Prices
D.
PEN SEASON REPORT How do I enroll? Employees and annuitants can enroll on the Internet at www.BENEFEDS.com. BENEFEDS is a secure enrollment Web site sponsored by OPM where you enter your name, personal information such as address and Social Security number, the agency you work for (or retirement plan that pays your annuity), and the dental and/or vision plan you select. For those without access to a computer, call 877-888-FEDS (877888-3337) (TTY number, 877-8895680). You cannot enroll in a FEDVIP plan using the Health Benefits Election form (SF 2809) or through an agency self-service system, such as Employee Express, MyPay or Employee Personal page. However,
62
those sites may provide a link to www.BENEFEDS.com.
When will coverage be effective? Coverage for those who enroll during this year’s Federal Benefits Open Season (November 8-December 13, 2010) will be effective January 1, 2011. If I am currently enrolled in an FEHBP plan, will I be required to enroll in a dental or vision plan offered by my FEHBP carrier? No, your FEHBP plan is separate from the dental and vision insurance program. You may enroll in any dental or vision plan.
My FEHBP plan covers some dental and vision services. If I enroll in a FEDVIP plan, will that replace my
FEHBP coverage? No, any coverage provided under your FEHBP plan remains as your primary coverage. FEDVIP coverage would pay secondary to that coverage.
How does this coverage work with my FEHBP plan’s dental or vision coverage? Some FEHBP plans already cover some dental and vision services. Coverage provided under your FEHBP plan remains as your primary coverage. When you enroll in a dental and/ or vision plan using the Web site www.BENEFEDS.com, you will be asked to provide information on your FEHBP plan so that your plans can coordinate benefits. Providing your FEHBP information may reduce your out-of-pocket costs. ■
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Australia & New Zealand $2978*
18 Days
Join other NARFE members departing April 3, 2011 from
! ! " # $ % & ' !$ ( )* + + + , ' * & % # + $ - . / 0 ' / 1 2 % 1 2 ( $ 1 + ) 2 ' ( $ ' $ 1 3" 4 ) ( + + ! ! 2 ) 5 2 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666
15 Days
Join NARFE members departing June 4, 2011
from
$1248*
7 + ( + 8 9 : ( # $ 0 ' $ $ 2 7 + $ ; $ 7 + ) $ 7 ; $ - ( 0 ! 7 + 2 < $ ) & ( " $ % 7 + 0 , 0 2 = = 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666
U.S. + Canadian Rockies 14 Days
Travel with other NARFE members departing June 29, 2011
from
$1548*
& ( 0 ( $ 1 2 ) ( & + " ! + ' ; ' 2 0 > " 2 0 1 & " + +: $ : 7 & " - $ 9 - : +0 $ 3 ; 4 ! 2 3? # ! 4 # 2 1 9 $ + ( ; 7 $ # $ 3" 6 2 6 6& !! 6@ 2 $4 1 7 + - + ; $ & !! - +$ & !! $ 7 + 7 $ & # $ @ - +$ @ $ ) 2 # $ + 6 ( ( ( $ & 2 $ ( 9 - + % $ & ; ' 2 " , - + ( ! ' + 1 ! + 9 $ $ : ( ) % 2 # ! ( 2 ! / ( ! = 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666
Ireland 12 Days
Join other NARFE members departing July 7, 2011
from
$1558*
) & + ! , $
$ +: $ ' + ! $ +$ & $ & $ , $ , 2 $ ) ( 3' ! , 4 % $ & $
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*Prices per person, based on double occupancy, includes taxes, airfare extra, call for details.
For Information, Reservations & Itinerary Call 7 Days a Week:
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NARFE News John W.Hartigan,Former National Secretary,Dies at 73
J
ohn Walker Hartigan, who served as NARFE National Secretary from 1998-2000, died August 13. A resident of Springfield, VA, he was age 73. He joined the Navy Department in
1961 as an intern. At the time of his retirement in 1988, he directed the shipyard training modernization program. He was a member of NARFE Chapter 1159 in Annandale, VA. He
also served on the Fairfax County, VA, tenant-landlord commission. He is survived by his wife, three children, a brother and eight grand-children. Memorial contributions may be made to the NARFE-Alzheimer’s Fund (send to Virginia Federation Alzheimer’s Coordinator Shirley Keyes, 2541 Villanova Court, Vienna, VA 22180). ■
Get Your 90thAnniversary Merchandise Here!
