december 2012 narfe magazine

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For Active and Retired Federal Employees

RETIREMENT LIFE DECEMBER 2012, Volume 88, Number 12

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

30 Questions &Answers

54 NARFENews

59 Out &About

62 For the Record: TSP Investments

DEPARTMENTS

8 Federal AnnuitantsWill Get 1.7 Percent COLA

10 Training Conference Sessions Address Social Media,Best Practices

12 “America Counts on Us” Campaign Continues inPost-Election Mode

12 Federal-Private Pay GapWidens

14 NARFE LegislationTracker

16 Civics 101: New Congress, New Meetings

NARFE ResourcesNARFE-PACCoupon . . . . . . . .15

Alzheimer’s Coupon . . . . . . . . .28

Silver Circle Coupon . . . . . . . . .54

MembershipApplication . . . . . .57

DuesWithholding Application . .58

NARFEMember Perks . . . . . . .60

visit us online at www.narfe.org

18 Keep in Touch. As Congress convenes a lame-duck session in which much-delayed policydecisions may be made, it is more importantthan ever that NARFE members contact theirlegislators.

COVER STORY

Cover design by Jim Richards

‘Like’ us on Facebook(NARFE National Headquarters)

SPECIALSECTIONS38 2012 Open Season

Report – Plan Changes,Prescription DrugGuide

56 NARFE ScholarshipWinners

COLUMNS6 Message From theNational President

22 Managing Money

26 LiveWell

28 Alzheimer’s Update

Follow us on Twitter(@narfehq)

4 DECEMBER 2012 | NARFE

NARFE MAGAZINEVolume 88,Number 12

Editor,Margaret M. CarterAssistant Editor, Donna J. St. JohnEditorial Administrator, Toni VallarioGraphic Designer, Beth BedardContributing Designers, Charlene Gridley, Jim RichardsEditorial Board: Joseph A. Beaudoin, Paul H. Carew, Elaine C. Hughes, Richard G.Thissen

Editorial Office:NARFE, Attn:NARFEmagazine, 606 NorthWashington St., Alexan-dria, VA 22314-1914; Phone: 703-838-7760; Fax: 703-838-7781; Email: [email protected]

Advertising Sales: Warren Berger, Media People Inc., 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 725,New York, NY 10168; 212-779-7172, ext. 223; Email: [email protected]

NARFE for the Visually Impaired

On the Telephone: This publication can be heard on the telephone by persons whohave trouble seeing or reading the print edition. For more information, contact theNational Federation of the Blind NFB-NEWSLINE® service at 866-504-7300 or go towww.nfbnewsline.org.

On Tape: Issues ofNARFEmagazine are also available on cassette through theNational Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. To find out aboutavailability in your area, call 800-424-8567 and ask for the Reference Section.The Association, since July 1970, has been classified by the IRS as a tax exempt labor or-ganization [not a union]; however, dues and gifts or contributions to the Association arenot deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

REGIONALVICEPRESIDENTS

NATIONALOFFICERSJOSEPHA. BEAUDOIN, President; [email protected]. CAREW, Vice President; [email protected]. HUGHES, Secretary; [email protected]. THISSEN, Treasurer; [email protected]

NARFE (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), 606 N.Washington St.,Alexandria,VA 22314.Periodi-cals postage paid at Alexandria,VA, and additional mailing offices.Members:Annual dues includes subscription. Non-member subscription rate $45. Postmaster: Send addresschange to: NARFE Attn:Member Records,NARFE 606 N.Washington St.,Alexandria,VA 22314.To ensure prompt delivery,members should also forward changes of address withoutdelay.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.Copyright © 2012, NARFE. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of products and/or services by NARFE,unlessofficially 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 toappear in NARFE,but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.

REGION I Arthur Pike(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, NewHampshire, New York, Rhode Island andVermont)Tel: 207-764-4468Email: [email protected]

REGION II EvelynKirby(Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,New Jersey and Pennsylvania)Tel: 410-604-1141Email: [email protected]

REGION III Donald Stewart(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,Puerto Rico, South Carolina and VirginIslands)Tel: 305-442-6388Email: [email protected]

REGION IV Paul E. Johnson(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio andWisconsin)Tel: 812-306-5137Email: [email protected]

REGIONV Carol R. Ek(Iowa, Kansas,Minnesota,Missouri,Nebraska, NorthDakota and SouthDakota)Tel: 620-241-1131Email: [email protected]

REGIONVI Jerome S. Smith(Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,Republic of Panama and Texas)Tel: 903-534-5849Email: [email protected]

REGIONVII Frank Impinna(Arizona, Colorado, NewMexico, Utah andWyoming)Tel: 303-482-1747Email: [email protected]

REGIONVIII Helen L. Zajac(California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevadaand Republic of Philippines)Tel: 707-644-7565Email: [email protected]

REGION IX LannyG. Ross(Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon andWashington)Tel: 360-692-9741Email: [email protected]

REGIONX WilliamF.Martin(Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee,Virginia andWest Virginia)Tel: 540-872-3345Email: [email protected]

Here’s How toContactNARFE ...If you want to:• Join NARFE

Call (toll-free):

800-627-3394 or800-456-8410

Or go to:www.narfe.orgIf you want to:• Change your address• Check yourmembership status• Find out dues owed• Provide a death notification

Call (toll-free):

800-456-8410Email:

[email protected] you want to:•Add your email address to yourrecord (to receive GEMS emailmessages,the Legislative HotlineandNARFENewsWatch):

Call (toll-free):

800-456-8410Email:

[email protected]:memberrecords@narfeorgIf you want to:• Hear the Legislative Hotline

Call (toll-free):

877-217-8234If youwant to:•Getmaterials to recruitmembers:

Call (toll-free):

800-627-3394Email: [email protected]

For any otherNARFEmatter:Call NARFEHeadquarters

703-838-7760Email:[email protected]:703-838-7785Write:NARFE

606N.Washington St.Alexandria,VA 22314

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As you receive this issue ofNARFEmagazine, Thanks-giving will be just aroundthe corner. This is the timeof year when we tend to

take stock of all that we have to be thankfulfor – our families, our friends, our health. Ihope that you will allow me to look at ourblessings from a NARFE standpoint as well.

First of all, I am thankful for NARFE mem-bers, whose generosity is boundless. Throughyour donations and fundraising activities, wehave nearly reached our goal of raising $10million for the NARFE-Alzheimer’s ResearchFund. We also have provided more than$1million in disaster relief grants and scholar-ships (since 1995), and distributed $600,000this year to congressional candidates whosupport our legislative agenda throughNARFE-PAC. Your contributions this year inresponse to our Note Cards andCalendar Pro-gram, as well as your Silver Circle donations,help us continue to do what we do best: pro-tect your earned benefits.

I am thankful for NARFE members whosehard work resulted in more than half a mil-lion emails, 66,000 handwritten letters and30,000 phone calls to elected officialsthrough the “Protect America’s Heartbeat”campaign.

I also am thankful for those NARFE members who at-tended the National Convention in Reno-Sparks, NV,coming together to vote their approval of the new Bylawsand Standing Rules, which will guide us in the difficultyears ahead.

Your National Executive Board will have al-readymet by the time you receive this issue ofNARFE magazine. I am very optimistic thatthis new board, along with our members, willcontinueworking together to enhanceNARFEand spread NARFE’s name within the federalcommunity. This is what I mean when I say,“Working together, we can make a difference.”

The fact that federal retirees have not lostany of their earned benefits over the last yearis something for which I’m especially thankful.Andwhile active federal employees have seentheir wages frozen, we know that it could havebeenmuchworse as we saw federal employeesand retirees become easy targets while Con-gress proposed cuts to balance the budget andreduce the deficit.

Now that the presidential and congres-sional elections are over, we will be lookingclosely at who was elected or re-elected – aNARFE friend or a NARFE foe. But regardlessof the makeup of the 113th Congress, we atNARFE Headquarters will continue to fight toensure that the federal community is not sin-gled out for unfair cuts in benefits.

Federation and chapter members alsoshouldmake contact with their newly electedlegislators to congratulate them and let themknow that we are willing to work with them

for the good of our nation. We all have a lot at stake inthe 113th Congress, and we must continue to work to-gether to defend what is rightfully ours.

Again, letme say how thankful I am for your loyalty anddedication to NARFE, and for your continued support.

A Message From theNational President

REGARDLESSof the makeupof the113thCongress,we

will continue tofight to ensurethat the federalcommunity isnot unfairlysingled out.

Joseph A. [email protected]

ATime to Be Thankful


Retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System

(CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement

System (FERS) will receive a 1.7 percent increase to

their annuities in January 2013, the same cost-of-

living adjustment (COLA) Social Security beneficiaries will receive.

� Traditionally, when a newCongress convenes the sameyear as a presidentialinauguration, Congress willgavel in for a day the firstweek in January and thenadjourn until after the inaug-uration. The date for the113th Congress had not beenannounced at press time.

� January 20, 2013, falls on aSunday. By tradition, thepresident will take the oath ofoffice in a small ceremony onSunday, and the publicinauguration will be held onMonday, January 21, which, in2013, is the Martin Luther KingJr. Holiday. President Clinton’ssecond inauguration, in 1997,was the first to fall on theholiday. Only two other timeshas January 20 fallen on aSunday since the inaugurationwas moved to January.

LEGISLATIVE HOTLINEToll-free! (24 Hours): 877-217-8234 Legislative Action Center:www.narfe.org

“We are pleased to hear that retireeswill receive some relief from the risingcosts of everyday goods,” said NARFEPresident Joseph A. Beaudoin. “NARFEcontinues to support strong COLAsbased on fair assessments of increasesin consumer prices, including medicalcosts, to keep federal annuities in linewith inflation.”

Under current law, COLAs for fed-eral retirement annuities, as well as formilitary retiree pensions and Social Se-curity payments, are determined in ref-erence to the Consumer Price Indexfor Urban Wage Earners and ClericalWorkers (CPI-W), which is calculatedby economists and statisticians withthe Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-W is the index used to measure in-creases in the prices of consumergoods throughout the economy. It in-cludes prices on all consumer goods,including food and beverages,housing, clothing, transportation, med-ical care, recreation, education, com-munication and more.

To trigger a COLA for 2013, the av-erage CPI-W for the months of July,

August and September 2012 needed torise above the 2011 average for thosesame months.

On October 16, the Labor Depart-ment’s Bureau of Labor Statistics an-nounced the September CPI-W was228.184. This figure reflects an in-crease of 0.5 percent from the Augustindex of 227.056. The 2013 COLA of1.7 percent reflects the percentage dif-ference between last year’s third-quarter average base index of 223.233and this year’s third-quarter averageindex of 226.936, computed by aver-aging July’s 225.568, August’s 227.056and September’s 228.184 indexes.

“This is welcome news for retireeswho have seen the cost of living con-tinue to increase over the past year,”continued Beaudoin. “As Congress de-bates ways to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff,’NARFE is prepared to oppose anychanges to the COLA formula thatwould have an adverse effect on re-tirees.”

NARFE opposes a recommendationmade in 2010 by the National Com-mission on Fiscal Responsibility and

LEGISLATIVEREPORT

Federal AnnuitantsWillGet1.7 PercentCOLA NARFE Opposes

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Reform (also known as the Simpson-Bowles Fiscal Commis-sion) to switch from the current method of calculatingCOLAs for Social Security (and other indexed benefits) to anew method that uses the Chained-CPI-U (C-CPI-U). TheC-CPI-U would result in reduced COLAs for Social Secu-rity benefits, and federal and military retirement annuities,by as much as 4 percent after 10 years, and by more afterthat. In August, NARFE’s membership reaffirmed its com-mitment to protecting and improving COLAs for federal an-nuities when it adopted NARFE’s Legislative Program for the113th Congress.

FECA COLA SET BY DIFFERENT FORMULA Determined by a different statutorily set methodology,

benefits awarded under the Federal Employees’ Compen-sation Act (FECA) to individuals suffering work-related in-juries or illnesses are adjusted according to each calendaryear’s percentage change in the CPI-W (rather than the

change from the highest previous third-quarter average).Looking ahead to next year, the September 2012 CPI-W figure (228.184) is 2.7 percent higher than the De-cember 2011 CPI-W figure (222.166), which is the refer-ence figure for determining the 2013 COLA for recipientsunder FECA.

By John Hatton, Legislative Representative

Legislative Report

lanners have announced that one of the ses-sions at the 2013 NARFE Legislative TrainingConference will include how to use socialmedia and the Internet in grass-roots ad-

vocacy. The conference will be held March 9-12,2013, at the Renaissance Arlington Capital ViewHotel in Arlington, VA.

The first two days of the conference will fea-ture general sessions with speakers and mul-tiple training sessions. Also new this year will bea “Best Practices” session for chapter and federationleaders to share their own successes and failures in get-ting members to participate in advocacy, scheduling meet-ings with members of Congress and other issues.

The biennial conference provides NARFE members theopportunity to learn more about the policy issues facing thefederal community while providing resources on how tobreak through the “noise” and talk with their members ofCongress. NARFE members will be able to return home andconduct advocacy training and grass-roots organizing fortheir home chapters and federations.

On Tuesday, March 12, NARFE members will have the

opportunity to meet with members of Congress and theirstaff on Capitol Hill. Following the success in 2011, the daywill begin with a rally on the Hill. New for this conference,

NARFE’s Legislative Department staff will helpschedule meetings with congressional offices.They also will work with NARFE legislative ac-tivists who are not traveling to Washington,DC, so they can do their own legislative grass-roots outreach to correspond with the workbeing done in Washington. All NARFE members are invited to attend, but

chapter and federation leaders and legislative activistswho have never attended before are particularly urged toparticipate. Federation 10 Percent Funds should be used todefray some or all of the costs of aspiring and potentialleaders. One person per congressional district would beideal, especially congressional district liaisons who alreadyare invested in organizing by congressional district.

More details and online registration are available onNARFE’s website, www.narfe.org. Click on the 2013 Legisla-tive Training Conference logo on the Main Home Page.

By Sarah Holstine, Legislative Specialist

Training Conference SessionsAddressSocial Media,Best Practices

STORY HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS� Federal annuitants under both the Civil ServiceRetirement System and the Federal EmployeesRetirement System will receive a 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to their annuities in2013.

� The COLA is based on increases in the CPI-W.� NARFE opposes any changes in the formula thatwould have an adverse effect on retirees.

P

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Legislative Report


‘America Counts on Us’CampaignContinues in Post-Election Mode

In the weeks leading up to the November elections,the Federal-Postal Coalition’s “America Counts on Us”campaign continued to generate news and have animpact across the country. America Counts on Us is a

campaign sponsored by NARFE and other national organi-zations representing America’s nearly five million active andretired federal employees. The nonpartisan campaign aimsto raise awareness of the vital services provided by federalemployees as well as the people who provide them.

Prior to the November elections, activities to accomplishthese goals included shaping public opinion through meet-ings with select members of Congress and candidates, cre-ating a presence at town hall meetings and candidate fo-rums in key electoral districts, and generating media cov-erage that introduced more Americans to the face of federaland postal workers and retirees.

To dramatize the fact that federal employees live andwork throughout the country, America Counts on Us vol-unteers delivered large posters with state and district maps,

and the number of federal and postal employees and re-tirees in each state and district.

Following the elections, the America Counts on Us cam-paign continues as Congress debates ways to avoid falling offthe “fiscal cliff.” Federal and postal employees and retirees willremain a target for deficit cutters, and the campaign will in-form members of Con-gress of the numbers offederal employees andretirees in their state ordistrict, and the vitalwork they do. The cam-paign is slated to rununtil the end of 2012.

In July and August,the campaign held suc-cessful events in Vir-ginia, Maryland andMontana. In October,the campaign con-ducted two “days of ac-tion” in select states and congressional districts throughoutthe country. On the first day of action, Coalition membersdropped off materials to candidates for the U.S. Senate in sixstates and to candidates in two congressional districts for theHouse of Representatives. On the second day of action, phonecalls were made to these same candidates, describing the im-portant work of active and retired federal and postal em-ployees and their contributions toward reducing the federaldeficit, and urging them not to single out federal and postalemployees and retirees for further cuts in pay and benefits.

By Jessica Klement, Communicationsand Legislative Representative

Copies of the poster above were deliv-ered to the campaign offices of formerVirginia governors Tim Kaine and GeorgeAllen, who were running for the Senate.Similar posters were delivered to candi-dates in five other states and two con-gressional districts.

STORY HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS� “America Counts on Us” is a campaign by theFederal-Postal Coalition, including NARFE.

� The campaign continues until the end of 2012,informing legislators of the number of federalemployees and retirees in their states and districts,and the important work they do.

Pay Gap WidensFederal employees are paid, on average, about 35 per-

cent less than comparable private-sector workers,according to the Federal Salary Council, using informa-tion from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an in-crease over the 26 percent difference reported in 2011.“The widening pay gap is not acceptable,” said

NARFE President Joseph A. Beaudoin. “Our nation isfortunate to have talented and devoted employees pro-tecting our families from natural disasters, infectious dis-eases and terrorist attacks. When it comes to the im-portant jobs these men and women do for America, wecan't afford a second-rate workforce. Yet that's what is instore for us if we continue to devalue our federal workers.After enduring a two-year pay freeze that has con-tributed $60 billion toward balancing America's budget,it comes as no surprise to hear that the pay of federalworkers continues to lag behind their peers in the pri-vate sector.”