N
ARFE has the following NARFE 90thAnniversary-related merchandise for sale to chapters,federations and members: • 90th Anniversary Book,NARFE: Celebrating 90Years of Service,1921-2011. Available for $10.See NARFE lapel pin order form on p.23 of this issue or on the NARFE Web site,www.narfe.org. • 90th Anniversary PowerPoint Presentation. Available for $5 for use in recruiting. Download an order form from the Leadership Home Page of the NARFE Web site. • 90th Anniversary Lapel Pin. Available for $3. Download the Pin Order Form (F-129) from “Downloadable Forms” on the NARFE Web site.
Insurance options to suit your every need.
NARFE Premier Federal Credit Union offers a wide array of insurance products to put your mind at ease. t t t t t t t
64
Auto Accident Debt Cancellation Homeowners Long-Term Care Pet Insurance Term Life
Visit NARFEpremierFCU.org to learn more or call 800.328.1500 today.
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NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Join
NARFE
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Today!
To apply:
Membership is open to civilians in any agency of the federal or D.C.* governments including: • Retirees • Active federal employees • Spouses and former spouses of active and retired federal employees • Former employees eligible for deferred annuity • Survivors of those eligible to join NARFE
• Complete the application below. • Enclose payment information, bill pay, check or money order payable to NARFE, or request to be billed. • Or go to our Web site at www.narfe.org. • Or call us at 800-627-3394 and join today! *Prior to October 1, 1987
Enrollment includes membership in a local chapter and the national association, plus a subscription to NARFE’s monthly publication, NARFE magazine.
NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION For Active and Retired Federal Employees 1. Choose all that apply: Retiree Spouse Survivor
Active employee Former spouse Former employee
2. Also enroll my spouse __________________________
www.narfe.org
Contact Information:
Full Name: Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.
full name
3. Please enroll me in NARFE chapter ______________
Street Address
4. __________ $33 x __________ Membership Fee # of People Per Person Enrolling
City/State/ZIP
= __________ Total Payment
Total payment (check, bill pay or money order payable to NARFE) Bill me (Membership starts when payment is received) Charge to my credit card The first year membership fee includes national and chapter dues.
Credit Card Information: MasterCard Card type: Discover
VISA AMEX
Card no. ___________________________________________ Expiration Date ________________ (MM)
(YY)
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NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
Apt./Unit
Phone Number E-mail Address Date of Birth Spouse’s Date of Birth (if applicable) Recruiter’s Membership and Chapter Number
MAIL TO:
NARFE Member Records 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Fax: 703-838-7783
1Q 65
Out & AW bout ith the Chapters
For more NARFE chapter and federation photos, go to www.narfe.org. Click on NARFE magazine.
A legislative team from Chapter 55 in Tucson, AZ, visited Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. From left: Jane Pall, June Berkey, Grijalva, Shirley Beene and Vern Pall.
More Scenes From NARFE
Meet Your Candidates Month
Sen. Russ Feingold, left, poses with Les Lucareli, Wisconsin Federation legislative chair, center, and Milton Unterbrink, public relations/ membership chair of Chapter 346 in Racine.
Chapter 1076 in Denver, CO, invited candidates to attend its annual picnic. Chapter and Colorado Federation officers pictured are: front, Rick Graham, chapter legislation vp; back, left to right, Joe Ellis, chapter membership vp; Lisa Kaufman, representing Rep. Jared Polis; Rep. Ed Perlmutter; Eva Heller, federation membership vp; Federation President Frank Impinna; House candidate Stephen Bailey; Renee Sowers, chapter treasurer; Judy Ellis, chapter president; Kaye Ferry, State Board of Education candidate; Bennie Milliner, representing Sen. Michael Bennet; Bernie Rogoff, representing Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff; and Ken Bowen, federation legislation vp.
SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH
NARFE members contributed for Alzheimer’s research:
$9 Million Fund
$8,813,740* *Total as of August 31, 2010
Enclosed is my NARFE Alzheimer’s contribution: $ Every cent that is contributed is used for research. Please circle:
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
.
Ms.
Name Address
100% of all contributed funds go to Alzheimer’s research.
City
State
ZIP
Chapter number
If you have any questions, write to: National Committee, Chairman Barb L. Pretzer, 4817 Rockridge Court, Manhattan, KS 66503
66
Your charitable contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Write your chapter number on check; make it payable to: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research and mail to: Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633 NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Letters REMINDER:
very instructive and helpful, and I am sure they are being welcomed by the majority of your readers. M.E. Lukenbach, Minneapolis, MN
Didn’t get your
NewsWatch Fan
Support NARFE
W
e hear from Headquarters and federation and chapter officers about NARFE’s critical financial problems. Our organization – our protector – is in serious trouble. The article in the August 2010 issue about Silver Circle donations said that donations of $95,000 have been received, and 34 members donated $1,000 or more; that means that the other 300,000 members donated only $64,000! Where is your pride in NARFE? Where is your loyalty? Where is your wish to protect your earned benefits? NARFE is the only organization that will fight to keep Congress from imposing reductions in our benefits. Another way we can support NARFE is to get a NARFE affinity credit card (see NARFE Perks, p. 69 in this issue). I have one and use it often because every time I use it, a little money goes to NARFE.
NARFE Calendar? Contact NARFE PR for your copy at pubrel@narfe.org.
Come on, folks! Protect your security! NARFE needs our financial help. Gordon F. Brown, Bethesda, MD
Live Well
I
’d like to congratulate NARFE for printing the monthly articles by Dr. Marilyn S. Radke. I find them to be
I
really like the “NARFE NewsWatch” news briefs and have benefitted from the information provided. I often save the specific Web sites in order to use them for future reference. Thank you for doing such an excellent job of providing valuable information to members like me. Annette Ashizawa, Tucker, GA
On Balance
Y
our June 2010 cover story “What You Can do to Prevent Falls” by Dan Ritchie is an excellent article. Keep up the good work in protecting our benefits. Georgia Kizziah, Lompoc, CA
Contact Us NARFE HEADQUARTERS 606 North Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7785
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Contact Member Records toll-free at 800-456-8410, or send change of address by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Member Records, or by e-mail to memberrecords@narfe.org.
Q&A: To obtain an answer to a retirement benefits question, call 703-838-7760 and ask for the Retirement Benefits Service Department; send your question by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Retirement Benefits; or submit it by e-mail to retbenefits@narfe.org. OUT & ABOUT: Submit photo with caption information by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Out & About, or by e-mail to rl@narfe.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor may be edited for grammar, clarity and length. All letters must be signed. Send by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Letters to the Editor, or by e-mail to rl@narfe.org. NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
67
NARFE Perks NARFE Perks are designed to provide NARFE members with a quality option in their search for commonly used products and services. NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed below and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter.
MOVING SERVICES
NARFE MEMBER HOMEBENEFITS 1-800-666-9203 http://narfe.myhomebenefits.com • Earn thousands in cash-back rewards when you buy or sell a home* • Shop competitive mortgage rates, receive discounts on closing costs, plus take advantage of your VA Loan Benefits • Receive preferred pricing on interesete moving services with the nation’s most trusted moving company – Allied Van Lines! *State restrictions apply. Call or visit website for details.
BEKINS VAN LINES 1-800-456-6832 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT) narfe@bekins.com All NARFE members will receive discounted pricing for all interstate shipments. Discount will apply to packing and moving services and valuation protection. All intrastate shipments, locals and international moves will be competitive in cost based on your geographical location. Mention you are a NARFE member and transportation agreement #00930.
VACATION RENTALS
Endless Vacation Rentals® As a member of NARFE, you will receive 10% off the “Best Available Rate” at vacation rental properties booked at www.evrentals.com/narfe or by calling 1877-670-7088, prompt 3, and providing promotion code 20672 at time of booking.
68
INSURANCE
TRAVEL
NARFE INSURANCE SERVICES
NARFE Cruises
1-800-233-5764 Insurance plans designed and administered exclusively for NARFE members. Call for information on Whole and Term Life, Hospital Indemnity, Accidental Injury and Death Plan, Dental Plan and Cancer Care Plan. For information on Long Term Care call the Long Term Care Unit at 1800-358-3795.