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RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS/CALCULATION

FEDERAL PAYFREEZE

PHASED RETIREMENT

CHANGES TO THEFEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ COMPENSATIONACT (FECA)

IISSSSUUEE

NARFE Legislation TrackerWhat Bill Would Do Latest Congressional Action/sBill Number / Name / Sponsor

H.R. 3813: Securing Annuities forFederal Employees Act / Rep.Dennis A. Ross, R-FL

H.Con Res. 112: Establishing theBudget for the United StatesGovernment for Fiscal Year 2013 /Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-WI

H.R. 5652: SequesterReplacement Reconciliation Act /Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-WI

H.R. 3835: To Extend the PayLimitation for Members ofCongress and Federal Employees/ Rep. Sean P. Duffy, R-WI

H.J. Res. 117: ContinuingAppropriations Resolution, 2013

H.R. 4363: Federal EmployeePhased Retirement Act / Rep.Darrell Issa, R-CA

S. 1813: Moving Ahead forProgress in the 21st Century /Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA

S. 1789: 21st Century PostalService Act / Sen. Joseph I.Lieberman, I-CT

H.R. 2465 : Federal Workers’Compensation Modernization andImprovement Act / Rep. JohnKline, R-MN

Requires federal employees to pay1.5% more toward their retirement,requires new federal employees tocontribute 4% to their retirement,bases retirement calculations on thehighest five years of service instead ofthe current high three, and eliminatesthe FERS Annuity Supplement

Requires federal employees to pay5% more toward their retirement

Requires federal employees to pay5% more toward their retirement

Extends the federal pay freeze forone more year (until Dec. 31, 2013)

Extends the federal pay freeze untilMarch 28, 2013

Allows federal employees to phaseinto retirement by working part timeand collecting an annuity

Allows federal employees to phaseinto retirement by working part timeand collecting an annuity

Reduces benefits by 25% atretirement age for federal workersdisabled by a work-related injury orillness; eliminates 8.33% augmentedcompensation for dependents

Streamlines claims process, ensuresinjured workers receive adequatecompensation, improves programefficiency and modernizes benefits

Approved by Committee onOversight and GovernmentReform 2/7/2012(Likely to be considered by fullHouse)

Passed by House 3/23/2012Failed in Senate 5/16/2012

Passed by House 5/10/2012

Passed by House 2/1/2012(Likely to be part of deficit-reduction talks)

Signed into law 9/28/12

Passed as part of highway billand student loan interest rateextension compromise Signed into law (P.L. 112-141)7/6/2012

Passed by Senate 4/25/2012

Passed by House 11/29/2011

The NARFE LEGISLATION TRACKER is your monthly guide to the legislation that NARFE is keeping an eye on. Check each issue for updates.

NARFE | DECEMBER 2012 15

IISSSSUUEE

NARFE Legislation TrackerWhat Bill Would Do Latest Congressional Action/sBill Number / Name / Sponsor

WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS

REPEAL OF GPO AND WEP

POLITICALACTIVITIES

POSTALREFORM

Various bills (H.R. 235, H.R. 408/S. 178, H.R. 657, S. 1476, H.R. 2114, H.R. 3029/S. 1611, H.R. 3662/S. 2065)

H.R. 1332: Social SecurityFairness Act / Rep. Howard P.“Buck” McKeon, R-CA

S. 2010: Social Security FairnessAct / Sen. John Kerry, D-MA

H.R. 4152 Hatch ActModernization Act / Rep. Elijah E.Cummings, D-MD

S. 2170 Hatch Act ModernizationAct / Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI

H.R. 2309 Postal Reform Act of2011 / Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA

S. 1789 21st Century PostalService Act/ Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-CT

Decreases the size of the federalworkforce by various percentages(usually 5-15%)

Repeals the Government PensionOffset (GPO) and Windfall EliminationProvision (WEP)

Eliminates the prohibition againststate and local employees seekingpartisan elective federal office andrevises penalties for Hatch Actviolations to allow penalties otherthan termination of employment

Imposes receivership; cuts small postoffices, delivery days and service

Reduces funding requirements, allowsbusiness practice changes, cutsworkers’ comp for federal employees

Referred to various committees(Likely to be part of deficit-reduction and sequestrationtalks)

Referred to Subcommittee onSocial Security 4/7/2011

Referred to Committee onFinance 12/16/2011(Unlikely to be considered)

Referred to Committee onOversight and GovernmentReform 3/7/2012

Approved by the HomelandSecurity and GovernmentalAffairs Committee 6/27/2012

Passed by Oversight and Govt.Reform Com. 1/17/12

Passed by Senate 4/25/12

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Monthly contributions qualify you to receive aNARFE-PAC Sustainer lapel pin and the red, whiteand blue NARFE umbrella.

Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFEwill neither favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amountof a contribution, or the failure to make a voluntary contributionto this nonpartisan political action fund. NARFE-PAC contribu-tions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Legislative Report


Meeting with a politician, even one you votedfor, may be the furthest thing from yourmind. But that’s exactly what NARFE mem-bers need to be doing, and they need to be

doing it now. At press time, plans call for a post-election ses-sion of the 112th Congress to begin on November 13.Facing what is being called a “fiscal cliff,” the re-electedmembers of Congress, as well as the lame ducks, will deter-mine whether the House and Senate can compromise onthe multitude of issues before them. This session could lastwell into December.

CALM BEFORE THE “CLIFF”In September, before abandoning Capitol Hill to cam-

paign full time, Congress passed a six-month ContinuingResolution, H.J. Res. 117. This legislation, in lieu of the 12regular appropriations bills, provides funding for all gov-ernment programs through March 27, 2013, and is set atlevels agreed to in last year’s Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25). Signed by President Obama, H.J. Res. 117 extends thetwo-year federal pay freeze through March 27.

WORLD-CLASS BRINKSMANSHIPHaving done the bare minimum to avoid a showdown

over a federal government shutdown, the postponed policychoices of divided government still must be addressed. Themost urgent issue, the fiscal cliff, is what would happen to aweak economic recovery if scheduled spending cuts (se-questration) and higher individual taxes take effect in Jan-uary. However, there are other issues that must be ad-dressed, including an overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service andthe expiration of reimbursements to Medicare providers.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR 2013The 113th Congress (2013-2014) will be sworn in early

in January. There will be at least 50 new representatives and11 new senators. Many more – perhaps 30 – are likely. All441 House members and a third of the Senate will beginplanning their 2014 re-election campaigns. Our task now,as many are tuning out politics, is to engage NARFE mem-bers to help distinguish NARFE from thousands of other or-ganizations lobbying Capitol Hill.

Newly elected members of Congress will need to be ed-

ucated about issues of importance to federal employees andretirees. Most freshmen lawmakers will have had little ex-posure to civil service issues and will be eager for informa-tion, especially a list of NARFE chapters and leaders in theirdistricts. A copy of this issue of NARFE magazine and thepreceding two issues covering Federal Benefits Open Seasonalso would help educate them.

CHAPTER MEETINGS, FEDERATION CONVENTIONS

NARFE chapter, district and federation officers should al-ways harness monthly or special multichapter meetings byextending open-ended invitations to elected officials to at-tend and take questions about NARFE issues. Persistence,flexible scheduling and bolstered attendance are often cru-cial factors. Many chapters use “robo calls” to increase par-ticipation in NARFE events. Most important, federation con-ventions must be orchestrated to obtain maximum politicaladvantage. Conventions gather NARFE’s best from an entirestate and are ideal gatherings to advance NARFE interests.

CONNECTING WITH CONGRESSNARFE Legislative Department staffers are eager to help

in any way (send an email to [email protected] or call 571-483-1265). Staff can help any NARFE member seeking tomeet with his or her representative and senators.

Recently, NARFE legislative officers were offered congres-sional staff listings for their congressional delegation. Theselistings show each staffer by location and title, and are avail-able without any copyright restrictions. A “Congressional StaffRequest” can be made by electronic or postal mail.

By Christopher Farrell, Legislative Representative

T H E I N F O R M E D C I T I Z E NC I V I C S 1 0 1 :

STORY HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS� The election is over, with many new members ofCongress. Meetings are imperative.

� The Continuing Resolution prolongs the federalpay freeze.

� Congress is on the brink of a “fiscal cliff.”� Chapter, district and federation officers mustorganize meetings. NARFE LegislativeDepartment staffers are available to assist.

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FINAL RELEASE

Now, more than ever, members of Congress need to beremindedthat their federalemployeeandretireeconstituentsareworkinghard to “ProtectAmerica’sHeartbeat.” While the113thCongresswon’tconveneuntil January,apost-election lame-ducksessionwas scheduled to conveneNovember13. It is importantfor NARFE members to contact their members of Congress,who will be casting crucial votes before the end of the year.As this issue reaches yourmailbox, NARFEwill have just con-cluded its third “National Call Congress Day” of the year. The

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by Jessica Klement, Communications and Legislative Representative


special call-in day was scheduled forNovember 15. Among the issues facinglawmakers in the lame-duck sessionare:

• Annual deficits in excess of $1 tril-lion;

• A $16-plus trillion public debt anda needed increase in the debt limit;

• An extension of the farm bill,along with funding for crop price sup-ports and nutrition benefits;

• An extension of payment rates forproviders of Medicare services (whichwould otherwise be cut by more than20 percent beginning in January 2013);

• The expiration of several tax cutsput in place over the last 12 years; and

• The looming $1.2 trillion in cuts tofederal programs through sequestration.Under this process, more than $100 bil-lion in across-the-board cuts in defenseand domestic programs will happen au-tomatically on January 2, 2013.

All these issues mean one thing forNARFE members: Your benefits are atstake as Congress looks for ways toprevent falling off the “fiscal cliff.”

NARFE members should use thistime to contact members of their con-gressional delegation (one represen-tative and two senators) and ask themto leave federal employees and re-tirees out of the discussion when theyaddress the important areas of publicpolicy that were unfinished whenthey left Washington to campaign fulltime.

The Protect America’s Heartbeatwebsite (www.narfe.org/heartbeat), aswell as the NARFE Legislative ActionCenter (www.capwiz.com/narfe/home/),have an updated letter for members tosend during the lame-duck session ofCongress.

Additionally, members should be onthe lookout for Legislative ActionAlerts, updated information in the

weekly NARFE Legislative Hotlines andemail messages from NARFE Head-quarters.

The toll-free number to use to callyour members of Congress on CapitolHill is 866-220-0044.

FEDS HAVE CONTRIBUTEDTO DEFICIT REDUCTION

The federal workforce has alreadysacrificed $75 billion in the ongoingbudget process. The two-year federalemployee pay freeze contributed $60billion; the requirement that new fed-eral employees pay more toward theirretirement accounted for the re-maining $15 billion. No other groupof Americans has been asked to sacri-fice in this way.

NARFE members should ask mem-bers of their congressional delegationif there is a plan to survive the fiscalstorm and remind them that federalemployees have already done their fairshare of sacrifices in the name ofdeficit reduction.

NARFE is calling on its membershipto educate lawmakers, both new andreturning, on the merits of a systemthat provides fair and equitable pay,benefits, and retirement for federal em-ployees and retirees.

PROTECT AMERICA’SHEARTBEAT UPDATE

Meanwhile, NARFE’s Protect Amer-ica’s Heartbeat (PAH) campaign con-tinues to encourage favorable publicityfor federal employees and retirees.

Throughout the summer, NARFEdelivered the pro-federal employee and

retiree messages of theProtect America’s Heart-beat campaign to an audi-ence of millions throughthe media. NARFE spokes-people were quoted in topnews outlets, including

USA Today, The Washington Post, Los An-geles Times and The Baltimore Sun, aswell as in articles in federal trade publi-cations such as Government Executiveand Federal Times.

The PAH campaign averaged fourpress releases a month on the major is-sues facing retired and active federalworkers, and has helped solidifyNARFE as a “go-to” organization for re-porters who want to hear the perspec-tive of America’s retired and active fed-eral employees.

NARFE will continue to fulfill thisrole, and stand up for federal workersand retirees in the press and on CapitolHill. �

Your Contacts Count In Advocacy CompetitionNARFE’s “Advocacy in Action” competition runs through the end of the

year. The competition encourages and rewards grass-roots advocacyby NARFE members, chapters and federations. Varying points are assignedfor such things as meeting with a member of Congress or staff, sendingemail messages, or calling a member of Congress and delivering a NARFEmessage. The lame-duck session of Congress provides NARFE memberswith a chance to not only voice their opinions effectively but also help theirfederations accumulate points. The winning federation receives a free reg-istration to the NARFE Legislative Conference in March.

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FEGLI Revisited

In the October issue of NARFEmagazine, I wrote an articlecomparing the Federal Em-ployees’ Group Life Insurance

(FEGLI) Option B coverage to indi-vidual term insurance and concludedthat, in many circumstances, pur-chasing an individual term insurancepolicy is less costly and the better op-tion.

The fact is, everyone’s life insuranceneeds are different. But in many cases,the need for life insurance is only tem-porary, which was the rationale forcomparing FEGLI to term insurance.Butwhat if a federal employee wants tocarry life insurance until the day he orshe dies? A federal employee couldelect the no-reduction option and con-tinue FEGLI coverage for life. But is thisthe right choice, or are there other,more cost-effective options? Let’s com-pare options and find out.

First, it’s important to note thatthere are several types of permanentlife insurance policies to choose from.For this article, we’ll use a type of lifeinsurance called universal life (UL),which can be structured so that nocash value accumulates and can beguaranteed to remain in force (as longas the premiums are paid), up to atleast age 100.

Let’s first compare the cost of FEGLIand a UL policy for a 55-year-old malewho wants to carry a $250,000 deathbenefit. TheFEGLIpremiumfor the55-year-old male starts out at $1,494 peryear,while theULpremium (assuminga standard health rating) is $3,550 peryear. As you can see, the FEGLI pre-miumstarts out less expensive than theUL insurance policy. In fact, over the

course of thefirst 10years, the total cu-mulative cost of the FEGLI insurance is$24,375, while the total cost of the ULpolicy is $35,500. So far, FEGLI is lessexpensive by $11,125.

However, because the FEGLI pre-miums increase every five years, andthe UL premium remains level, theFEGLI advantage disappears over time.In this case, the annualcost of FEGLIb e c o m e smore expen-sive whenthe FEGLIpremium in-creases to$4,029 at age65. From thatpoint on, theannual FEGLIpremium be-comes increasinglymore expensive rel-ative to the UL policy. For example, atage70, theFEGLIpremium increases to$7,410per year; at age75, thepremiumincreases to $11,700 per year; and atage 80, the FEGLI premium increasesto $15,600 per year, where it will re-main level from that point on.

Now, let’s compare the total cost ofFEGLI and the UL policy, assuming thefederal employee dies at a specific age,say, age 85. In this scenario, the 55-year-old will pay a total of $233,670 forthe FEGLI coverage; but if he goeswiththe UL policy instead, he will only paya total of $110,050 – a savings of$123,000!

Obviously, an 85-year life ex-pectancy is purely hypothetical and isusedonly toprovide some indicationofthe potential savings one can achieveby purchasing a UL policy. Ultimately,one’s real age at death will determine

whether FEGLI or the UL policy wasless expensive. This is where it’s alsohelpful to know the break-even age,which is the point when the total pre-miumpaid for FEGLI is the sameas thetotal premiumpaid for theULpolicy. Inthe case of the 55-year-old male, thebreak-even age is approximately age71. Byknowing thebreak-evenage,we

now know that, if thefederal em-ployee diesprior to age71, hewouldpay less in

premiums forthe FEGLIcoverage; butif he lives be-yond age 71,he would payless in pre-

miums for the UL policy.As pointed out in my October ar-

ticle, there isnodifference inFEGLIpre-miums for men and women who arethe same age. On the other hand,women pay less than their male coun-terparts for individual life insurancepolicies because their longer life ex-pectancies are factored in. For example,a 55-year-old femalewill pay $2,747 in-stead of $3,550 for the UL policy. HerFEGLI premium is the same, so shewillstill pay a total of $233,670 in FEGLIpremiums if she lives to age85; but thetotal cost of the UL policy drops to$85,157, for a savings of more than$148,000.

Older federal employees have thepotential to save as well. Take a 65-year-old male, for example, whose ULpremium will run $6,231 per year.Once again, this is initially more ex-pensive than the FEGLI premium,

By Mark A.Keen,CFP®

ManagingMoney

COMPARE THE premiums forFEGLI and a universal life

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which only runs $4,029 for a 65-year-old. However, just as with the previousexamples, the annual cost of FEGLI be-comes more expensive. In this case,the annual cost of FEGLI becomesmore expensive at age 70, and thebreak-even age of the two insuranceplans is age 75. Assuming a life ex-pectancy of 85, the 65-year-old malewill pay a total of $209,295 in FEGLIpremiums, whereas the payments forthe UL policy will only total $130,851at age 85 – a savings of more than$78,000.

Similar to the 55-year-old female, a65-year-old female can save evenmorethan her male counterparts with a pre-miumof $4,926per year for aULpolicy.The lower UL premium reduced herbreak-even age to 71. Once again, as-suming a life expectancy of age 85, her

total cost for the UL policy is only$103,446, a savings of more than$105,000 over the FEGLI coverage.

Everyone’s circumstanceswill bedif-ferent. So when deciding which type ofinsurance will best fit your needs, youhave to think about what the purposeof the life insurance is. At that point,you canbegin comparingyour optionstodecidewhichoption is themost cost-effective for you.

Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is president andowner of Bennett Financial Advisors,3600 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax,VA, andan investment adviser representativeand registered principal of TheStrategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA).Securities and advisory services areoffered through SFA. Email:[email protected].

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book page does not accept Friendrequests. We just needyou toLikeus!You can also link to our Face-

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Bronchitis is a commoncondition with millions ofcases occurring everyyear. It is an inflammation

of the bronchial tubes – the airwaysthat carryoxygen-rich air to your lungs

and the waste gas(carbon dioxide)out of your lungs.People who havebronchitis oftencough up mucus,a slimy substancemade by the liningof the bronchialtubes. Bronchitisalso may cause a

whistling sound when you breathe(wheezing), chest pain, fever and short-ness of breath. Bronchitis may be shortterm (acute) or ongoing (chronic).

Acute bronchitis is caused by infec-tions or lung irritants, and lasts from afew days to 10 days. Coughing can lastfor several weeks after the infection isgone. Acute bronchitis is commonlycaused by the same viruses that causecoldsandflu,but sometimes it is causedby bacteria. Lung irritants, such as to-bacco smoke, worsen its symptoms.

Chronic bronchitis is causedmainlyby smokingand is a serious, on-going medical condition. The lining ofthe bronchial tubes is constantly irri-tated and inflamed, causing a long-term cough with mucus. The irritatedbronchial tubes are easily infected byviruses or bacteria. This causes peoplewho have chronic bronchitis to haveperiods when symptoms get muchworse thanusual.During theseperiods,they also may have acute viral or bac-terial bronchitis.

Risk factors for bronchitis include:• Tobacco smoke, including sec-

ondhand smoke;• Existing lung disease;• Contact with dust, chemical

fumes, vapors and air pollution;• Jobs in coal mining, textile manu-

facturing, grain handling and livestockfarming;

• Exposure to a high level of lung ir-ritants from an explosion or fire;

• Allergies;• Female gender (chronic bronchitis

occurs at twice the rate in women ascompared to men); and

• Age:° Infants, children and the elderly

(risk for acute bronchitis); and°Overage45 (risk for chronicbron-

chitis).Signs and symptoms of acute bron-

chitis are:• Sore throat, tiredness, fever, body

aches, stuffy or runny nose, vomitingand diarrhea – following cold and flu.