GEICO: 1-800-368-2734 NARFE members with good driving records may be eligible for quality automobile insurance from GEICO. Ask about the NARFE discount now available to members in many states. Call today for your free, no-obligation rate quote. Be sure to mention that you’re a NARFE member! • Discount amount varies in some states • Discount not available in all states or in all GEICO companies • One group discount applicable per policy.
EMERGENCY SERVICES SINCE 1974 1-800-423-3226 Medical Air Services Association has been the industry leader in prepaid emergency assistance services for more than 30 years. NARFE members have experienced MASA’s “peace of mind” services since 2001. Now NARFE members are entitled to even more: air ambulance transportation, helicopter transportation, ground ambulance, vehicle return, mortal remains transport, and much more! Call MASA Today. It Could Save Your Life!
• Concierge Host • Private Cocktail Party • Exclusive Shore Event • Onboard Amenity 7-night Bermuda ~ June 19, 2011 12-night Med ~ Sept. 9, 2011 10-day Canada ~ Sept. 30, 2011 12-day S. America ~ Dec. 8, 2011 14-day Asia ~ Feb. 5, 2012 CALL FOR MORE INFO TODAY!
1-800-607-4538 Website: www.NARFEtravel.com
HEARING BENEFITS TRUHEARING The TruHearing program can save you hundreds of dollars: • Free hearing screening • 45-day, money-back guarantee • 3-year warranty • Free one-year supply of batteries • 1,400 hearing professionals nationwide • 12-months, no interest financing (available upon approved credit)
Call to schedule your appointment
877-360-2442 Operators available Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (East Coast time)
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
HOTELS
CAR RENTALS
CREDIT UNION
ALAMO/NATIONAL CAR RENTAL
NARFE’S OFFICIAL CREDIT UNION
CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL With 6,000 hotels in the United States and throughout the world, Choice Hotels® offers something for everyone. Join the Choice Privileges® rewards program and earn points with every qualifying stay toward free nights, Airline Rewards, gift cards and more. As a NARFE member, receive 20% off your next stay at participating hotels when you use Special Rate ID 00801967. This offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. Advance reservations required. To book, visit choicehotels.com or call 800-258-2847.
1-800-354-2322 — www.alamo.com Welcome to Alamo Country. Where NARFE members get unlimited mileage and year-round discounts off Alamo’s already great rates. Book with your travel agent or Alamo®. Be sure to request I.D. Number 262544 and Rate Code BY (A-1 for weekend rentals) at the time of reservation. (Same ID number and code applies to National Car Rental.)
As a member of NARFE, you have the privilege of joining NARFE Premier Federal Credit Union, which has been serving members since 1935. We offer extensive services at competitive rates to members nationwide. Your savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. For more information, call 800-3281500, e-mail jparish@narfepremierfcu. org or visit us at NARFEpremierfcu.org.
CREDIT CARD AVIS: 1-800-331-1441 WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP As a member of NARFE, you will receive an additional 10% off the “Best Available Rate” at participating locations every time you travel. Book online or call and give agent your special discount ID number, #20672, at time of booking to receive discount. Whether you are looking for an upscale hotel, an all-inclusive resort or something more cost-effective, we have the right hotel for you... and at the right price. So start saving now. Call our special member-benefits hotline 1877-670-7088 and reserve your room today at one of these fine hotels: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Days Inn®, Ramada Worldwide®, Super 8®, Wingate By Wyndham®, Baymont Inns and Suites®, Hawthorn Suites®, Microtel Inns and Suites®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge®, Knights Inn® and AmeriHost Inn®.
NARFE | NOVEMBER 2010
The employees/owners of Avis offer guaranteed low rates and quality services to members of NARFE. Mention ID# A991900.
HEALTH SCREENING
LIFE LINE SCREENING Life Line Screening, America’s leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will conduct the following screenings using state-of-the-art ultrasound technology in your neighborhood: 1. Stroke/Carotid Artery 2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 3. Atrial Fibrillation 4. Peripheral Arterial Disease. You will receive a confidential written report within 21 days. Life Line Screening and NARFE encourage you to share these test results with your doctor. All four screenings cost just $135. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-324-9906 and give the operator code number: BKHN075 or visit www.lifelinescreening. com/NARFE. Coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.
Bank of America now offers the officially approved credit card program for NARFE, featuring the Platinum Plus® MasterCard® with WorldPoints. This is the only credit card that helps support NARFE every time you use it to make a purchase–at no additional cost to you. Call toll-free 1-866-438-6262 Use NARFE’s full name, not NARFE. Use priority code: UABEWD.
NARFE MERCHANDISE NARFE GENERAL STORE
Order NARFE name badges and apparel, including jackets, baseball caps, polo shirts and T-shirts! See MEMBER PERKS on the NARFE Web site, or go to: www.narfegeneralstore.com. Toll-Free Phone: 877-866-0102 Fax: 301-371-6824
69
For the Record The chart below tracks the CPI-W, the monthly inflation change, and the cumulative percentage gain for the next CSRS and Social Security COLA.
October November December January 2010 February March April May June July August September
CPI-W
MONTHLY % CHANGE % CHANGE FROM 215.5
211.549 212.003 211.703 212.568 212.544 213.525 213.958 214.124 213.839 213.898 214.205
+0.1 +0.2 -0.1 +0.4 0.0 +0.5 +0.2 +0.1 -0.1 0.0 +0.1
Stocks Surge In September ByTracey Ray
A
fter their worst August in nine years, stocks kicked off September with a big rally, and the gains continued for the rest of the month. The C Fund was up almost 3 percent on the first day of September after manufacturing activity for August was reported as surprisingly strong. Stocks went on to record their best September in 71 years, and the C Fund ended the month up 8.9 percent. The S Fund was up 11.5 percent as small stocks fared even better than the larger ones in the C Fund. The I Fund was also a strong performer, up 9.8 percent, benefiting from foreign currency strength, as the dollar index fell 5.4 percent. Except for the F and G Funds, all of the TSP funds posted their highest returns for the year.
Tracey Ray is chief investment officer of the Thrift Savings Plan. 70
-1.9 -1.6 -1.8 -1.4 -1.4 -0.9 -0.7 -0.6 -0.8 -0.7 -0.6
August Index Rises
T
he Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.1 percent in August. To calculate the next cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the indices of July, August and September 2010 will be averaged for a thirdquarter determinant, which will be compared with the 2008 thirdquarter base index of 215.5 (because of price deflation in the past measurement year, the 2008 third-quarter average is still the point of comparison). The August index of 214.205 is still down 0.6 percent from the base. Benefits awarded under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to individuals suffering work-related injuries or illnesses are adjusted according to each calendar year’s percentage change in the CPI-W. August’s index is 1.2 percent higher than the December 2009 base index of 211.7. ■
Thrift Savings Plan Investments* Month G Fund 0.26% 2009 October November 0.26% December 0.25% 0.29% 2010 January February 0.24% March 0.27% April 0.28% May 0.28% June 0.24% July 0.23% August 0.22% September 0.17% Last 12 Months 3.02% Month 2009 October November December 2010 January February March April May June July August September Last 12 Months
L Income (0.26%) 1.27% 0.59% (0.45%) 0.74% 1.43% 0.50% (1.50%) (0.61%) 1.81% (0.63%) 2.00% 4.94%
F Fund 0.51% 1.30% (1.55%) 1.54% 0.38% (0.11%) 1.07% 0.85% 1.56% 1.07% 1.28% 0.17% 8.32%
C Fund (1.86%) 6.00% 1.94% (3.60%) 3.11% 6.04% 1.58% (7.99%) (5.24%) 7.01% (4.51%) 8.92% 10.18%
S Fund (5.51%) 3.85% 6.57% (2.43%) 4.89% 7.39% 4.82% (7.51%) (6.90%) 7.00% (5.59%) 11.47% 16.82%
I Fund (2.41%) 3.16% 1.43% (5.17%) 0.06% 6.28% (2.35%) (11.20%) (1.75%) 10.78% (3.14%) 9.81% 3.39%
L 2010 (0.38%) 1.47% 0.70% (0.58%) 0.81% 1.61% 0.51% (1.64%) (0.68%) 1.81% (0.62%) 2.00% 5.04%
L 2020 (1.39%) 3.00% 1.50% (2.03%) 1.61% 3.75% 0.76% (4.98%) (2.34%) 4.82% (2.29%) 5.54% 7.61%
L 2030 (1.81%) 3.55% 1.85% (2.49%) 1.94% 4.52% 0.94% (6.07%) (2.98%) 5.80% (2.88%) 6.77% 8.57%
L 2040 (2.15%) 3.98% 2.12% (2.88%) 2.18% 5.15% 1.05% (6.97%) (3.47%) 6.60% (3.33%) 7.76% 9.24%
*This chart is provided as a service to NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan while employed by the federal government. Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in ( ) are negative. Source: tsp.gov.