• Persistent cough: May last 10 to20 days and produce clear mucus.Yellow or green mucus may indicate abacterial infection, and a dry coughmay persist for days or weeks after theinfection clears.

• Breathing problems: wheezing,chest tightness or pain, and shortnessof breath (especially with physical ac-tivity); and

• Low fever.Signs and symptoms of chronic

bronchitis include coughing (“smoker’scough”), wheezing and chest discom-fort.

The diagnosis of bronchitis involvesmedical history, physical examination,examination of mucus for bacterial in-fection and testing of blood oxygenlevels using a sensor attached to yourfingertip. Your doctor also may recom-

mend a chest X-ray, lung function testsor blood tests.

Symptomrelief andeasier breathingare the main goals of treating bron-chitis. Treatment methods involve:

• Reducing lung irritation by quit-ting smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke, dust, fumes, vapors andair pollution;

• Rest, fluids, and aspirin or aceta-minophen for fever of acute bronchitis;

• Antibiotics for bacterial infection;• Humidifier, steam and inhaled

By Marilyn S.Radke,M.D.

LiveWell

ToLearnMoreFor more information, write to

the National Heart, Lung, andBlood InstituteHealth InformationCenter, P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda,MD20824-0105;orcall301-592-8573(TTY: 240-629-3255); or visit thewebsite atwww.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Battling Bronchitis

THE MOST important stepyou can take to preventbronchitis and to relievesymptoms of chronicbronchitis is not to smoke.

medicine for wheezing;• Medicines for inflamed airways

and persistent coughing;• Medicines for chronic bronchitis

andchronicobstructivepulmonarydis-ease, such as inhaled bronchodilatorsand steroids (inhaled or pill form); and

• Oxygen therapy for chronic bron-chitis.

The most important step you cantake to prevent bronchitis and to re-lieve symptomsof chronic bronchitis isnot to smoke.Additional steps include:

• Avoid lung irritants, such as sec-ondhand smoke, dust, fumes, vaporsand air pollution;

• Wear a mask over your mouthand nose when you use paint, paint re-mover, varnish or other substanceswith strong fumes;

• Wash your hands often and avoidtouching your face to limit exposure toviruses and bacteria;

• Avoid people who have colds orthe flu;

• Consider getting a yearly flu shotand a pneumonia vaccine;

• Make healthful food choices andbe as physically active as you can; and

• Consider pulmonary rehabilita-tion, a program designed to help re-lieve ongoing breathing problems.

If you have bronchitis and breathetoo fast, ask your doctor about“pursed-lip” breathing to keep your air-ways open longer. In pursed-lipbreathing, you breathe in throughyour nostrils while counting to twoand breathe out slowly throughpursed lips (as if blowing out a candle)while counting to four or six.

Marilyn S. Radke, M.D., is board cer-tified in preventive medicine andpractices in Atlanta, GA.


Finally, a cell phone that’s… a phone

Introducing the all-new Jitterbug® Plus. We’ve made it even better… without making it harder to use.

All my friends have new cell phones. �ey carry them around with them all day, like mini computers,with little tiny keyboards and hundreds of programs which are supposed to make their life easier.

Trouble is… my friends can’t use them. �e keypads are too small, the displays are hard to see and the phones are so complicated that my friendsend up borrowing my Jitterbug when they need to make a call. I don’tmind… I just got a new phone too… the new Jitterbug Plus. Now Ihave all the things I loved about my Jitterbug phone along with somegreat new features that make it even better!

GreatCall® created the Jitterbug with one thing in mind – to offer peoplea cell phone that’s easy to see and hear, and is simple to use and affordable.Now, they’ve made the cell phone experience even better with the Jitterbug Plus. It features a lightweight, comfortable design with a backlitkeypad and big, legible numbers. �ere is even a dial tone so you know thephone is ready to use. You can also increase the volume with one touchand the speaker’s been improved so you get great audio quality and canhear every word. �e battery has been improved too– it’s one of the longestlasting on the market– so you won’t have to charge it as often. �e phonecomes to you with your account already set up and is easy to activate.

�e rate plans are simple too. Why pay for minutes you’ll never use?�ere are a variety of affordable plans. Plus, you don’t have to worry aboutfinding yourself stuck with no minutes– that’s the problem with prepaidphones. Since there is no contract to sign, you are not locked in for years at a time and won’t be subject to early termination fees. Now, whenyou sign up for our Basic19 plan, you’ll doubleyour monthly minutes for the same price.The U.S.-based customerservice is knowledgeable

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Call now and receive a FREE gift when you order. Try the JitterbugPlus for yourself for 30 days and if you don’t love it, just return it fora refund1 of the product purchase price. Call now – helpful Jitterbugexperts are ready to answer your questions.

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: DoubleTime offer valid on Basic 19 Plan and applies to new GreatCall customers only. Offerends 1/1/13. Offer valid until plan is changed or cancelled. All GreatCall phones require a one-time set up fee of $35. Coverage and service are not available everywhere. You will not be able to make 9-1-1 calls when cellular service is not available. Rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges and are subject to change. No roaming or long distance charges for domestic callswithin the U.S. There are no additional fees to call GreatCall’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operatorin which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connectedby the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. 1 We will refund the full price of the GreatCall phone if it is returned within 30 days ofpurchase in like-new condition. We will also refund your first monthly service charge if you have less than 30 minutes of usage. If

you have more than 30 minutes of usage, a per minute charge of 35 cents will apply for each minute over 30 minutes. The activation feeand shipping charges are not refundable. Jitterbug and GreatCall are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Copyright ©2012 Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC. Copyright ©2012 GreatCall,Inc. Copyright ©2011 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.

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By the time you read thiscolumn, we will be veryclose to achieving ourgoal of raising $10 million

in 2012 for Alzheimer’s research ormay even havesurpassed it.Through yourdonations andfundraising ac-tivities, youhave led us toyet anothermilestone inNARFE’s efforts

to help find a cure for this heart-breaking disease.

One of the responsibilities of theNARFE-Alzheimer’s National Com-mittee is to select research projects tofundwith themoney raisedduring thepreviousfiscal year.With the expert as-sistanceofWilliamH.Thies, chiefmed-ical and scientific officer of theAlzheimer’s Association, we voted to

fund three new research projects, to-taling $579,413. These bring the totalnumber of NARFE-funded researchprojects to 56 since 1985. The threenew grants are described below.Angela Kamer, Ph.D., of New York

University, plans to study whether per-iodontal inflammation exacerbatescognitive andneurological pathologieslinkedwithdementia. Results fromthiswork may help to identify biomarkersthat underlie the association betweenperipheral inflammation andAlzheimer’s development.Michael Agadjanyan, Ph.D., D.Sc., of

the Institute for Molecular Medicine,Huntington Beach, CA,will be lookinginto whether the immune system cangenerate specific antibodies againstbeta-amyloid and generate a strongerimmune response in the individualthan those generated by conventionalvaccines. Results from this workcould shed light on how the immunesystem responds to this new type ofvaccine and how well the vaccine pro-tects against Alzheimer’s-like changes

in the brains of mice.Kalipada Pahan, Ph.D., of Rush Uni-

versity Medical Center, Chicago, IL,willbe looking at whether sodium ben-zoate protects nerve cells in the brainsof animals that have been geneticallymodified tohaveAlzheimer’s-likebraindegeneration. Results from this workwill helpdetermine if sodiumbenzoateor similar chemicals should be furtherstudied as potential treatments to pre-vent or slow Alzheimer’s disease.

For those who may not know,NARFE-funded researchhas resulted ina number of significant findings, and100 percent of your donations go toAlzheimer’s research. If you would liketo make a donation, please use thecouponbelow.Youalso candonate on-line by going to the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation’s website, which features a se-cure link to the NARFE page, atwww.alz.org/narfe.

Jane Rodgers is chair of the NARFE-Alzheimer’s National Committee.Email: [email protected].

Alzheimer’sUpdate

New NARFE-Funded ResearchBy Jane Rodgers

Your charitable contribution is tax-deductible tothe fullest extent allowed by law.Write yourchapter number on check; make it payable to:

NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research and mail to:Alzheimer’s Association

225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th FloorChicago, IL 60601-7633

SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH

Enclosed is my NARFE-Alzheimer’s contribution: $ ___________.Every cent that is contributed is used for research.Please circle: Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms.

Name _______________________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ State _________ ZIP______________

Chapter number _______________________

NARFE members contributedfor Alzheimer’s research:

$10 Million Fund

$9,927,710**Total as of September 30, 2012

100% of all contributed fundsgo to Alzheimer’s research.

If you have any qquueessttiioonnss,, write to:National Committee Chairman Jane Rodgers, P.O. Box 234Wadesville, IN 47638-0234Email: [email protected]

Credit Card Information: � Visa � MasterCard �Discover � AMEX

Card Number: __________________________________________________________

Expiration Date:________(mm)/_________(yy) 3-Digit Security Code: _________

Name on Card: (print) ___________________________________________________

Signature:_________________________________________ Date: _______________

*Price per person, based on double occupancy. Airfare is extra.

For reservations & details call 7 days a week:1-800-736-7300

13 Days Join other NARFE members departing July 26, 2013 from $2298*

Elegant Danube River CruiseAlpine Beauty &

Bohemian Highlights

Start in Munich, Germany for one-night. Then travel to Schwangau and a guided tour of the famous Neuschwanstein (Disneyland) Castle and Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, an enchanting, fully preserved medieval town for an overnight stay. The following day you will leave for the Czech Republic stopping in Plzen, where Pilsner beer was created; followed by Bohemia and Prague, where you will see Charles Bridge. The next day travel to Passau and spend the day sightseeing before you embark on the 4-star TUI Melodia. Your cruise includes the Danube’s highlights including Melk and Vienna, Austria (the classical city of music); Esztergom and Budapest Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Linz, Austria; before returning to Passau. Travel back to Munich with additional sightseeing and included traditional Bavarian dinner, before � ying home. Your “brand new” ship the TUI Melodia, constructed in 2011, o� ers a state-of-the-art, experience! *Add $300 per person for September 2nd departure date. Plus $250 per person for French Balcony.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Join other NARFE members departing April 22 or

September 2, 201314 Days from $2398*

Plus...West Coast Train Tour & San Francisco

Your vacation begins in Seattle where you will board the NCL Jewel for a seven night Alaska cruise through the scenic Inside Passage. Visit Ketchikan, “The Salmon Capital of the World;” Juneau, the capital of Alaska; Sawyer Glacier, with incredible colors; Skagway, where the Gold Rush began; and Victoria, BC, Canada’s Garden City on Vancouver Island. Disembark in Seattle and enjoy a city tour with all the highlights, including Pikes Place Market and the space needle. The next day board the Amtrak Coast Starlight train to San Francisco. Travel by day through Washington and Oregon’s spectacular scenic vistas. Relax in your Amtrak sleeper-roomette at night (includes VIP lounge). Arrive in Napa and visit two of the area’s premier wineries. Then spend two nights in San Francisco (stay near Fisherman’s Wharf ) with a city tour including the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39 and Union Square.

Rocky Mountains & Western FrontiersPlus...Yellowstone National Park

Your tour begins and ends in the “Mile High City” of Denver, followed by Cheyenne, WY. The next two days you will visit Fort Laramie; Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Then return to Wyoming with a stop in Deadwood, continuing through the Black Hills to Little Big Horn Battle� eld and the Bu� alo Bill Historical Center. Then you will depart for Yellowstone National Park (two days) with extensive sightseeing, including Old Faithful and Hayden Valley. Your journey continues to Grand Tetons National Park with spectacular landscape; Jackson Hole, WY; Salt Lake City, UT with a city tour including the Great Salt Lake and opportunity to witness the Tabernacle choir rehersal. Then travel West visiting the Utah Field House Museum; Dinosaur National Monument and explore the vast variety of fossils and Rocky Mountain National Park including a drive through the park on Trail Ridge Road.

14 Days

Alaska Cruise

Travel with other NARFE members departing July 17, 2013 from $1658*


MAXIMIZINGTSPCONTRIBUTIONS

QUESTION: My wife is under theFederal Employees RetirementSystem andwill be eligible for retire-ment in2013. Sheplans toretire in themiddle of the year.She is consideringcontributing the maximum amountto her Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) ac-count before she retires.She does nothave a RothTSP account.What doyou think?Response: Thefirst thing that youneedto determine is howmuchmoney willbe withheld from her salary until sheretires and whether you are able tomeet your bills if you contribute themaximum amount.

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC)places a number of specific limits on

the dollar amount of contributionsyou canmake to the TSP. These limitscan change annually and are generallyreferred to as the “IRS limits” becausethe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is re-sponsible for calculating them eachyear. The IRC elective deferral limit isthe maximum amount of employeecontributions that can be contributedin a calendar year. For 2012, you couldcontribute up to $17,000.

The IRCalso allows employees overage 50 to contribute an additionalamount to the fund. The IRC “catch-up” contribution limit for calendar year2012 is $5,500. This is separate fromthe elective deferral limit imposed onregular employee contributions.

You already know that the moneyyou contribute to her account is tax-deferred money because it is not aRoth TSP account. Therefore, you willhave less tax to pay onher earnings for2013. This would be es-pecially helpful if shehas a lot of annualleave. She will bepaid a lump-sumamount for her leaveafter she retires. Hersalary plus the lump-sumpayment for the annual leave aretaxable income.

If she were planning to workthe entire year, be sure that the contri-butions do not cause her to reach theIRC elective deferral limit before theend of the calendar year. If she does,she could lose out onmatching contri-butions.

TRANSFERRINGMONEYINTOROTHTSP

QUESTION:In the July 2012 issue ofNARFEmagazine,you indicated that itis possible to get money into a RothThrift Savings Plan account by trans-ferring Rothmoney directly from eli-

gible plans: Roth 401(k),Roth 403(b)or Roth 457(b). Is it also possible totransfer money from my voluntarycontributionsaccount?Would thatbean eligible account? I am under theCivil Service Retirement System andhave made periodic after-tax contri-butions to thataccountover theyears.Upon retirement,I understand that Ican transfer thatmoneydirectly intoaRoth IRA, but I would prefer totransfer it into a RothTSP account in-stead. Is this possible?Response: The Treasury Departmentregulations stipulate that only contri-butions originally designated as Rothcan be transferred into a Roth TSP bal-ance. Althoughvoluntary contributionswould have been made with after-taxmoney, they were not designated asRoth. Therefore, the TSP cannot acceptthem.

EMPLOYEEWANTSTOSUSPEND FEHBPQUESTION: I am an ac-tive federal employee.Can I suspendmy Fed-eral EmployeesHealthBenefitsPro-gram (FEHBP)coverage to useCHAMPVA ,

TRICARE or TRICARE For Life?Arethere things I should consider beforedoing so?Response: Active federal employeescannot suspend their FEHBP coverage.However, they can cancel their cov-erage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE orTRICARE For Life. Employees who donot participate in premium conversionmay cancel their enrollment at anytime. For employees who participate inpremium conversion, eligibility forCHAMPVA or TRICARE is not a “quali-fying life event” that would allow themto cancel their FEHBP enrollment.

NOTE: The following Questions &Answers were compiled by FederalBenefits Service Department staff.These are real questions received bythe Department, based on themembers’ personal circumstances.

The answers are not universaland may include information that isrelevant to the correspondent’s par-ticular situation.NARFE does notprovide legal advice or assistance,does not provide financial planningadvice or assistance, and does notprovide tax advice or assistance.

For legal, financial planning ortax advice/assistance,NARFErecommends that members contactan attorney, financial planner orcertified public accountant/taxadviser.

Questions &Answers

QA&ACTIVEEMPLOYEES

We’ve got the

Answers!The 4th Edition of NARFE’sQuestions & Answers bookis available now.It’s all here: Answers to your questions aboutgeneral retirement issues and topics such as:

• Annuity Computations• Court-Ordered Benefits• Disability Benefits/Compensation• Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance• FERS Annuity Supplement• Health Benefits• Long-Term Care• Medicare• Re-Employment• Social Security• Survivor Benefits• Taxes• Thrift Savings Plan• And more …

All taken from the pages of NARFE magazine. And all written expressly for federal annuitants andemployees. Plus a Bonus Section containing reprints of key articles from NARFE magazine!

Order your copy of the new Questions & Answers today!

Name __________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

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Member ID# (As it appears on NARFE magazine label) ________________________

� Charge to my credit card � MasterCard � Visa � Discover � AMEX

Card # _________________________________________________________________

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NARFE members can order online at www.narfe.org, orClip and mail the coupon to: NARFE Q&A Book, 606 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

These employees may cancel duringany annual Federal Benefits OpenSeason.

If an employeewho cancels FEHBPcoverage to useCHAMPVA, TRICAREor TRICARE For Life decides to returnto FEHBP coverage, the employee cando so during a future Open Season. Ifthe employee loses CHAMPVA, TRI-CARE or TRICARE For Life coverageinvoluntarily, the employee can imme-diately re-enroll in the FEHBP.

There are a few things an employeeshould consider before cancelingFEHBP coverage. First, to be eligible tocontinue FEHBP coverage after retire-ment, a retiring employeemust be en-rolled or coveredunder the FEHBP forthe five years of service immediatelybefore retirement, or, if less than fiveyears, for all service since the first op-portunity to enroll. Employees cancount their coverage under TRICAREtoward meeting this requirement.However, the employee must be en-rolled in an FEHBP health plan on thedate of retirement to continue cov-erage.

COLA FOR FERSRETIREEQUESTION:I am age 57 and retiredunder the Federal Employees Retire-ment System (FERS). I understandthat FERS retirees do not start re-ceiving cost-of-living adjustments(COLAs) to their annuities until age62.Is this correct?Response: Yes. You will be eligible for a

COLA at age 62.At that time, youwill have been re-

tired long enough to get the full COLAallowedunder the FERS laws andnot aprorated one. The full COLA for FERSretirees is a full one if the COLA is 2percent or less; a 2 percent increase ifthe COLA is between 2 percent and 3percent; 1 percent less than the fullCOLA if it is above 3 percent.

SUSPENDING FEHBPFOR CHAMPVA

QUESTION:I am currently enrolledin a Kaiser Permanente family plan.Because I amadisabledveteran,I nowreceivemedical care through theDe-partment of Veterans Affairs (VA).Howdo I suspendmy coverage underthe Federal Employees Health Bene-fits Program (FEHBP)?Response: If you have coverage underCHAMPVA, the law allows only retireesto suspend their FEHBP coverage be-cause of coverage under the VA. If, at alater time, you want to re-enroll, youmay do so.

To suspend your FEHBP coverage,you must complete form RI 79-9,“Health Benefits Cancellation/Suspension Confirmation,” which isavailable on the Office of PersonnelManagement (OPM) website,www.opm.gov. Click on “Find Forms”on the right of the OPM Home Page.Then, on the next page, click on “Re-tirement and Insurance Forms.”

Make sure you check block D andsign the form, and return it to the ad-dress listed at the topof the form, alongwith the documentation required.


Questions &Answers

NARFE SERVICE OFFICERS are available to answer questions and to assist inhelping with a variety of benefit matters.Check your chapter newsletter for thename and phone number of your service officer.Call NARFE toll-free at

800-456-8410for the nearest service officer.NARFE Service Centers are also available in someareas.Use the Service Center listings on the NARFE website,www.narfe.org.

RETIREES

PROBLEM WITHSUSPENDING FEHBP

QUESTION: Aftermy recent retire-ment, I completed the form to sus-pend my Federal Employees HealthBenefits Program (FEHBP) enroll-ment because of my coverage underTRICARE.Iwas told that theeffectivedate would be October. As it turnsout,the Office of Personnel Manage-ment (OPM) suspended my enroll-ment in July, and my health plan hassentme bills seeking reimbursementfor the treatment they provided aftermy enrollmentwas suspended.Whatcan be done?Response. That’s an unfortunate situa-tion. Youmight try calling or writing tothe office at OPM that is handling yourcase and, after explaining to themyoursituation, ask them to change the effec-tive date of your suspension to a morecurrent one.

FEHBPRATESNOTHELDDOWN

QUESTION: How can NARFE bethankful to the Office of PersonnelManagement (OPM) forholdingdownthe Federal Employees Health Bene-fitsProgramrates? If apersonwere toread what NARFE has been puttingout the last few weeks, one wouldthinkthata3.4percent increasewas intheworks (and,of course,some lowerand some higher). Please take a lookat all of the health maintenance or-ganizations (HMOs) forCalifornia.MyKaiser plan (Code 594) went from$151 to $199 permonth,a 32 percentincrease.Why is NARFE not up inarms over this increase?Response: The 3.4 percent increase isthe average increase for 2013. Everyyear, OPM negotiates contracts withall of the plans in the FEHBP, such asKaiser, to set benefits and premiumsfor the next year. These negotiations


are private and, by law, exclusive toOPM. NARFE cannot join in them. Thepremiums negotiated are based on aset formula. Under the FEHBP regula-tions, HMO plans, such as Kaiser Per-manente, are required to provide ben-efits at the best price to the FEHBPthat they do to other employer groupsclose in size to the federal group pro-gram. In addition, the law limits alllarge group insurance plans to using atleast 80 percent of the premiums theycollect to cover claims and improvethe benefits they offer.

NARFE’s role in all of this is to en-sure that neither Congress nor the ad-ministration reduces or eliminatesyour earned health insurance bene-fits. NARFE is primarily a lobbying or-ganization, and we have fought thebattles in the halls of Congress to en-sure federal employees and retireescontinue to have their health benefitsand that the share of the total pre-miums between the government’sportion and the employee’s portion isfair. We continue to press the admin-istration to allow the FEHBP to re-ceive the same subsidy provided toother employer-sponsored health in-surance providers under theMedicare Modernization Act of 2003for prescription drug coverage equalto or better than the Medicare Part Dcoverage. The $1 billion subsidywould help keep your future pre-miums down.

With Congress and the administra-tion both eyeing a reduction in federalbenefits to help pay down the nationaldebt and reduce the deficit, our effortsare never-ending.

COVERAGE LIMITS UNDERFEHBP/MEDICARE

QUESTION: I have aBlueCross/BlueShield (BC/BS) Standard option planunder the Federal Employees Health


Over the years, technology has made the way we live easier, safer and moreconvenient. In many cases, it’s evenmade many products more affordable…(remember how much the first VCR usedto cost?). Unfortunately, the cost of hearingaids never seemed to come down. Now, anew alternative has been invented… it’scalled Perfect Choice HD™.

Perfect Choice HD is NOT a hearingaid. Hearing aids can only be sold byan audiologist or a licensed hearinginstrument specialist. In order to get ahearing aid, you had to go to the doctor’soffice for a battery of tests and numerousfitting appointments. Once they had youtested and fitted, you would have to pay as

much as $5000 for the product. Now,thanks to the efforts of the doctor wholeads a renowned hearing institute, thereis Perfect Choice HD. It’s designed toaccurately amplify sounds and deliver themto your ear. Because we’ve developed anefficient production process, we can make agreat product at an affordable price. The

unit has been designed to have an easilyaccessible battery, but it is small andlightweight enough to hide behind yourear… only you’ll know you have it on. It’scomfortable and won’t make you feel likeyou have something stuck in your ear. Itprovides high quality audio so soundsand conversations will be easier to hearand understand.

Try it for yourself with our exclusive hometrial. Some people need hearing aids butmany just need the extra boost in volumethat a PSAP gives them. We want you to behappy with Perfect Choice HD, so we areoffering to let you try it for yourself. If youare not totally satisfied with this product,simply return it within 60 days for arefund of the full product purchase price.Don’t wait… don’t miss out on anotherconversation… call now!

Perfect Choice HD is not a hearing aid. If you believe you need a hearing aid, please consult a physician.

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Questions &Answers

Benefits Program (FEHBP) andMedicare PartsA and B. Is there anylimit on the total payout for physicaltherapy?Response: The 2012 BC/BS planbrochure states that under the Standardoption, “benefits forphysical therapy, oc-cupational therapy and speech therapyare limited to75visits perpersonper cal-endar year.”We did not see any changesto these benefits in the 2013 brochure(seep. 38 forNARFE’s annual analysis ofFEHBP plan changes for 2013).

With regard to Medicare, here iswhat the Medicare and You bookletfrom the Centers forMedicare &Med-icaid Services says about physicaltherapy: “Medicare covers evaluationand treatment for injuries anddiseasesthat change your ability to functionwhen your doctor or other health careprovider certifies your need for it.There may be a limit on the amountMedicare will pay for these services ina single year, and theremay be certainexceptions to these limits. You pay 20percent of the Medicare-approvedamount, and the Part B deductibleapplies.” (You can order or downloadthis publication by going towww.medicare.gov and clicking on“Publications” under “Take Action” atthe bottom of the page.)

As you can see, there is a qualifierthat suggests Medicare may have alimit. We suggest that you contact thedoctor or physical therapist to findoutwhat they know about the limits onthis benefit underMedicare.

To obtain an answer to a federalbenefits question, call 703-838-7760and ask for the Federal BenefitsService Department; send yourquestion by postal mail to NARFEHeadquarters, ATTN: FederalBenefits; or submit it by email [email protected].


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What will you do in case of anemergency? If you have Lifeline, allyou do is push a button, and you can getthe help you need, quickly and reliably.That’s because it has been “designed for seniors” by the industry leader inproviding helpful and affordable solutionsfor millions of aging Americans.

First of all, it’s simple to install anduse. Unlike other products that requireprofessional installation, this product is“plug and play.” The unit is designed foreasy use in an emergency, with large,easy-to-identify buttons.

It’s reliable. From the waterproofpendant to the sophisticated base unitto the state-of-the-art 24/7 call center,the entire system is designed to giveyou the peace of mind in knowing youare never alone in an emergency. Youget two-way communication with a liveperson in Philips Lifeline state-of-the-art

Emergency Response Center, andthere’s a battery backup in case of apower failure.

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*Three visits for fitting, programming or adjustment of the hearing aids are included. Price shown does not include discounted comprehensive hearing exam of $75 (which is covered by the Service Benefit Plan; the Insured may need to submit for reimbursement), or applicable state and local taxes. Service Benefit Plan members get the TruHearing MemberPlus membership fee waived through December 15, 2013. Regular yearly cost for the TruHearing MemberPlus membership is $108. Must be a Service Benefit Plan member to access TruHearing MemberPlus discounted pricing.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

§ The Service Benefit Plan will pay up to $1,250 per ear in a 36-month period, up to a maximum of $2,500 per pair purchased (2012 benefit).The BCBS FEP Blue365®

Discount Program 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, acupuncture, chiropractic and vision services, you must exhaust your Service Benefit Plan benefits first. To find out what is covered under your policy, contact the Service Benefit Plan. The products and services described herein are neither offered

n

Appointments Must Be Scheduled Through TruHearing. MemberPlus Membership fee waived (

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T

COST EXAMPLE : PHONAK S SMART III (RETAIL PRICE $4,050 PER PAIR)

$2,190 $2,190 $MemberPlus Price/Pair FEP Benefit (up to $2,500§)

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, BCBSA, nor 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.

(a $108 value) through 12/31/2013.

First, become a Service Benefit Plan member. Then, to take advantage of these savings enroll in TruHearing’s MemberPlus program for free online at TruHearing.com/enroll and use group number HP2R-A365. Then call (877) 360-2432 M-F, 8am - 8pm Central to schedule your hearing appointment. TruHearing is an independent company providing discounts on hearing aids.

H TO BLUEGREENING AIDS.$0 $10 shipping & handling /PAIR*$10

This is the last of a three-part series.

The 2012 Federal Bene-fits Open Season forFederal EmployeesHealth Benefits Pro-gram (FEHBP) enroll-

ment changes ends Monday, De-cember 10, 2012. You should receivethis issue of NARFE magazine in lateNovember, so there’s still time to re-view health plans and make an in-formed decision.

Thismonth’sOpenSeasonReport in-cludes details about plan changes in sixopen-to-all, fee-for-service plans for2013. It alsoprovides thesamepremiumcharts thatwere included inNovember’sOpen Season Report. Open Seasonchanges made by federal retirees andsurvivorannuitants areeffective January1, 2013, and the premium changes willbe effective in the February 1, 2013, an-nuity payments. Open Season changesfor federal employees are effective at thebeginning of the first pay period afterJanuary 1, 2013.

If you are a federal employee andnot presently enrolled in the FEHBP,you may enroll during Open Season ifyou are not otherwise excluded fromcoverage because of the nature of yourappointment. If you are an annuitantand are not presently covered by theFEHBP as an enrollee or a familymember, you cannot enroll in theFEHBP during Open Season, except ifyou suspended your FEHBP enroll-ment in favor of coverage under TRI-CARE, TRICARE For Life, a MedicareAdvantage HMO plan, CHAMPVA,Medicaid or as a Peace Corps volunteer.

MEDICARE SUBOPTIONPILOT PROGRAM STATUS

For 2013, the Mail Handlers Benefit

Plan (MHBP) will again offer Medicareenrollees incentives throughsubsidizingthe enrollee’s Medicare Part B premium.Retirees enrolled inMHBPStandardop-tion who are already covered byMedicarePartAandwhoareeither cov-ered or were eligible to be covered byMedicare Part B sometime in 2012 cansign up for the suboption. The subop-tion pilot features a Medicare Part B pre-mium pass-through. For each month aperson is enrolled in the program, withMedicare Parts A and B as the primarycoverage, MHBP will contribute anamount equal to the regular 2013Medicare Part B monthly premium or$125, whichever is less. MHBP will notwaive its deductibles, co-payments orcoinsurance forparticipants. Seep. 89ofthe MHBP 2013 brochure for all of thedetails.

2013 brochures for all of the FEHBPplans can be viewed and downloadedto your computer by going towww.opm.gov/insure.

2013 PREMIUMSThe overall weighted average total

premium increase for nonpostal em-ployeesandall annuitants in theFEHBPfor 2013, based on all of the enrollees inall of the plans, is 3.4 percent. For postalemployees, it is 3.8 percent.

The 3.4 percent figure is not anacross-the-board increase per plan. It isthe weighted average increase for thetotal premium (government and em-ployee shares) for all of the enrollees inall of the plans in the FEHBP. Thismeans that some plans’ premiums de-creased, some did not change at all, andsome increased. Fee-for-service plans’totalpremiumswill riseanaverageof3.2percent,while localhealthmaintenanceorganization (HMO) plans’ premiums

will increase an average of 6.7 percent.Federal employees with self-only

coverage will pay, on average, $2.33more per two-week pay period, whilethose with family coverage will see anaverage increase of $6.18. Enrollees inthe Blue Cross/Blue Shield Standardoption – the most popular enrollment– will see their premiums increase.4 percent for self-only coverage and.8 percent for family in 2013.

ThereareHMOswhereenrolleeswillsee very large increases in their share ofthe premium. If you are currently en-rolled in one of the Aetna Open Accessplans or one of the Health Net plans,look at your premiums for next year.Thesehavedouble-digit increases in theenrollee share of the premiums. For ex-ample, the monthly enrollee share ofpremiums in the Aetna Open Access ofDelaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvaniafamilyplanwill be$1,688.74, an increaseof $110.13. The enrollee premium forThe Health Plan of the Upper OhioValley family coverage will nearlydouble for 2013, with an increase of$225.68 per month.

On the other end of the spectrum,monthlypremiums forGHIHMOSelectof New York (enrollment Codes X41,X42, 6V1 and 6V2) will, for the secondyear in a row, decrease substantially; inthe case of 6V2, by a whopping $711.64from 2012. New Mexico’s LovelaceHealth Plan is another whose enrollee’sshare of premiums will drop substan-tially in 2013.

But even if your particular plan’s pre-miums are not rising by much, makesure you read the brochure – particu-larly Section 2, “How We Change for2013.” This will reveal which, if any, out-of-pocket expenses, suchas co-paysandcoinsurance,have increased.Also,when


FEHBPPlanChangesPPEENN SSEEAASSOONN RREEPPOORRTT


PEN SEASON REPORTreading the brochure, note which costsare not included in meeting the plan’syearly deductible. These out-of-pocketexpenses can really add up.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITSAND COVERAGE

One of the provisions of the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act(health care reform law) requires grouphealth plans to provide a summary ofthe plan’s benefits and coverage. TheSummary of Benefits and Coverage(SBC) will have easy-to-understand in-formation about out-of-pocket costs,coverage and the rights of enrollees.Each plan is responsible for informingits enrollees about where to find its SBCon its website, as well as how to obtaina paper copy of its SBC. All planbrochures have a small design changefor 2013. On the cover of eachbrochure, there is an information boxthat provides the page numbers to findthe new premium rates, the plan’schanges for the new year and the SBC.

PLANS’ STATUSFEHBP participants will be able to

select from 230 health plan choices.There are 14 fee-for-service options (11open to all), including two high-de-ductible health plan (HDHP) optionsand one consumer-driven health plan(CDHP) option.

Five insurance plans will join theFEHBP in 2013:

• Anthem Blue Cross Select HMO ofCalifornia in Southern California

• Calvo’s Select Care in Guam,Northern Marianna Islands and Palau

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois inthe Chicago area

• Humana Health of Ohio in parts ofOhio, Indiana and Kentucky

• Aetna Whole Health in parts of Illi-nois, Michigan, Texas, Virginia and Wis-consin.

Only one plan will leave the FEHBPin 2013: HMO Health Ohio, Codes L41and L42.

Neither Alaska nor South Carolinawill have HMO plans available for2013. However, the Aetna Health Fund,a consumer-driven high deductibleplan, will be available in both states for2013.

The following plans will remain inthe FEHBP but will reduce their serviceareas:

• Aetna Open Accesswill drop servicein Illinois (Chicago area and NorthernIllinois area) and Indiana, Codes IK1and IK2

• Health America Pennsylvania (bothHMO and HDHP) will drop service inthe Central Pennsylvania area, CodesSW1 and SW2

• M.D. IPA will drop service in theCentral Virginia and Richmond areas.

Enrollees in the plan codes beingdropped who do not change healthplans during Open Season will have totravel to their plan’s remaining serviceareas for medical care in order to obtainfull benefits from the plan in 2013.

TERMINATION NOTICEEnrollees will know of their plan’s

termination from two sources. First, apre-Open Season Letter for all agencybenefits officers is produced. It in-cludes details about Open Season, in-cluding the names of plans leaving theFEHBP.

Second, all terminating plans are re-quired to mail a notice to their mem-bers advising them of their decision towithdraw from the program.

Because of the transitional care pro-vision in the Patients’ Bill of Rights, en-rollees with chronic or disabling condi-tions, or in the second or third trimesterof pregnancy, may be able to continueseeing their specialists even after theplan’s termination date.

Plans generally decide to withdrawbased on an assessment of enrollment,use and premium. However, OPM caninitiate a termination if it determinesthat a plan is no longer able to meet itscontractual obligations to the FEHBP.

DENTAL AND VISIONBENEFITS

Open Season enrollment for the Fed-eral Employees Dental and Vision Insur-ance Program (FEDVIP) will coincidewith the FEHBP 2012 Open Season for2013 health plan changes and the Flex-ible Spending Accounts (FSA) OpenSeason for current employees. (Under In-ternal Revenue Service rules, retireescannot participate in the federal govern-ment’s FSA program.)

Eligible parties will be able to choosebenefits that cover dental care, visioncare or both. In addition, the coverage(s)can be elected for the enrollee only, theenrollee plus one other person, or theenrollee and his or her family.

Anyone who retired on an imme-diate annuity, including an employeewho retired under the Federal Em-ployees Retirement System (FERS) min-imum retirement age (MRA) + 10 pro-visions of the retirement law and hadattained his or her MRA prior to sepa-ration for retirement, is eligible forFEDVIP. In addition, survivors who re-ceive immediate annuities as a result ofthe death of a retiree described in theprevious sentence also are eligible.

MEDICARE PART D ANDFEHBP

The Medicare Part D prescriptiondrug benefit is generally geared topeople who do not have any employer-provided or union-provided prescriptiondrug coverage. Anyone covered underthe FEHBP has what is known as “cred-itable prescription drug coverage.” Thismeans that the FEHBP prescription

drug coverage is at least as good as, if notbetter than, the Part D coverage. Thisalso means that if a person with FEHBPcoverage turns down Part D when he orshe is first eligible to enroll but signs upat some point in the future, he or shewill not be required to pay a penalty forlate enrollment in Part D.

The FEHBP plan brochures containstatements certifying the creditabilityof each individual plan’s drug coveragefor Part D late-enrollment purposes.These statements will be found at thebeginning of each plan’s brochure, im-mediately before the table of contents,and will be headed “Important NoticeFrom (Plan’s Name) About Our Pre-scription Drug Coverage andMedicare.”

Part D requires a monthly premiumin addition to the Medicare Part B pre-mium. (The basic Medicare Part B pre-mium is $99.90 per month in 2012.)Part D premiums vary from plan toplan, but the estimated averagemonthly basic premium for 2012 is$30. Some may pay a higher monthlypremium based on their income. For2013, the Part D enrollee will have topay up to the first $325 in prescriptiondrug costs, the Part D deductibleamount. Some Part D enrollees willnot be required to pay the $325 de-ductible.

In addition, Part D enrollees will payco-pay costs until the combinedamount paid by both the enrollee andthe Part D plan reaches $2,970. Afterthat, the coverage gap – the so-calleddonut hole – kicks in, and the enrolleepays 79 percent of the cost of genericprescriptions and 47.5 percent (after dis-count) of the cost for brand name pre-scriptions until they reach $4,750. Afterthat threshold is met, Part D enrolleeswill only have to pay a small co-pay orcoinsurance for the rest of the calendaryear.

If Medicare is a person’s primary in-surer, FEHBP plans will coordinate pre-scription drug payments with theMedicare Part D carrier.

Under your FEHBP coverage, yousimply pay co-payments and/or coin-surance for your prescription drugs, sothe vast majority will not needMedicare Part D.

FEE-FOR-SERVICE CHANGESThis portion of the report addresses

the principal changes of six fee-for-service plans available to all employeesand annuitants. (There are four fee-for-service plans open only to specificgroups.) Space limitations precludelisting all changes for all plans.

When reviewing each plan’schanges, take special note of an-nounced changes in preferredprovider organizations (PPOs). If youlive in a state where your plan ischanging its PPO network, you needto contact the plan and ask for a newPPO directory for 2013 to assure thatyour doctors, hospitals, etc., will be inthe new PPO network. Otherwise, youmay wish to change plans duringOpen Season.

Because there are more than 200FEHBP HMOs, it is not possible to listtheir changes in this report. OPM pub-lishes the Guide to Federal Benefits: ForFederal Retirees and Their Survivors(RI 70-9) and a similar one for currentfederal employees (RI 70-1), which pro-vide premium and out-of-pocket ex-pense data on all of the plans in theFEHBP. You can access those guidesthrough www.opm.gov/insure.

When deciding on a plan, be sure toreview your current plan’s 2013brochure, as well as the brochures forother plans you are considering. Youcan view brochures for each plan bygoing to www.opm.gov/insure. Everybrochure is formatted in the same way

with sections on topics such as “HowOur Plan Has Changed,” “Your Costsfor Covered Services,” “CoordinatingBenefits With Other Coverage,” etc.

For 2013, the cover of each planbrochure has an information box listingthe page where the changes to the planare listed. Once you have identifiedthose plans in which you have an in-terest, use the charts on pp. 42-43 to doa comparison of premiums. This willhelp in your decision making.

PROGRAMWIDE CHANGESAll plans have expanded Section 3 of

their brochures under “How You Re-ceive Benefits” to conform with the2010 health care law, the Patient Pro-tection and Affordable Care Act.

Kentucky has been dropped fromand South Carolina added to the list ofstates designated as medically under-served in 2013. The entire list is: Ala-bama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois,Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Mon-tana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Okla-homa, South Carolina, South Dakotaand Wyoming. In these states, fee-for-service plans reimburse any licensedmedical practitioner for all coveredservices within the scope of that li-cense, even if they wouldn’t normallycover them in states not designated asmedically underserved.

All plans have removed annuallimits on essential health benefits as de-scribed in Section 1302 of the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act,and will offer coverage with no costsharing for specific preventative careand screenings for women provided incomprehensive guidelines adopted bythe Health Resources and Services Ad-ministration.

PLAN CHANGESFollowing are major fee-for-service

plans and the changes in their costs


PPEENN SSEEAASSOONN RREEPPOORRTT

Did you know that the APWU Health Plan will work with Medicare to ensure your claims are processed and paid accordingly?

With the APWU Health Plan’s High Option there is no extra paper work for you to fi ll out. Many retirees prefer the APWU Health Plan because of its affordable premium and excellent coverage. You’ve earned the freedom to do what you want and enjoy life to its fullest. The APWU Health Plan’s High Option features a low deductible, low copays, and a comprehensive prescription drug plan.

• NEW 100% coverage for Shingles Vaccine after the age of 60• With Medicare A and B:

For more information please visit:www.apwuhp.comor call:(800) 222-2798

• Automatic claims submission to Medicare for the High Option• No denials for a pre-existing condition• Cancer Centers of Excellence paid at 95%• Excellent Pharmacy Benefi ts with both retail and mail order options• $1500 towards hearing aids

• APWU Health Plan will waive deductible and coinsurance • You are free to choose any doctor you wish without accruing out-of-networks costs

and benefits for 2013, taken from theirbrochures. Because of space limitations,we do not show all of the changes fornext year, and we urge you to obtainthe plans’ brochures and review themcarefully. Note: Postal rates apply to ca-reer employees of the U.S. Postal Service.The Postal Service has a different cost-sharing arrangement than the rest of thefederal government. The postal premiumrates reported below are for CCaatteeggoorryy 22

employees, which covers most career non-American Postal Workers Union, non-Postal Career Executive Service, non-law-enforcement employees and employeescovered by the National Rural LetterCarriers’ Association.

American Postal Workers Union(APWU)

High Option Changes. In 2013,monthly premiums for enrollees in self-

only coverage will increase $5.10 to$132.72 per month. For enrollees infamily coverage, the increase is $11.54 to$300.10 per month. Category 2 postalemployees will pay $45.94 for self-onlycoverage and $103 for family coverageeach pay period.

In 2013, the plan offers a well-woman benefit for preventative serv-ices with no cost sharing; covers yearlyroutine exams; eliminates the precerti-fication requirement for nuclear cardi-ology, but requires preapproval for min-imally invasive treatment of neck andback pain.

Consumer-Driven Health Plan(CDHP) Changes. Next year’s monthlypremiums will increase $5.35 for self-only coverage to $94.58 and $12.05 forfamily coverage to $212.77. Category 2postal employees will pay biweekly pre-miums of $32.74 for self-only and $73.65for family coverage. The plan hasdropped the five-year limitation for sig-moidoscopy and the 10-year limit forcolonoscopy, and changed the min-imum prescription drug cost to $10 forin-network mail order and $15 for in-network retail.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS)Standard Option Changes. Pre-

miums are slightly higher for self-onlycoverage, up $0.72 to $186.14 permonth; and family coverage, up $3.59to $433.63. Category 2 postal em-ployees will see their biweekly pre-miums for self-only coverage increase$5.06 to $70.01; and for family cov-erage, biweekly premiums will go up$12.29 to $164.73.

There are few changes exclusive tothe benefits under the Standard option.Co-payments for preferred urgent careservices will be a flat $40 in 2013, andthose for continuous home hospice carewill increase from $200 to $250 perepisode.

Plan Option

APWUHigh selfHigh familyConsumer-Driven selfConsumer-Driven family

Blue Cross/Blue ShieldStandard selfStandard familyBasic selfBasic family

Foreign Serv. Ben. PlanHigh selfHigh family

GEHAHigh selfHigh familyStandard selfStandard familyHDHP selfHDHP family

Mail HandlersStandard selfStandard familyHDHP selfHDHP familyValue Plan Standard selfValue Plan Standard family

NALCHigh selfHigh family

SAMBAHigh selfHigh familyStandard selfStandard family

Code

471472474475

104105111112

401402

311312314315341342

454455481482414415

321322

441442444445

TotalPremium

$ 530.881,200.40378.32851.09

599.631,354.36511.981,198.82

496.431,223.17

611.001,389.59389.44885.65419.84958.95

622.811,425.32537.621,218.19373.62890.76

574.151,246.77

661.681,558.25526.851,203.26

Gov’tPays

$398.16900.30 283.74638.32

413.49920.73383.99899.12

372.32917.38

413.49920.73292.08664.24314.88719.21

413.49920.73403.22913.64280.22668.07

413.49920.73

413.49920.73395.14902.45

YouPay

$132.72300.1094.58212.77

186.14433.63127.99299.70

124.11305.79

197.51468.8697.36221.41104.96239.74

209.32504.59134.40304.5593.40222.69

160.66326.04

248.19637.52131.71300.81

EnrolleeIncrease/Decrease

$ 5.1011.545.3512.05

.723.596.1114.28

.62-1.55

12.4830.484.6410.555.0011.42

.583.5918.8342.697.6318.20

-1.12-1.56

-11.03-22.97.00-4.69

2013Monthly Premiums –Fee-For-Service




Basic Option Changes. Premiumswill rise $6.11 to $127.99 per month forself-only coverage and $14.28 to$299.70 for family coverage. Category2 postal employees will pay $44.31every two weeks for self-only coverageand $103.74 for family coverage.

For 2013, the Basic plan will decreaseco-payments for outpatient physical, oc-cupational and speech therapy billed bya preferred hospital; decrease co-pay-ments for outpatient cardiac/cognitive/pulmonary rehab billed by apreferred hospital; decrease the co-pay-ments for some outpatient facility serv-ices at a preferred facility; increase co-pays for some outpatient diagnosticstudies and radiology services at amember or nonmember facility; andadd co-payments for diagnostic tests re-lated to accidental injury and performedin settings other than an emergencyroom or urgent care center.

Changes to both Standard and Basicoptions. In 2013, the plan will pay up to$2,500 per year for children’s hearingaids, up to $2,500 every three years foradult hearing aids, and up to $5,000 peryear for bone-anchored hearing aids foradults and children; provide preventa-tive care benefits for HPV screening forfemales once a year; pay for contracep-tive services, drugs and devices in full ifpurchased at a preferred retail or In-ternet pharmacy, or billed by a preferredprovider; and provide benefits up to 30consecutive days of inpatient hospicecare performed at a preferred hospice fa-cility.

Government Employees Health Association (GEHA)

Standard Option Changes. Monthlypremiums for self-only coverage will in-crease $4.64 to $97.36 and $10.55 to$221.41 for family coverage. Category2 postal employees will pay $33.70 forself-only coverage and $76.64 for family

coverage each pay period next year.Co-payments for visits to PPO mentalhealth providers are reduced to $10.

High Option Changes. Monthly pre-miums for self-only coverage will rise$12.48 to $197.51 per month. Highfamily coverage premiums will increase$30.48 to $468.86 per month. Category2 postal employees will pay biweekly

premiums of $75.26 for self-only cov-erage and an increase to $180.99 forfamily coverage.

Changes to Both Standard and HighOptions. The plan will remove the an-nual deductible from the scheduledbenefits for chiropractic visits and X-rays; cover all FDA-approved contracep-tive services with a physician’s prescrip-

Plan Option

M.D. IPAHigh selfHigh family

Kaiser Foundation High selfHigh familyStandard self Standard family

Kaiser FoundationHigh selfHigh familyStandard selfStandard family

Kaiser FoundationHigh selfHigh familyStandard selfStandard family

Aetna Open AccessHigh selfHigh familyBasic selfBasic family

HMSAHigh selfHigh family

Washington GroupHigh selfHigh familyStandard self Standard family

Montana AetnaHDHP selfHDHP family

2013Monthly Premiums –Largest HMOs*Code

JP1JP2

591592594595

E31E32E34E35

621622624625

JN1JN2JN4JN5

871872

541542544545

224225

State

MD,DC,VA

CA

DC

CA

DC,MD,VA

HI

WA

MT

TotalPremium

$ 580.451,338.52

729.991,742.56613.451,435.48

566.301,302.49377.82868.96

518.201,197.69332.06767.50

849.551,902.90535.151,217.02

459.681,023.23

655.501,409.37421.50951.62

415.03908.87

Gov’tPays

$413.49920.73

413.49920.73413.49920.73

413.49920.73283.37651.72

388.65898.27249.05575.63

413.49920.73401.36912.77

344.76767.42

413.49920.73316.13713.72

311.27681.65

YouPay

$166.96417.79

316.50821.83199.96514.75

152.81381.7694.45 217.24

129.55299.4283.01191.87

436.06982.17133.79304.25

114.92255.81

242.01488.64105.37237.90

103.76227.22

EnrolleeIncrease/Decrease

$ 1.175.19

57.06139.6348.01115.22

4.8113.414.7610.95

3.478.032.255.22

98.10221.459.3312.97

-3.55-7.91

45.0297.549.7822.11

9.6421.09

*Based on information provided by the Office of Personnel Management. If your plan is not listed, it simply means that your plan isnot one of the largest.

N. California

Mid-Atlantic

S. California

Health Fund

Health Cooperative


tion with no cost sharing in network;cover routine costs associated with par-ticipation in an approved clinical trial; re-move the annual limit maximum for in-fertility treatment; change from an an-nual maximum per person per year forallergy testing and replace it with lim-iting tests to 100 per person per calendaryear; drop the $250 limit for nutritionalcounseling; and cover breastfeedingsupport, supplies and counseling.

Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP)Standard Option Changes. Monthly

premiums will increase $0.58 to$209.32 for self-only coverage, andfamily coverage will increase $3.59 to$504.59. Category 2 postal employeeswill see their biweekly premiums in-crease $5 to $80.71 for self-only cov-erage and go up $12.29 to $197.48 forfamily coverage.

For next year, MHBP will increasebenefits for services of a non-PPO radi-ologist related to preauthorized outpa-tient diagnostic tests performed in a PPOfacility; add a benefit for flu vaccines;add benefits for well-woman exams; addcoverage for breastfeeding support, sup-plies and counseling; expand coveragefor FDA-approved contraceptive drugsand devices; drop the requirement thatthe calendar-year deductible be met be-fore vision service benefits are available;add preauthorization requirements forurine drug testing, certain oncology andspecialty drugs, and pain managementservices; change the benefit limitationfor inpatient services provided by aChristian Science nursing facility from$30,000 per person per year to 50 daysper year per person; add a 48-hour lim-itation on observation/status servicesprovided in the outpatient departmentof a hospital; and change the benefitlevel for covered medications and sup-plies received from VA, DOD and HHSmedical facilities; reduce the co-pay

amount for visits to a PPO convenientcare clinic; change non-network outpa-tient services related to mental healthand substance abuse treatment benefitsby requiring that the calendar-year de-ductible be met before benefits are avail-able; and decrease the per-prescriptionco-payment for generic prescriptiondrugs obtained from a network phar-macy and the plan’s mail order drug pro-gram.

Value Plan Changes. Enrollees withself-only coverage will see a $7.63 in-crease and pay $93.40 per month; thosewith family coverage will pay $222.69per month, an increase of $18.20. Cate-gory 2 postal workers will see a $6.20 in-crease to $32.33 every two weeks forself-only coverage and pay $77.08 everypay period for family coverage.

The only change for 2013 specific tothe Value Plan is that the co-paymentamounts to a PPO convenient care clinicwill be reduced from $25 per visit to $15.

NALC Health Benefit Plan– NationalLetter Carriers Association

High Option Changes. Enrollees willpay $160.66 per month for self-onlycoverage, a decrease of $1.12, and$326.04 for family coverage, down$1.56. Category 2 postal workers willsee an increase to $58.25 per pay pe-riod for self-only and to $115.07 forfamily coverage.

There are many plan changes for2013. NALC will now cover preventativemedicine counseling for women; vac-cines for adults for hepatitis B andmeasles, mumps and rubella; full cov-erage of colonoscopy screening withpolyp removal once every 10 years forthose age 50 and older; coverage forHPV testing for women age 30 andolder; initial examination of a newbornby a PPO provider will be free; coveragefor alcohol and drug use assessment forchildren ages 11 through 21; coverage

for developmental screening of childrenunder age 3; coverage for develop-mental surveillance and behavioral as-sessment for children age 21 andyounger; hearing screening for childrenages 4-10; hemoglobin or hematocritscreening for children age 12 months;and lead screening tests for children age6 and younger. Under the plan’s pre-scription drug benefits: At its CareSelectnetwork pharmacies, enrollees will pay45 percent of the cost of nonformularybrand name drugs or 30 percent whenMedicare Part B is primary; $43 for up toa 60-day supply or $65 for a 90-daysupply of formulary brand name drugsusing the mail order program; $58 for upto a 60-day supply or $80 for a 90-daysupply of nonformulary brand namedrugs using the mail order program; or,if the enrollee has Medicare Part B, $37for up to a 60-day supply and $55 for a90-day supply purchased through themail order program.

Rural Carrier Benefit PlanPlan Changes. Premiums increased

$6.54 per month to $189.73 for self-onlycoverage and increased $12.32 permonth to $311.37 for family coverage.Enrolled Category 2 postal workers willsee biweekly premiums increase to$71.67 for self-only coverage and in-crease to $108.30 for family coverage.

For 2013, the plan will add coveragefor a weight management programunder its educational classes; increasecoverage for nutritional counseling; de-crease the coinsurance for inpatienthospital services rendered by a non-PPO provider; remove the lifetime limitfor hospice care, and pay 85 percent forPPO services and 70 percent for non-PPO services; lower the co-payment forcovered services at a PPO urgent carecenter; add coverage for foot orthotics;drop the $5,000 maximum for coveredinfertility services; remove the dollar



limit for diabetic education programsand replace it by paying 85 percent ofservices provided by a PPO providerand 75 percent of services by a non-PPO; increase to $1,200 per ear thebenefit for hearing aids; increase cov-erage for augmentative and alternatecommunication devices; requirepreauthorization for certain nonpre-ferred brand medications that havegeneric and/or preferred brand namealternatives; and require members topay the difference in cost between thebrand name and the generic equiva-lent, plus the brand name co-paymentwhen the physician indicates “Dis-pense as Written” on the prescription.

Special Agents Mutual Benefit Association (SAMBA)

High Option Changes.Premiums for

2013 will decrease $11.03 to $248.19for self-only coverage and go down$22.97 to $637.52 per month for familycoverage. Category 2 postal employeeswill pay $98.65 for self-only coverageand $258.83 for family coverage perpay period.

Standard Option Changes. Nextyear, self-only enrollees will see thesame monthly premiums of $131.71for self-only coverage, and family cov-erage enrollments will drop $4.69 to$300.81 per month. Category 2 postalemployees will pay $45.59 per pay pe-riod for self-only and $104.13 forfamily coverage.

In 2013, the plan will apply the cal-endar-year deductible for PPO benefitsfor lab, X-ray and other diagnostictests, and for PPO benefits under out-patient hospital, clinic or ambulatory

surgical center benefits; and pay fullbenefits for covered maternity care.

Both High and Standard OptionChanges. The plan has contracted withCVS Caremark to handle both retailand mail order benefits; added Lab-Corp to its lab program; will providefull coverage for women’s oral contra-ceptive drugs, FDA-approved contra-ceptive devices, sterilization proce-dures and contraceptive educationand counseling; will be using the max-imum non-PPO reimbursable chargeto determine its allowance for non-PPO charges; will cover services of astandby doctor for a Caesarean sec-tion; and waive the office co-pay forannual routine physical and gynecol-ogical visits.

Federal Benefits Service Department

FEDVIP—The Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance ProgramFederal and U.S. Postal Service employees, retirees, and survivor annuitants: You and your eligible family members may not have the dental or vision coverage you need!!

Take advantage of the 2012 Federal Benefi ts Open Season (November 12–December 10) to gain coverage and peace of mind.

Visit www.BENEFEDS.com/OS2012 to:check eligibility requirements research FEDVIP plans and ratesfi nd answers to frequently asked questionsenroll!

Or call 1-877-888-FEDS (1-877-888-3337) TTY 1-877-889-5680

BENEFEDS is the fast, secure, and only way to enroll in FEDVIP.

BEN09006 (0812)

Federal EmployeesDental And Vision Insurance Program

BEN09006 _NARFE_ad.indd 1 8/29/2012 1:24:59 PM


The Federal EmployeesDental and Vision Insur-ance Program (FEDVIP) isa supplemental dental and

vision program authorized by the Fed-eral Employee Dental and Vision Bene-fits Enhancement Act of 2004.

The Office of Personnel Manage-ment (OPM) contracts with 10 insur-ance carriers – seven dental plans andthree vision plans – to provide com-prehensive coverage under the pro-gram. The following information wasprovided by OPM.

Three enrollment types are available:• Self-Only: A self-only enrollment

covers only the enrolled employee orannuitant.

• Self Plus One: A self-plus-one en-rollment covers the enrolled employeeor annuitant, plus one eligible familymember.

* Self and Family:A self-and-familyenrollment covers the enrolled em-ployee or annuitant and all eligible

family members.Federal and U.S. Postal Service em-

ployees are eligible to enroll in FEDVIPif they are eligible for the Federal Em-ployees Health Benefits Program(FEHBP). Annuitants (regardless ofFEHBP status) are eligible for FEDVIP.

VISION SERVICESVision plans provide comprehen-

sive eye examinations and coveragefor lenses, frames and contact lenses(in lieu of eyeglasses).

There are no deductibles orwaiting periods. Other benefits, suchas discounts on LASIK surgery, alsomay be available.

VISION PLANSAll nationwide plans include inter-

national coverage.FEP Blue Vision

FEP Blue Vision is offering an in-sured vision plan that is underwrittenby the local Blue Cross/Blue Shield

plans but will be administered byDavis Vision.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield As-sociation (BCBSA) will contract withDavis Vision, a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Highmark, Inc. (a licensee ofBCBSA and a participating plan for FEPBlue Vision) to administer its offeringunder the program. Davis Vision, Inc.is one of the nation’s leading managedvision and eye-care providers, andpresently serves more than 10,000client groups covering nearly 35 mil-lion beneficiaries.

• FEP Blue Vision offers flat-rate re-imbursement in areas without ade-quate access.

• Low-vision services are offered,and members can receive discounts onlaser vision correction.

• Offers an unconditional breakagewarranty to repair or replace any planframe or lens(es) for a period of oneyear from the date of delivery.

• Coverage for elective contact


FEDVIP Nationwide Vision RatesBIWEEKLY PREMIUM MONTHLY PREMIUM

Plan Name Telephone Plan Self- Self Self Self- Self Self& Website Option Only Plus One and Family Only Plus One and Family

FEP BlueVision 888-550-2583 Standard $3.69 $7.36 $11.05 $8.00 $15.95 $23.94fepblue.org

High $4.67 $9.33 $14.01 $10.12 $20.22 $30.36

UnitedHealthcare 866-249-1999 Standard $2.92 $5.69 $8.47 $6.33 $12.34 $18.35Vision Plan TTY: 800-524-3157

myuhcvision.com/fedvip High $4.15 $8.08 $12.04 $8.99 $17.51 $26.08

VSP (Vision 800-807-0764 Standard $3.67 $7.31 $10.98 $7.94 $15.84 $23.78Service Plan) choosevsp.com

High $6.38 $12.76 $19.14 $13.83 $27.64 $41.47

Dental/Vision Program

PEN SEASON REPORT


lenses and medically necessary contactlenses is offered.

• FEP Blue Vision’s High option pro-vides out-of-network benefits basedon a fee schedule.

• There are no out-of-network ben-efits under FEP Blue Vision’s Standardoption.UnitedHealthcare Vision Plan

UnitedHealthcare Vision is offeringan insured vision plan. UnitedHealth-care Vision has been providing visionservices for more than 40 years andcurrently has more than 17 millionmembers nationwide.

• UnitedHealthcare Vision will payout-of-network, limited access and in-ternational benefits based on a pub-

lished fee schedule.• Low-vision services are offered,

and members can receive discounts onlaser vision correction.

• UnitedHealthcare Vision offersprosthetic eye replacement on a life-time maximum basis.

• Coverage for elective contactlenses and medically necessary contactlenses is offered.Vision Service Plan (VSP)

VSP is offering an insured visionplan. VSP is the nation’s largest not-for-profit eye-care benefits and serv-ices provider. With more than 55 mil-lion members, one in six people in theUnited States has VSP coverage. In2009, Synovate, a global market re-

search firm, ranked VSP “Highest inOverall Member Satisfaction” amongnational vision plans.

• VSP will pay international benefitsbased on a published fee schedule.

• VSP offers an Eye Health Manage-ment program, which complementsdisease management and wellness ini-tiatives, and concentrates on diseasessuch as diabetes, glaucoma and mac-ular degeneration.

• Coverage for elective contactlenses and medically necessary contactlenses is offered.

• VSP provides an out-of-networkbenefit.

• Members can receive discounts onlaser vision correction.

Affordable Progressives Are Here.

The average retail price for progressive lenses, such as deluxe and platinum, is $440.00.However, if you’re enrolled in a High Option Plan from UnitedHealthcare Vision, thesesame lenses will cost only a $65.00 copay! Whatever your individual or family need iswe have an industry-leading vision plan for you.

FEDVIP Open Season: November 12 -December 10

www.myuhcvision.com/fedvip 1-866-249-1999

201

3

UnitedHealthcare Vision® coverage provided by Spectera, Inc. ©Spectera, Inc.

®

UHC3454 FedNARFEad_Layout 1 8/14/12 2:57 PM Page 1

Dental/Vision Program


DENTAL SERVICESDental plans provide a comprehen-

sive range of services. Services are di-vided by four categories, as follows:

• Class A (Basic) services, which in-

clude oral examinations, prophylaxis, di-agnostic evaluations, sealants and X-rays.

• Class B (Intermediate) services,which include restorative proceduressuch as fillings, prefabricated stainless

steel crowns, periodontal scaling, toothextractions and denture adjustments.

• Class C (Major) services, whichinclude endodontic services such asroot canals, periodontal services such

FEDVIP Nationwide Dental RatesBI-WEEKLY PREMIUM MONTHLY PREMIUM

Plan Name Option Rating Self- Self Self Self- Self SelfRegion Only Plus One & Family Only Plus One & Family

Aetna PPO High 1 $12.48 $24.95 $37.43 $27.04 $54.06 $81.10(In- and Out-of- 2 $13.74 $27.48 $41.22 $29.77 $59.54 $89.31Network benefits) 3 $14.63 $29.25 $43.87 $31.70 $63.38 $95.05

4 $16.14 $32.27 $48.41 $34.97 $69.92 $104.895 $17.52 $35.05 $52.57 $37.96 $75.94 $113.90

GEHA PPO Standard 1 $9.00 $18.00 $27.02 $19.50 $39.00 $58.54(In- and Out-of- 2 $9.89 $19.78 $29.67 $21.43 $42.86 $64.29Network benefits) 3 $11.24 $22.46 $33.69 $24.35 $48.66 $73.00

4 $12.13 $24.25 $36.38 $26.28 $52.54 $78.825 $13.47 $26.94 $40.40 $29.19 $58.37 $87.53

GEHA PPO High 1 $15.25 $30.50 $45.76 $33.04 $66.08 $99.15(In- and Out-of- 2 $16.77 $33.54 $50.35 $36.34 $72.67 $109.09Network benefits) 3 $19.04 $38.09 $57.13 $41.25 $82.53 $123.78

4 $20.56 $41.12 $61.71 $44.55 $89.09 $133.715 $22.84 $45.69 $68.56 $49.49 $99.00 $148.55

MetLife PPO Standard 1 $8.57 $17.17 $25.76 $18.57 $37.20 $55.81(In- and Out-of- 2 $9.28 $18.57 $27.86 $20.11 $40.24 $60.36Network benefits) 3 $10.30 $20.56 $30.86 $22.32 $44.55 $66.86

4 $11.44 $22.87 $34.30 $24.79 $49.55 $74.325 $12.56 $25.12 $37.70 $27.21 $54.43 $81.68

MetLife PPO High 1 $15.82 $31.63 $47.41 $34.28 $68.53 $102.72(In- and Out-of- 2 $17.70 $35.43 $53.12 $38.35 $76.77 $115.09Network benefits) 3 $19.30 $38.56 $57.85 $41.82 $83.55 $125.34

4 $20.89 $41.74 $62.61 $45.26 $90.44 $135.665 $23.39 $46.78 $70.16 $50.68 $101.36 $152.01

United Concordia High 1 $14.10 $28.17 $42.27 $30.55 $61.04 $91.59PPO (In- and Out-of- 2 $16.19 $32.34 $48.53 $35.08 $70.07 $105.15

Network benefits) 3 $17.59 $35.13 $52.71 $38.11 $76.12 $114.214 $18.98 $37.90 $56.89 $41.12 $82.12 $123.265 $20.46 $40.91 $61.36 $44.33 $88.64 $132.95


as gingivectomy, major restorativeservices such as crowns, oral surgery,bridges and prosthodontic servicessuch as complete dentures.

• Class D (Orthodontic) serviceswith up to a 24-month waiting period.

In areas where dental plans do nothave adequate provider access, theplans must provide payment based onthe standard prevailing health carefees or pay benefits based on their planallowance.

NATIONWIDE DENTALPLANS

All nationwide plans include inter-national coverage.Aetna

Plan Type: Preferred Provider Or-ganization (PPO)

Aetna has a long-standing relation-ship with the federal government,serving as the governmentwide medicalindemnity carrier when the FEHBP wasfirst established. It is currently one ofthe larger HMO plans participating inthe FEHBP. It currently provides somedental services to all of its federal mem-bers as part of its medical plan.

• Aetna will provide a single High-

option dental plan.• In addition to the in-network ben-

efits offered, Aetna’s dental plan willoffer out-of-network benefits based onthe American Dental Association feeschedule, using the same payment per-centages as for in-network benefits,even in areas where access is adequate.

• The Aetna plan has no deductibles.• Orthodontia will be covered after

a two-year waiting period for depend-ents up to age 19. There is a $1,500 perperson lifetime maximum on coveredorthodontia services.

• Aetna members will receive a freeadd-on discount vision plan.

• Aetna will provide a benefit formedically necessary/noncosmetic im-plants.GEHA


Government Employees Health As-sociation, Inc. (GEHA) is the thirdlargest national health plan in theFEHBP. It has been in the programsince it was first established. Regardingdental coverage, for nearly 10 years,GEHA has offered a nationwide dentalinsurance plan, Dental Connection

Plus. GEHA’s Dental Connection Plusplan currently provides coverage tomore than 57,000 federal employees.

• GEHA will provide two dental op-tions, High and Standard.

• Orthodontia will be covered aftera two-year waiting period for depend-ents up to age 19. There is a $1,500 perperson lifetime maximum on coveredorthodontia services.

• Members enrolled in GEHA’sdental plan options will receive thesame association benefits as otherGEHA plan members, includinghearing and vision discounts, at no ad-ditional cost.

• In addition to in-network benefits,GEHA’s dental plan will offer out-of-network benefits based on the Amer-ican Dental Association fee schedule,using the same payment percentagesas for in-network benefits, even inareas where access is adequate.MetLife


MetLife is the largest commercialdental insurance carrier in the UnitedStates, serving more than 60,000 com-panies. Ninety of the top 100 Fortune


FEDVIP Regional Dental RatesBI-WEEKLY PREMIUM MONTHLY PREMIUM

Plan Name Option Rating Self- Self Self Self- Self SelfRegion Only Plus One & Family Only Plus One & Family

Humana High 1 $9.57 $19.12 $28.69 $20.74 $41.43 $62.16(In-Network 2 $10.30 $20.59 $30.89 $22.32 $44.61 $66.93Benefits Only 3 $10.37 $20.73 $31.10 $22.47 $44.92 $67.38except for 4 $14.18 $28.36 $42.54 $30.72 $61.45 $92.17

emergency services) 5 $14.25 $28.49 $42.74 $30.88 $61.73 $92.60

GHI PPO High 1 $17.68 $35.32 $53.00 $38.31 $76.53 $114.83(In- and Out-of-Network Benefits)

Triple-S High 1 $4.27 $8.53 $11.17 $9.25 $18.48 $24.20Salud PPO (In-Network Benefits Only

except for services renderedby orthodontists)

500 companies have selected MetLife toadminister their dental benefits. MetLifehas a long-standing relationship withthe federal government as the admin-istrator of the Federal Employees’ GroupLife Insurance Program.

• MetLife will provide two dental op-tions, High and Standard.

• Orthodontia will be covered aftera two-year waiting period for depend-ents up to age 19. There is a $1,500 (innetwork) per person lifetime max-imum on covered orthodontia servicesunder the Standard option and a$3,500 per person lifetime maximumunder the High option.

• MetLife’s High Option nonortho-dontia annual maximum will increaseto $10,000.

• MetLife provides an out-of-net-work benefit at a lower percentage rate.

• MetLife will have a deductible forpreventative, intermediate and majorout-of-network services.

• MetLife will provide a benefit formedically necessary/noncosmetic im-plants.United Concordia


United Concordia Companies, Inc.is one of the largest dental benefit ad-ministrators in the United States. It isa subsidiary of Highmark, a Pennsyl-vania licensee of the Blue Cross andBlue Shield Association. United Con-cordia has administered dental benefitprograms for Fortune 500 companies,the federal and state governments, andother well-known customers for morethan 30 years.

United Concordia serves the 1.7 mil-lion members in the TRICARE DentalProgram (TDP), the largest fully insureddental program in the world. TDP isavailable to family members of all activeduty uniformed personnel and to Se-

lected Reserve and Individual Ready Re-serve members and their families.

• United Concordia will provide asingle High option dental plan.

• There is no deductible associatedwith United Concordia’s plan.


• Benefit design features additionalcoverage of implant prosthetics andresin crowns.

• The plan will provide an out-of-net-work benefit at a lower percentage rate.

REGIONAL DENTAL PLANSTriple-S Salud


Service Area: Puerto RicoTriple-S is Puerto Rico’s largest

health insurance provider and hasbeen a health insurance carrier underthe FEHBP for more than 40 years. Ap-proximately 93 percent of federal em-ployees through the years havechosen Triple-S as their carrier. Triple-S is affiliated with the Blue Cross andBlue Shield Association.


• Triple-S does not offer an out-of-network benefit in areas that meet ac-cess standards.GHI


Service Area: All of New York state,as well as some ZIP codes in Pennsyl-vania, Connecticut and New Jersey.

GHI has a long-standing relationshipwith the federal government, as a New

York-based regional health insurancecarrier. With more than half a millioncovered patients enrolled in GHI com-mercial dental programs, including30,000 FEHBP employees and covereddependents with limited preventativedental care through GHI medical plans,GHI has had a significant New York re-gional presence in the dental market-place.

• There is an out-of-network ben-efit even in areas that meet access,which pays benefits up to a schedulemaximum.

• Orthodontia will be covered aftera one-year waiting period for depend-ents up to age 19. There is a $2,000 perperson lifetime maximum on coveredorthodontia services.

• GHI’s nonorthodontia annualmaximum will increase to $2,500.

• GHI has added an annual max-imum rollover feature to the currentbenefits.Humana


Service Area: All of Alabama,Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado,District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, NorthCarolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Car-olina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,West Virginia and most of Maryland.

• Under Humana, members will payfixed co-payments for each service, re-gardless of the amount of the charge.

• Humana is the only plan without awaiting period for orthodontia.

• Humana has the highest perperson annual maximum benefit ofany FEDVIP provider: $10,000.

• No out-of-network benefit inareas that meet the access standards.





In the Federal Employees HealthBenefits Program, prescriptionscan be filled by health plansthrough plans’ preferred retail

pharmacies, nonpreferred retail phar-macies and a plan’s mail order service.The plans charge coinsurance and/orco-payments for prescription drugswhen they are purchased through anyof these sources. Some plans provideprescription drug plan benefits even ifthe plan’s annual deductible is not met.Other plans may have an annual de-ductible that must be met before theplan begins to pay drug benefits.

Health plans will substitute avail-able generic equivalent drugs for

brand name drugs for prescriptionssubmitted to local pharmacies andmail order services, unless the pre-scribing physician indicates that thepatient is to receive only the brandname medication.

To keep prescription drug benefitcosts down for the plans, some reduceout-of-pocket costs for generic drugsand raise them for brand name drugs.This will make prescription drugsmore costly for enrollees who needlife-saving and life-extending medica-tions, which are usually brand namespecialty drugs. Some plans cap theyearly amount of out-of-pocket ex-penses for prescription drugs to keep

enrollees who need the expensivebrand name drugs from possible fi-nancial hardship.

For enrollees who are covered byMedicare Part A and Part B, some planswaive their own deductibles, coinsur-ance and co-payments for hospital andmedical services. But these waivers donot apply to the prescription drug co-payments and/or coinsurance. Whilethere are no plans that waive prescrip-tion drug coinsurance and co-pay-ments for Medicare-eligible enrollees,some plans will charge lower coinsur-ance and co-payment rates for en-rollees who are covered by MedicarePart A and Part B. In addition, there are

RREESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN DDRRUUGG GGUUIIDDEE 2013PP

APWU –High BC/BS –Standard GEHA –StandardBENEFITS PPO Non-PPO PPO Non-PO PPO Non-PPORx Deductible Per Person None None None None None None

Rx Deductible Per Family None None None None None None

Rx Generic Local Pharmacy $8 50% 20% / 45%+ $5 $515% Medicare B

Rx Generic Mail Order $15 N/A $15 N/A $15 $15

Rx Generic Mail Order for $15 N/A $10 Medicare B N/A $15 $15Medicare Enrollee

Rx Brand Local Pharmacy 25% 50% 30% Tier2 / 45%+ 50% 50% 30% Tier 4 Max $200 Max $200+

Rx Brand Mail Order 25% N/A $70 / $95 / N/A 50% 50% SDP $80 Max $500 Max $500+

Rx Brand Mail Order 25% N/A $70 / $95 N/A 50% 50% for Medicare Enrollee Max $500 Max $500+

Rx Non-Formulary Local 25% 50% 45% Tier 3 45%+ N/A N/APharmacy

Rx Mail Order –Supply Size 90 days 90 days up to 90 days N/A 90 days 90 daysPer Co-pay

Prescription Drug Benefits for Selected


MHBP –Standard NALC –High Rural Carrier BP –High Samba –StandardPPO Non-PPO PPO Non-PPO PPO Non-PPO PPO Non-PPONone None None None $200 $200 None None

None None None None No Limit No Limit None None

$5 50% 20% 45% / 45%+ 30% 30% $10 $10

$10 $10 $8 / $8 / $12 N/A $10 N/A $15 $15

$10 $10 $4 / $7 / $10 N/A $10 N/A $15 $15

30% 50% 30% 45% + 30% 30% 25% 25%($200 max) ($70 max) ($70 max)

$80 / $120 $80 / $120 $43 / 60 day N/A $30 $30 25% 25%$65 / 90 day ($150 max) ($150 max)

$80 / $120 $80 / $120 $37 / 60 day N/A $20 $20 25% 25%$55 / 90 day ($150 max) ($150 max)

50% 50% 45% 45%+ 30% 30% 35% 35%($200 max) ($100 max) ($100 max)

90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days 90 days

some plans that charge Medicare en-rollees the same coinsurance and co-payments as non-Medicare-eligible en-rollees in one option, while chargingMedicare enrollees smaller coinsur-ance and/or co-payment amountsthan non-Medicare enrollees in theplan’s other option.

Usually, patients will fill orders forshort-term prescription drugs, such asantibiotics, at a local pharmacy. Theywill use mail order services for mainte-nance drugs, such as medications usedto treat high blood pressure, high cho-lesterol or heart disease, etc. It is wiseto compare the prices of medicationsat the local pharmacies with the cost of

obtaining the medications throughmail order services. Many times, thecost of filling a prescription at a localpharmacy is less than the co-paymentfor using a mail order service. Someplans charge the full mail service co-payment even though the actual costof the prescription drug is less than theco-payment; other plans only chargethe cost of the prescription drug if theactual cost of the drug is less for themail service pharmacy than the co-payment. In other words, do not ex-pect the mail service pharmacy tocharge less than the co-payment be-cause the local pharmacy has the drugat a lower price.

Some plans have limitations on theamount and frequency of dispensingprescription drugs. Plan membersshould also be aware of plans thathave prior-approval requirements be-fore a prescription can be filled. Thegeneral rule for most plans is that re-fills can be obtained when 75 percentof the current supply is used up. Withsome plans’ co-payments for brandname drugs increasing on January 1,check your current prescription levelto see if you can order a refill beforethe end of the year and avoid any in-crease.


* Source: www.opm.gov

Fee-for-Service FEHBP Plans*


NARFENews

Silver Circle Contribution Form

Yes! I want to be a member of the NARFE Silver Circle. Enclosed is my Silver Circle contribution of $_____

• For a contribution of$25 or more, you willreceive a Silver Circlepin, and your namewill be listed in NARFEmagazine with othercontributors.

• For a contribution of$1,000 or more, yourname will be placedon the “Wall ofFame” at NARFEHeadquarters.

ID # ____________________________________________________________________(ID # may be found on your NARFE magazine label or your NARFE membership card)

Name ____________________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ State ___________ ZIP _____________

� My check is enclosed (please make check payable to NARFE Silver Circle)

� Please charge my credit card

Card type � Mastercard � Visa � Discover � AMEX

Card # _________________________________________________

Expiration Date_____________________________________________

Name __________________________________________________

Signature ___________________________________________ Date ___________________

� Installment PlanWall of Fame 12-month

installment plan

Clip this contribution form and mail to: NARFE Silver Circle, NARFE, 606 N.Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Silver Circle contributions are not deductiblefor federal income tax purposes.

Silver Circle donations totaled$118,180 as of October 15.Donors from July16-October 15

are listed below with their chapternumbers.The program offers a way for mem-

bers to give to NARFE beyond the

norm. Donors of $25 ormore are listedin the magazine and receive a SilverCircle pin. Donors of $1,000 or morehave their names engraved on theWallof Fame at NARFEHeadquarters.Use the couponbelow to contribute

or go online at www.narfe.org. �

CALIFORNIABRUCE A. BENNETT 1028FLORIDARONALD J. VOIGT 0583TERRENCE GREENWOOD 0717ANTHONY J. COPPERILL 1683IOWAKENNETH TECHAU 0133

INDIANABRYAN RICHARDS 0145MASSACHUSETTSROBERT JACOBS 0360MARYLANDMARCIA SWANSON 1888MARK NOBLETT 2262

NEWMEXICOMARY E. MCKAY 0182NEVADADONALD N. BABB 2167PENNSYLVANIARONALD D. SMITH 1855TEXASDONALD L. WEBB 1273

VIRGINIACHARLES CUPPLES 0401JOHN BANKSON 1159eNARFEJONATHAN DIMARTINO 2363

SILVERCIRCLE ($25 ORMORE)

SilverCircleTotals$118,180WALLOF FAME($1,000 ORMORE)

Genevieve E. Boguslawski,Chapter 1025, Idaho

Louis J. Jurus, Chapter 4, California

James T. Phillips, Chapter 102, Pennsylvania

Anew edition of NARFE’spopular Questions & An-swers book is now available

for $10 each.The book contains answers tomore

than 200 questions submitted byNARFE members on general benefitsand retirement topics, such as annuitycomputations, court-ordered benefits,

health benefits, taxes, the FERS An-nuity Supplement, re-employment andmore. A bonus section containsreprints of key articles from NARFEmagazine. Learn about steps you needto take to ensure that you receive all ofthe benefits to which you are entitled.This is the 4th edition of the book.

The other editions have sold out, so

order today! The$10 purchaseprice includesshipping andhandling.To order

your copy, see theorder form on p. 31 or order online atwww.narfe.org. �

JustPublished:NewNARFEQ&ABook

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NARFE is proud to present the 2012 NARFE Scholarship winners and their NARFE spon-sors. Each student received an award certificate and a $1,000 check for the 2012-2013school year. Special thanks goes to the NARFEmembers from all 10 regions who served

on the judging teams and to the staff of the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund, whichadministers this program for NARFE. Applications for the next scholarship programwill be printedin the February issue ofNARFEmagazine. Members also can download the application from theNARFEwebsite February-April. (Note:Winners are listed according to the region of their sponsor.)

REGION IJonathan Brewster, San Diego, CAUniversity of Southern CaliforniaGrandson of Charles Brewster, Chapter1790 – NHJennifer Carnovale, Massapequa,NYHofstra UniversityGranddaughter of Otto Krivohlavy,Chapter 471 – NYSara Chavarie, Brewster, MEEastern Maine Community CollegeGranddaughter of Robert Conrad,Chapter 1568 – MADana Lowenthal, E. Northport, NYBinghamton UniversityGranddaughter of Manuel Myrovitch,Chapter 1264 – NYChristine Noe, Ambler, PAWilliams CollegeGranddaughter of Augie Stratoti,Chapter 1540 – NHEmily Reynolds, Fairbanks, ALWhitman CollegeGranddaughter of Charles Seaman,Chapter 1491 – MA

REGION IIErin Hub, Woodsboro, MDWebb InstituteGranddaughter of Olin Nave, Chapter409 - MDMegan McConnell, Grand Rapids,MIUniversity of MichiganGranddaughter of James McConnell,Chapter 1734 – MDJulie Neveleff, N. Potomac, MDUniversity of North Carolina Chapel HillGrandaughter of Stanley Meiselman,Chapter 581 – MDNatalie O’Toole, Havertown, PACornell UniversityGranddaughter of Joseph O’Toole,National only – PAMary Woloschuk, Johnstown, PASt. Francis UniversityDaughter of Robert Woloschuk,Chapter 1130 – PADavid Yanich, Steelton, PAIndiana University of PennsylvaniaGrandson of Margaret Monier, Chapter102 – PA

REGION IIILauren Anderson, Braxton, MSWilliam Carey UniversityGranddaughter of Shirley Stevens,Chapter 1766 – MSChelsea Fitzhugh, Albany, GAUniversity of GeorgiaGranddaughter of Bernice Hamilton,Chapter 643 – GAMercedes Flowers, St. Petersburg,FLHarvard UniversityGranddaughter of Rosalina Gutierrez,Chapter 252 – PR

Christopher Orr, Vestavia Hills, ALUniversity of AlabamaGrandson of Robert Orr, Chapter 443 –ALKelly Shepherd, Lexington, SCUniversity of South Carolina HonorsCollegeGranddaughter of Elizabeth Shepherd,Chapter 87 – SCBrian Thedy, Rockledge, FLFlorida State UniversityGrandson of Theresa Griffin, Chapter1137 – FL

REGION IVAlexandria Billhartz, New Baden,ILUniversity of EvansvilleGranddaughter of Karen Billhartz,Chapter 1019 – ILAbigail Kosberg, Wildwood, ILLawrence UniversityGranddaughter of Susan Nelson,Chapter 371 – WIJoseph L’Huillier, Sobieski, WIUniversity of WisconsinGrandson of Elizabeth L’Huillier,Chapter 1900 – MIShannon Montague, Brecksville,OHUniversity of Notre DameDaughter of Vickie Montague, Chapter2264 – OHAlison Von Deylen, Weldon Spring,MOVanderbilt UniversityGranddaughter of Thomas Von Deylen,Chapter 223 – INMorgan White, Riley Township, MIGrand Valley State UniversityGranddaughter of Barbara White,Chapter 1532 - MI

REGION VMathew Briggs, Leavenworth, KSManhattan Christian CollegeGrandson of Sylvester Nyhart, Chapter27 – KSSarah Henderson, Olathe, KSKansas State UniversityGranddaughter of Ethel Londis, Chapter1763 – KSWyatt Lien, Ulen, MNMinnesota State University MoorheadGrandson of Karen Lien, Chapter 119 –MNRachel Maxwell, St. Louis, MOPurdue UniversityGranddaughter of RichardRosenkoetter, Chapter 1240 – MOStephanie Pemberton, Eldon, MOUniversity of Missouri - ColumbiaGranddaughter of Faye Beasley,Chapter 2096 – MOKelsey Peters, Plainfield, IAWartburg CollegeGranddaughter of Neil Bolin, Chapter170 - IA

REGION VIJessica Bettis, Malvern, ARUniversity of ArkansasGranddaughter of William Brumley Jr,Chapter 2171 – ARMegan Demel, Littlefield, TXBaylor UniversityGranddaughter of Brenda Boomer,Chapter 244 – TXAnna Hope, Bentonville, ARCottey CollegeGranddaughter of Dale Cassel, Chapter749 – OKSamantha Moore, Cedar Creek, TXTexas A&M UniversityGranddaughter of Joyce Hoffman,Chapter 228 – TXPatrick Odenborg, El Paso, TXTexas A&M UniversitySon of Kevin Odenborg, Chapter 1495– TXSydney Stigall, New Braunfels, TXTexas Lutheran UniversityGranddaughter of David Morin, Chapter1320 – TX

REGION VIIWilliam Coffey, Pensacola, FLUniversity of MiamiGrandson of Bill Coffey, Chapter 80 –NMMaisa Cook, Albuquerque, NMUniversity of West AlabamaDaughter of Lisa Cook, Chapter 2363 –NMAlex Serebransky, Pelham, NYDuke UniversityGrandson of Enid SerebranskyNational only – AZCynthia Spragg, Gillette, WYUniversity of WyomingGranddaughter of Elsie Peters, Chapter452 – WYRebecca Taber, Grand Junction, COBethel CollegeDaughter of Mark Taber, Chapter 351 –COHolly Trevino, Sierra Vista, CACochise CollegeDaughter of Rodrigo Trevino, Chapter1400 – AZ

REGION VIIITremaine Eto, San Jose, CAUniversity of California, Los AngelesSon of Terry Eto, Chapter 50 – CAJeanine Fiser, Hanford, CACalifornia State University, FresnoGranddaughter of Carmen Rubio,Chapter 2139 – CAHannah Giardina, Las Vegas, NVUniversity of OregonGranddaughter of Nadyne Giardina,Chapter 2033 – NVSarah Gray, Laguna Niguel, CACalifornia Polytechnic State University,San Luis ObispoGranddaughter of Robert Connell,Chapter 877 – CA

Corin Greene, East Setauket, NYWilliam E. Macauley Honors College,QueensGrandson of Frank Mascari, Chapter 423– NVMegan Johnson, Arvada, COUniversity of Colorado, Colorado SpringsGranddaughter of Jackie Johnson, Chapter16 – CA

REGION IXKeegan Amrine, Gig Harbor, WAAmerican UniversityGrandson of James Hagerty, Chapter237 – WAGretchen Cates-Carney, Tacoma,WABates CollegeGranddaughter of Lawrence Cates,Chapter 238 – WASusan Heuscher, Chotau, MTGonzaga UniversityDaughter of Clifford Heuscher, Chapter107 – MTHannah Johnson, Kirkland, WAUniversity of Washington, SeattleGranddaughter of Raymond Johnson,Chapter 1404 – WAEric Larson, Spokane, WABrigham Young University, ProvoSon of Mark Larson, Chapter 32 – WAKrystina Trinidad, San Antonio, TXTexas A&M University, Corpus ChristiGranddaughter of Loys Parrish, Chapter118 – OR

REGION XAlexander Balenger, Burke, VAJames Madison UniversityGrandson of Carol Balenger, Chapter893 – VAJessica Bush, Horse Cave, KYWestern Kentucky UniversityGranddaughter of Rebecca Bush,Chapter 1269 – KYSydney LaFreniere, Oak Ridge, TNUniversity of Tennessee, MartinDaughter of Michael LaFreniere,Chapter 2363 – TNMichael Phillips, Coalton, WVWest Virginia UniversityGrandson of Sandra Senic, Chapter2287 – WVPamela Schwartz, Frankfort, KYCornell UniversityGranddaughter of Shirley Lewis,Chapter 2229 – KYNathan Weinbaum, Lake Worth, FLFlorida State UniversityGrandson of Francis Zaik, Chapter 1158- NC

INTERNATIONALStephen Dering, Clifton Park, NYQuinnipiac UniversitySon of Robert Dering, Saskatoon,Saskatchewan, Canada

2012ScholarshipWinners

Three Easy Ways To Join1.2.3.

��YES. I want to join NARFE.Please start my individual one-year membership for the first-year dues of $45.�� Mr. �� Mrs. �� Miss �� Ms.

Full Name________________________________________

Street Address ____________________________________

Apt./Unit ________________________________________

City _______________________ State _____ ZIP ________

Phone (__________) _______________________________

Email____________________________________________

Date of Birth _________ /_________ / _______________dd mm yyyy

I am a (check all that apply)�� Active Federal Employee�� Active Federal Employee Spouse�� Annuitant�� Annuitant Spouse�� Survivor Annuitant�� Please enroll my spouse for an additional $45.Spouse’s Full Name __________________________

Spouse’s Date of Birth ______/______/ __________dd mm yyyy

NARFE respects the privacy of our members. Personalinformation is used to provide content and relevantcommunications to our members, and will not be sold orrented to third parties without your express permission.

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 www.narfe.org 800-627-3394 [email protected]

The only organization dedicated solely to protecting and preserving thebenefits of all federal workers and retirees, NARFE informs you of anydevelopments and proposals that affect your compensation, retirement andhealth benefits, AND provides clear answers to your benefit questions.

Who Should Join?

NARF E MEMBERSH I P A P P L I C AT ION

Active and Retired Federal Employees ... JOIN NARFE TODAY!

CALCULATE YOUR DUES

$45.00 x ___________ = ______________First-Year Dues # Joining Total Dues(First-year dues include national and chapter dues.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS�� Check, Money Order or Bill Pay (Payable to NARFE)�� Bill me (NARFEmembership will start when payment is

received.)�� Charge my: �� MasterCard �� VISA

�� Discover �� American Express

Card No. _____________________________________

Expiration Date _________ /_________mm yyyy

Name on Card _________________________________

Signature _____________________________________

Date _________________________________________

CHAPTER AFFILIATION

(If known, otherwise NARFE will enroll you in the chapterclosest to your ZIP code.)

Enroll me in Chapter # ______ ______ ______ ______

MAY WE THANK SOMEONE?If applicable, please provide the name, membership and chapter number of the member who introduced you to NARFE:

Recruiter’s Name __________________________________

Recruiter’s Membership ID __________________________

Recruiter’s Chapter Number _________________________

MAIL THIS APPLICATION TO NARFE Member Records606 N.Washington St.Alexandria, VA 22314-1914

Learn aboutour ELECTRONICMEMBERSHIP ateNARFE.org

IQA

A

�� Mr. �� Mrs. �� Miss �� Ms.

Full Name _______________________________________

Street Address ___________________________________

Apt./Unit________________________________________

City _________________________ State _____ ZIP _____

Phone (__________) ______________________________

Email___________________________________________

Date of Birth _________ /_________ / ____________________dd mm yyyy

NARFE MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

NARFE Membership ID ____________________________________

NARFE Chapter Number____________________________________

�� YES. I Also Authorize My (NARFE Member) Spouse’s Dues To BeWithheld From My Annuity. (Additional annual dues of $34 plusChapter dues of record to be withheld annually.)

If YES, enter spouse’s information below.

Spouse’s Name ___________________________________________

Spouse’s Membership ID ___________________________________

MAIL THIS FORM TO: NARFE, ATTN: Member Records, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914www.narfe.org 800-627-3394 [email protected]

NARFE Dues Withholding Application for Retirees

NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program

AUTHORIZATION (Withholding will begin in 60-90 days). No payment should be forwarded with application.I authorize the United States Office of Personnel Management to make appropriate deductions from my annuity payments, not toexceed the amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as the amount of dues for which Iam annually obligated, in accordance with elections I make below, and to pay the deducted sum to the National Active andRetired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). This authorization shall also apply to any and all dues changes certified byNARFE membership in accordance with elections I make below: Please allow 60-90 days for processing.

I understand that this authorization shall be valid until NARFE receives and processes my written notice of cancellation in accor-dance with its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management and that any disputes regarding this authorization shall be amatter between NARFE and myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allotment deductionmade pursuant to this authorization.

___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________Signature of Annuitant or Survivor-Annuitant Date

Dues payments and gifts or contributions to NARFE are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

What is dues withholding?It is a dues-payment method that gives NARFE members(retirees) the option of having their annual NARFE membershipdues deducted from their annuities on a monthly basis.

How does it work?One-twelfth of your total dues is automatically deducted fromyour monthly annuity. Your monthly deduction is determined by the following formula:

(National dues ÷ 12) + (Chapter dues ÷ 12) = Total Monthly Deduction

Advantages• Save 15% off your annual membership dues! • Sign up your spouse and double your savings!• You’ll never get another dues reminder from us!• Your monthly payment is affordable and convenient!• You may cancel your dues at any time!

Application processIt takes 60-90 days to process your application. Once theprocess is complete, you will receive a special membership carddistinguishing you as a NARFE dues-withholding member.

To learn more about dues withholding, call 800-627-3394.Retirees, spouses of retirees and annuitant survivors are eligible for dues withholding.

�� YES. I want to enroll in NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program (Annual dues of $34 plus Chapter dues of record to be withheld annually.)

C S(Include prefix, CSA or CSF)

(Include any applicable suffix)

– – – –

Social Security Number (9-digit number)

–

Civil Service Annuity Number

Do not send money with this form DW-2 (08/12)

D


REGION IConnecticut . . . . . . .43Massachusetts . . . .110Maine . . . . . . . . . . . .29New Hampshire . . .33NewYork . . . . . . ..220Rhode Island . . . . . . .17Vermont . . . . . . . . . .16Total . . . . . . . . .468

REGION IIDist. of Columbia . . .84Delaware . . . . . . . . .39Maryland . . . . . . . .580New Jersey . . . . . .145Pennsylvania . . . . . .373Total . . . . . . . .1,221

REGION IVIllinois . . . . . . . . . . .214Indiana . . . . . . . . . .108Michigan . . . . . . . . .137Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . .170Wisconsin . . . . . . .108Total . . . . . . . . .737

REGION VIowa . . . . . . . . . . . .104Kansas . . . . . . . . . .107Minnesota . . . . . . .153Missouri . . . . . . . . .124Nebraska . . . . . . . . .41North Dakota . . . . .46South Dakota . . . . . .54Total . . . . . . . . .629

REGION VIIArizona . . . . . . . . .115Colorado . . . . . . . .154New Mexico . . . . . .56Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Wyoming . . . . . . . . .25Total . . . . . . . . .375

REGION XKentucky . . . . . . . . 105North Carolina . . . 177Tennessee . . . . . . . . . 87Virginia . . . . . . . . . . 683E-Chapter (eNARFE) 1,282West Virginia . . . . . . 70Total . . . . . . . . 2,404

REGION VIIICalifornia . . . . . . . .510Guam . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . .60Nevada . . . . . . . . . . .37Philippines . . . . . . . . .0Total . . . . . . . . .614

REGION IXAlaska . . . . . . . . . . . .53Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . .37Montana . . . . . . . . . .35Oregon . . . . . . . . . . .79Washington . . . . . .158Total . . . . . . . . .362

REGION VIArkansas . . . . . . . . . .55Louisiana . . . . . . . . .53Oklahoma . . . . . . . .83Panama . . . . . . . . . . . .1Texas . . . . . . . . . . .349Total . . . . . . . . .541

REGION IIIAlabama . . . . . . . . .124Florida . . . . . . . . . .397Georgia . . . . . . . . .254Mississippi . . . . . . . .66Puerto Rico . . . . . . .21South Carolina . . . .102Total . . . . . . . . . . .964

FOREIGN15

ThirdQuarter2012RecruitmentResultsIn the first ninemonths,8,330 newmembers joinedNARFE. – Jacqueline Johnson-Bryant, Recruitment and Retention Assistant

Visit our online photo gallery atwww.narfe.org.

Sign in and click onNARFEPublications.

Out &AboutWith the Chapters

To submit a photo: Email it to [email protected] or send it by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Out & About.

ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY. Chapter 1159 in Annandale,VA, has startedto participate in Virginia’s Adopt-A-Highway program to cleanup local streets. Pictured at the chapter’s first cleanup are,from left:Wilton Ward,Mary Lou Vroman,Margaret Breinholt,Ann Trotter, Carol Lutz, Barbara Cornell, Jack Bagnulo and MaryAnn Munley. Not pictured is Doug Jones, chapter president.

ALZHEIMER’S WALK.Members of Chapter 443 in Huntsville,AL,participated in the local Alzheimer’s Memory Walk. From left:Ray Farmer, Kay Lindsey, Dave Nicolas,Alzheimer’s Chair JudiMoon, Lloyd Marks, David Bacchus, Cheryl Patterson, DavidTrenkle, Eleanor Kay and Louise Garman. Not pictured is PeggyMcMillan.


NARFEPerksNARFEPerks are designed to provide NARFEmembers 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.

NARFE INSURANCESERVICES1-800-233-5764

DesignedandadministeredbyMarshU.S. Consumer, a service of Seabury &Smith, Inc., exclusively for NARFEmem-bers: Senior Whole Life, Term Life,MedicareSupplements,Hospital IncomePlan, Short Term Recovery Insurance,Pet Insurance, Accidental Death & Dis-memberment, Cancer Care, EnhancedDental Insurance and Long Term Care.Go towww.narfeinsurance.com formoreinformation on these programs.

GEICO:1-800-368-2734NARFE members with good driving

records may be eligible for quality auto-mobile insurance fromGEICO.Askaboutthe NARFE discount available to mem-bers in many states. Call today for yourfree, no-obligation rate quote. Be sure tomention that you’re a NARFEmember!• Discount amount varies in some states• Discount not available in all states or inall GEICO companies• One group discount applicable perpolicy.

NARFEMEMBERHOMEBENEFITS

1-800-666-9203http://narfe.myhomebenefits.com• Earn thousands in cash-back re-

wards when you buy or sell a home*• Shop competitive mortgage rates,

receive discounts on closing costs, plustakeadvantageof yourVALoanBenefits

• Receive preferred pricing on inter-state moving services with the nation’smost trusted moving company – AlliedVan Lines!*State restrictionsapply.Call or visitwebsite for details.

BEKINSVANLINES1-800-456-6832 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.CT)

[email protected] NARFEmem-

berswill receivedis-counted pricing for all interstate ship-ments. Discount will apply to packingandmoving services and valuation pro-tection. All intrastate shipments, localsand international moveswill be compet-itive in cost based on your geographicallocation. Mention you are a NARFEmember and transportation agreement#00930.

INSURANCEMOVING SERVICES

SINCE 19741-800-423-3226

Medical Air Services Association hasbeen the industry leader inprepaidemer-gency assistance services formore than30 years. NARFEmembers have experi-encedMASA’s “peace ofmind” servicessince 2001. Now NARFE members areentitled to even more: air ambulancetransportation,helicopter transportation,groundambulance, vehicle return,mortalremains transport, andmuchmore!CallMASAToday. ItCouldSaveYourLife!

EMERGENCY SERVICES

VACATION RENTALS

Government EmployeesTravelOpportunities®877-867-3639

Offers government employees, re-tirees and their families 7-night stays foronly $349 on accommodations world-wide. Book online at www.getravelop.com/narfe and save on your next vaca-tion stay.

HEARINGBENEFITS

Twodiscountprograms tochoose from:

ValueAdd® orMemberPlus®. Similar to awarehouse membership, MemberPlussaves hundreds more for a $108 yearlymembership.

MemberPlus also includes:• 45-day, money-back guarantee onmembership fee and all purchases• 48 batteries, 3-year warranty, and one-time loss and damage for 3 years (smallmanufacturerdeductibleapplies)oneachpurchased hearing aid• Guest membership for up to four ex-tended familymembers (siblings,parents,etc.) for only $79 each• Combine with an existing health planhearing benefit tomaximize savings

Visit TruHearingMemberPlus.com formore information, or call 877-360-2442Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. East Coast Time

EDUCATION

Want to earn your associate’s degreebeforeyou transfer toa four-yearschool?Ivy Bridge College offers a variety of de-gree programs that will help put you onthe right track.Nomatterwhichprogramyouchoose,aneducationwith IvyBridgewill provide you with a solid foundationfor a rewarding future. NARFEmembersand their families can enjoy an exclusive5percentsavingson tuitionat IvyBridge,auniqueonline institution thatprovidesahighlysupportedpathway toabachelor’sdegree.To learnmore, call 877-615-9246or visit http://ivybridge.tiffin.edu/narfe.

NARFE’sOFFICIALCREDITUNIONAs a member of NARFE, you have

the privilege of joining NARFE PremierFederal Credit Union, which has beenserving members since 1935. We offerextensive services at competitive ratesto members nationwide. Your savingsare federally insured to at least $250,000andbackedby the full faith andcredit ofthe United States Government.

For more information, call 800-328-1500, e-mail [email protected] or visit us at NARFEpremierfcu.org.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONALWith 6,000 hotels in theUnitedStates

and throughout the world, Choice Ho-tels®offerssomething foreveryone.JointheChoicePrivileges®rewardsprogramandearnpointswitheveryqualifyingstaytoward free nights, Airline Rewards, giftcards and more. As a NARFE member,receive 20%off your next stay at partici-patinghotelswhenyouuseSpecialRateID00801967.Thisoffer issubject toavail-ability andcannot becombinedwith anyother offer. Advance reservations re-quired. To book, visit choicehotels.comor call 800-258-2847.

WYNDHAMHOTELGROUPAs a member of NARFE, you will re-

ceive up to 20%off the “Best AvailableRate”atparticipating locationswhenyoutravel. Call and give agent your specialdiscount ID number, 8000002694,at timeof booking to receive discount.Whetheryou are looking for an upscale hotel, anall-inclusive resort or something morecost-effective,wehave the right hotel foryou... and at the right price. So startsaving now. Call our special member-benefits hotline 1-877-670-7088 and re-serve your room today at one of thesefine hotels: Wyndham Hotels and Re-sorts®, Days Inn®, Ramada World-wide®, Super 8®, Wingate By Wyn-dham®, Baymont Inns and Suites®,Hawthorn Suites® By Wyndham, Mi-crotel Inns and Suites®, HowardJohnson®, Travelodge® and KnightsInn®.

HOTELS

ALAMODrive Happy® with Alamo® where

NARFE members receive year-rounddiscounts. Call 1-800-462-5266 and ref-erence Contract ID 262544.

NATIONALYou Drive A Hard Bargain. Receive

up to 20% off rentals at National CarRental. To make a reservation call Na-tional Car Rental at 1-800-CAR-RENT®

and reference Contract ID 5282909.

AVIS:1-800-331-1441The employees/owners of Avis offer

guaranteed low rates and quality serv-ices to members of NARFE. MentionID# A991900.

CAR RENTALS CREDIT UNION

CREDIT CARD

Bank of America now offers the offi-cially approved credit card program forNARFE, featuring the Platinum Plus®MasterCard®withWorldPoints. This isthe only credit card that helps supportNARFE every time you use it to make apurchase–at no additional cost to you.

Call toll-free 1-866-438-6262UseNARFE’s full name, not NARFE.


HEALTH SCREENING

LIFE LINE SCREENINGLife Line Screening, America’s

leading provider of community-basedpreventive health screenings, will con-duct the following screenings usingstate-of-the-art ultrasound technologyin your neighborhood:

1. Stroke/Carotid Artery2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm3. Atrial Fibrillation4. Peripheral Arterial Disease.Youwill receive a confidential written

reportwithin21days.LifeLineScreeningand NARFE encourage you to sharethese test resultswithyourdoctor.All fourscreeningscost just$135.Toscheduleanappointment,pleasecall 1-800-324-9906and give the operator code number:BKHN075 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/NARFE.

Coverage may vary and may not beavailable in all states.

NARFEGENERAL STORE

OrderOfficial NARFE namebadges,customizableNARFE logoproducts

andplaques.www.narfegeneralstore.com

Call toll-free855-99NARFE

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NARFEMERCHANDISE


ugust and September weregreat months for the stockmarkets, andOctober started

out in a similar fashion. Through Oc-tober 17, the C Fund had risen 1.5 per-cent. Then, corporations began re-porting third-quarter earnings. WhenMcDonald’s reported that third-quartersales were weak across all of its majormarkets, stocks tumbled. The weak re-sults were considered significant be-causeMcDonald’s operates in somanycountries, thus hinting at awidespreadslowdown. Stocks posted their biggestone-day decline in four months. Fearsof a slowdown in China added to thenegative sentiment, and stocks driftedlower for the rest of the month. Super-storm Sandy forced a two-day closureof the U.S. equity markets, but the Oc-tober 31 reopening was uneventful.

Tracey Ray is chief investment officerof the Thrift Savings Plan.

Thrift Savings Plan Investments*

*This chart is provided as a service to NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan whileemployed by the federal government. Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are netof the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in ( )are negative. Source: tsp.gov.

Month G Fund F Fund C Fund S Fund I Fund2011 November 0.14% 0.01% (0.21%) (0.51%) (2.46%)

December 0.15% 1.01% 1.04% (0.04%) (2.03%)2012 January 0.13% 0.88% 4.50% 7.59% 5.36%

February 0.12% 0.05% 4.34% 3.99% 5.14%March 0.14% (0.61%) 3.30% 2.30% 0.13%April 0.15% 1.12% (0.62%) (0.71%) (1.87%)May 0.14% 0.91% (5.99%) (6.91%) (11.40%)June 0.11% 0.05% 4.13% 3.25% 7.08%July 0.12% 1.38% 1.40% (0.62%) 0.56%August 0.11% 0.07% 2.25% 3.57% 3.29%September 0.10% 0.15% 2.57% 2.51% 2.96%October 0.12% 0.20% (1.86%) (1.31%) 0.85%

Last 12 Months 1.53% 5.33% 15.32% 13.11% 6.41%

Month L Income L 2020 L 2030 L 2040 L 20502011November 0.02% (0.34%) (0.49%) (0.62%) (0.78%)

December 0.20% 0.11% 0.09% 0.07% (0.01%)2012 January 1.18% 3.03% 3.77% 4.34% 4.87%

February 0.98% 2.53% 3.10% 3.54% 3.99%March 0.54% 1.23% 1.49% 1.68% 1.86%April 0.01% (0.38%) (0.52%) (0.63%) (0.78%)May (1.38%) (4.20%) (5.23%) (6.00%) (6.85%)June 1.04% 2.72% 3.32% 3.77% 4.27%July 0.37% 0.63% 0.71% 0.75% 0.78%August 0.63% 1.57% 1.94% 2.23% 2.51%September 0.62% 1.52% 1.87% 2.12% 2.38%October (0.11%) (0.45%) (0.60%) (0.71%) (0.80%)

Last 12 Months 4.15% 8.03% 9.51% 10.58% 11.44%

For theRecordStocks React toSlowdown Fears

ByTracey Ray

RETIREE COLA FOR 2013See page 8.

1. Publication Title: NARFE

2. Publication Number: 4632-60

3. Filing Date: Sept. 28, 2012

4. Issue Frequency: Monthly

5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12

6. Annual Subscription Price: $45

7. Address of Known Office of Publication: National Active and Retired FederalEmployees Association, 606 N.Washington Street,Alexandria,VA 22314-1914

8. General Business Office of the Publisher: National Active and Retired FederalEmployees Association, 606 N.Washington Street,Alexandria,VA 22314-1914

9. Names and Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:Publisher: National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, 606N.Washington Street,Alexandria,VA 22314-1914

Editor: Margaret M. Carter, 606 N.Washington Street,Alexandria,VA 22314-1914

Managing Editor: Not Applicable

10.Owner: National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, 606 N.Washington Street,Alexandria,VA 22314-1914

11.Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning orHolding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or OtherSecurities: None

12.Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months

13. Publication Title: NARFE

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: October 2012

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

A. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run) 286,547 275,275B. Paid Circulation1. Mailed Outside-County PaidSubscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 275,849 261,305

2. Mailed In-County Paid SubscriptionsStated on PS Form 3541 0 0

3. Paid Distribution Outside the theMails including Sales Through Dealersand Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales,and Other Paid Distribution Ouside USPS 2,012 1,951

4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of MailThrough the USPS 0 0

C. Total Paid Distribution 277,861 263,256D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution1. Free or Nominal Rate Outside-CountyCopies included on PS Form 35410 0 0

2. Free or Nominal Rate In-CountyCopies included on PS Form 3541 0 0

3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailedat Other Classes Through the USPS 1,318 1,958

4. Free or Nominal Rate DistributionOutside the Mail 6,868 9,561

E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution 8,186 11,519F. Total Distribution 286,047 274,775G. Copies Not Distributed 500 500H. TOTAL 286,547 275,275I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 97.1 95.816. Publication of Statement of Ownership: December 201217. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

Margaret M. Carter, Editor/Sept. 28, 2012

Average No. CopiesEach Issue DuringPreceding 12 Months

No. Copies of SingleIssue Published

Nearest to Filing Date

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Unlike traditional bathtubs, theJacuzzi® Walk-In Tub features aleakproof door that allows you to simplystep into the tub rather than steppingprecariously over the side. It features astate-of-the-art acrylic surface, a raisedseat and the controls are within easyreach. No other Walk-In Tub featuresthe patented Jacuzzi® PointProTM jet system. These high-volume, low-pressurepumps feature a perfectly balancedwater to air ratio to massage thoroughly

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Why spend another day wishing youcould enjoy the luxury and pain-relievingbenefits of a safe, comfortable bath? Call now and you’ll get an unsurpassedlifetime warranty. Knowledgeableproduct experts are standing by to help you learn more about this product. Call today!

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december 2012 narfe magazine

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