NOVEMBER 2010 | NARFE
Pioneering audiologist invents “reading glasses” for your ears. Neutronic Ear is the easy, virtually invisible and affordable way to turn up the sound on the world around you. You don’t have to pay through the nose to get Personal Sound Amplification Technology. It’s amazing how technology has changed the way we live. Since the end of the Second World War, more products have been invented than in all of recorded history. After WWII came the invention of the microwave oven, the pocket calculator, and the first wearable hearing aid. While the first two have gotten smaller and more affordable, hearing aids haven’t changed much. Now there’s an alternative… Neutronic Ear.
Neutronic Ear has been designed with the finest micro-digital electronic components available to offer superb performance and years of use. Many years of engineering and development have created a product that’s ready to use right out of the box. The patented case design and unique clear tube make it practical and easy to use. The entire unit weighs only 1/10th of an ounce, and it hides comfortably behind either ear. The tube is designed to deliver clear crisp sound while First of all, Neutronic Ear is not a leaving the ear canal open. The hearing aid; it is a PSAP, or Personal electronic components are safe from Sound Amplification Product. Until moisture and wax buildup, and you PSAPs, everyone was required to see won’t feel like you have a circus peanut the doctor, have hearing tests, have jammed in your ear. Thanks to a fitting appointments state-of-the-art Just think of the places (numerous visits) manufacturing and then pay for the and you’ll enjoy Neutronic Ear process instruments without superior design, Parties • Restaurants any insurance coverwe can make Church • Lectures age. These devices Neutronic Ear can cost up to $5000 affordable and Book Groups • Movies each! The high cost pass the savings Bird-watching and and inconvenience on to you. almost any daily activity drove an innovative scientist to develop It works… but the Neutronic Ear PSAP. don’t take our word for it. Why pay
The Evolution of Hearing Products Date
Easy to Use? Invisible?
Affordable?
thousands to make everything sound louder when what you really need is a Personal Sound Amplification Product? We’re so sure you’ll be absolutely thrilled with the quality and effectiveness of this product that we are offering it to the public at a low introductory price with our exclusive trial offer. If, for any reason, you are not completely amazed by how this product improves your life, simply return it for a refund of the product purchase price within 30 days. Call now. Visit us on the web at
www.neutronicear.com
17th Century
No
Wearable Hearing Aid
1935
Weighed 2.5 pounds
No
Digital Hearing Aid
1984
No
No
Not for most people
Please mention promotional code 41316.
Neutronic Ear
2010
Yes
Yes
Yes
Neutronic Ear is not a hearing aid. If you believe you need a hearing aid, please consult a physician
The Ear Horn
Hardly
Maybe
NeutronicEar No
™
The Sound Dec ision ™
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1-877-720-9917 80143
Invention
Hard to see • Simple to use Easy to afford
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FLEECE: Much Higher Quality than you’re used to — Hefty, Warm, Durable, Soft as a kitten! S-T-R-E-T-C-H: BIG 360° Elastic Waist with Adjusting Drawstring! ZIP FLY: No more droppin’ your drawers just to do numero uno! PRICE: Search the malls, outlets, the web — skimpier “Sweats” cost at least Double our Price! Easy Care: Machine wash & wear Cotton/polyester. Order now!
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Card # _____________________________________ Exp.: ____/____ Phone/Email _____________________________________________________ Mr. Mrs. Ms. ____________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ Apt. # ______ City _______________________________________________ State ______________________________________ Zip _________________ When you pay by check, you authorize us to use information from your check to clear it electronically. Funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution.