South Central Florida ChapterHeartlander

January 2017South Central Florida Chapter of

MOAAP.O. Box 7841

Sebring, FL 33872Chapter Officers

President: Mike Borders, tel. (h)863-402-8292;(c)703-795-8776Vice President: Ron Buckley, tel. 863-314-9716Treasurer, John Harbaugh, tel. 863-658-1192Secretary: Malcolm Johnson, tel. 863-242-9215Recruiting/Retention: Ed Gadbois, tel. 808-280-7773Legislative Affairs: Tom Nunnallee, tel. 863-446-0055Newsletter: Bob Brooks, tel. 863-471-6318Past President: Roy Whitton

Our Web Site: www.scfcmoaa.orgFlorida Council of Chapters website: www.moaafl.org

Our next dinner/social with spouses/better halves/significant others: Date is 12January2017,6:30PM.(BoardMee8ngat5:00PM).VenueistheInnontheLakes,cornerofUS27andGolfviewDr.,Sebring.Gointhehotellobby,roomisupstairs.Thereisanelevatorifneeded.OurguestspeakerisTomNunnalleewhowilltalkaboutestateplanning.

February Meeting: 1 Feb 2017. Board Meeting: 1730 (5:30 PM) Business Meeting, 1900hrs (7:00 PM). Venue: Note: The February Meeting will be at the Sea Services Museum, 1402 Roseland Ave., Sebring, FL 33870, (corner of Kenilworth and Roseland, about a mile east of Sebring High School). GuestSpeakerwillbeCPTRamonRamos.

President’s Message: As we begin 2017, we also begin our third year as a reestablished chapter. We have plenty to be proud of. I detailed most of that last month in my message, so I won’t go over it again. I do want to note that we are pleased with our major efforts to support the Christmas toy drive for the Salvation Army. Your contributions as individuals as well as the huge contribution by Glenn West certainly made Christmas a little brighter for lots of kids in the local community. We delivered the sleigh full of toys on 8 December. I can’t tell you how grateful the folks at the Salvation Army were. Special thanks to Tom Nunnallee too—he is the Executive Director of the Salvation Army Advisory Board and facilitated the delivery. I also want to note that we met and exceeded our goal of $1000 for the MOAA National scholarship drive. In fact, we raised $1,190.50. A check goes to MOAA and we will get mentioned in an upcoming edition of Military Officer magazine. Thanks to you all for your support of both these important initiatives.

A note about camaraderie: I personally love the interaction I see at our dinners and meetings. I have said it before, but it reminds me of being at the O’Club, just without the uniforms and protocol. We have a good group and I have yet to see a fist fight break out as a result of inter-service rivalries, though Ron Buckley (a Squid) and I (Dogface) will be happy to do so sometime if we can’t come up with a guest speaker for some reason. But MOAA and our chapter are not just about camaraderie. We are about continued service. We are about advocacy for our military. We are about camaraderie with a purpose. That is why we support the toy drive, the scholarship fund, our local JROTC units, and several other initiatives. You can all be proud of your contributions to the overall effort. We begin our third year with the promise of better things to come. We will not rest on our laurels. Onward and upward!!

Note about the Treasurer. Our chapter Treasurer John Harbaugh has asked to step down from his duties after two years on the job. This he will do following the annual audit of the books in early January. John was one of the three original members of the reestablished chapter. He has done a terrific job with our finances, recruiting, and just about every aspect of getting the chapter going again. John will still be an active member of the chapter, so we will still see him at our meetings and dinners. In accordance with our chapter by-laws, the Board of Officers and Directors addressed the issue of a replacement at the December meeting. We have appointed George Cajigal to complete the unexpired term of office, which runs through the end of 2017. In early January, both George and our incoming VP Craig Smith will perform the function of our two-person audit committee and will review John’s books. Upon completion, George and John will take care of the admin items at the bank, post office, etc. Both George and Craig will be sworn in at the 12 January dinner/social.

Florida Council of Chapters 2017Convention at Sea

The Florida Council of Chapters of MOAA will hold their 23-30 April, 2017 convention as a Family and Friends cruise.  Ports of call include Cozumel, Jamaica, and Haiti.  The cruise is on the Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest ships at sea.  This promises to be a great cruise.  For more information, see the following link:http://www.moaafl.org/Events.aspx?EventID=72

Did You Know? (Submitted by Tom Nunnallee). Once again, MOAA National led the charge to help preserve and maintain those benefits promised so many years ago. See below legislative input page for detailed information about how the Defense Authorization Bill panned out. There is quite a bit of good news in the results. 2017 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL: PAY, SBP, TRICARE, AND HOUSING WINS, House and Senate leaders resolved hundreds of differences between their respective versions of the FY 2017 Defense Authorization Bill this week, and followed most MOAA and The Military Coalition recommendations. Here's a summary of selected outcomes. Currently Serving Issues - Pay Raise: Approved a 2.1% raise rather than DoD’s proposed 1.6% - Force Levels: increases all services significantly above the DoD proposals. - Housing Allowance: Rejects a Senate-proposed plan that would have cut allowances for dual-service member couples and other military members who share housing. - Spouse Employment: Eliminates 2-year eligibility limitation (after PCS) for noncompetitive appointment of military spouses to federal civilian positions. - Parental Leave: Authorizes up to 12 weeks of paid leave (including 6 weeks medical) for primary caregiver after childbirth; 21 days authorized for service member who is the secondary caregiver. Survivor Benefits - Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance: Extends this allowance for SBP-DIC widows through May 2018 at the current $310 monthly rate (provides an opportunity to push Congress next year to increase and further extend the allowance, or eliminate the offset in its entirety). - SBP for Reserve Components: Upgrades Survivor Benefit Plan formula for Reserve Component members who die while on inactive duty for training to equal SBP benefits for those who die on active duty. TRICARE Benefits and Fees There will be no changes to Tricare For Life (TFL). The bill rejects the Pentagon proposal to impose an annual TFL enrollment fee of up to 2% of retired pay. -Rejects DoD proposal to roughly double TRICARE pharmacy copays over 10 years. - Imposes significantly increased fees and copays only for those who will enter service on or after Jan 1, 2018. - Grandfathers currently serving and currently retired members and families against most increases. - EXCEPT current retirees and family members enrolled in TRICARE Standard (to be renamed TRICARE Select) will pay a new enrollment fee of $150/$300 (single/family) per year, starting in 2020 (NOTE: Chapter 61 (medical) retirees and survivors of members who died on active duty will be exempt from this enrollment fee). - Establishes a new requirement for retired members and families (except TFL) to execute a formal annual enrollment in either TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, starting in 2017 (IMPORTANT: They will have to physically sign a piece of paper to enroll; (Cont.)

Did You Know? (Cont.)enrollment will be required for TRICARE coverage). - Eliminates a requirement to get pre-authorization for urgent care, and requires all military medical facilities to maintain urgent care hours until 11 p.m. - Authorizes DoD to provide hearing aids to family members of retirees at DoD cost.- Authorizes a pilot program of offering commercial insurance coverage to Reserve component members and families on the same basis as federal civilians. - Requires implementation of standard appointment system at all military facilities NLT Jan. 1, 2018, including issuance of appointment on first call and 24/7 online service availability. - Authorizes retired members and families to participate in federal civilian dental and vision plan (replaces current retiree dental program). - Restores provider payments for treatment of autism to higher rates that were in effect before April 2016. Military Health Care Reform - Places all military hospitals and clinics under the authority of the Defense Health Agency for budgeting, health care policy, and health care administration. - Requires pilot program of value-based care, which would reimburse providers at higher rate for providing top-quality care and reduce or eliminate copays for high-value medications and medical services. - Requires new TRICARE contracts to improve beneficiary access, improve medical outcomes, improve quality of care, enhance beneficiary experiences, and reduce DoD health care costs. - By mid-2017, incorporate into annual performance review of all military and civilian health care leaders' measures of accountability for patient access to care, quality of care, improvement in health care outcomes, and patient safety. - By January 2018, implement productivity standards (e.g., patients seen per day) for all providers in military treatment facilities (this is intended to improve patient access to timely care). Other Matters - Includes a provision aimed at ensuring fair treatment for California Guardsmen who have been targeted for recoupment of incentive bonuses paid to them 10 years ago. - Rejected the Senate proposal mandating female Selective Service registration. Included a requirement to review the continuing need for Selective Service System registration and the potential for a national service program. - Requires a DoD report on travel costs incurred by Reserve Component members. House lawmakers approved the bill 375 to 34 and the Senate approved it 92-7 on Dec 8th. There are indications the Pentagon may recommend the President veto the bill because of its use of operational contingency funds to pay for force level increases and an extra .5% pay raise. MOAA believes strongly this bill is too important to be upset by a lame-duck veto. Please send the White House a MOAA suggested message at http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=74395626 urging the President to sign the defense bill into law. Family PCS Flexibility Loses In Defense Bill MOAA hoped a Senate provision (Cont.)

Did You Know? (Cont.)supporting flexibility to address family stability needs for families facing PCS moves would be retained in the defense bill. The Military Family Stability Act, provided a uniform policy for all of the Armed Forces to let families move up to six months before or after a service member to the next duty station for circumstances pertaining to education, employment, and dependent caregiving. Unfortunately, the proposal wasn't retained in the final bill. The conferees however, directed the SECDEF to submit a report to Congress on actions DoD is taking to enhance the stability of military families in connection with a PCS.

Did You Know 3? MOAA has been pushing for better preventative care within TRICARE for quite some time, and thankfully this week some progress was made. TRICARE announced they are now covering several preventative services that previously were uncovered or required cost-share payments from beneficiaries.  For children and families, TRICARE's benefit coverage will now be in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics' standards for care of well children over age 6. Beneficiaries using TRICARE Standard will no longer pay cost shares for well-child screening and preventative visits.   TRICARE also will cover Cologuard, a new effective and non-invasive colorectal cancer screening exam. Given the devastating mortality rate of late-stage colorectal cancer, providing this U.S. Preventative Task Force-approved test as an option is a crucial milestone in addressing the second-leading cause of cancer deaths.   “Cologuard coverage should encourage more people to get screened for colorectal cancer,” said MOAA Director of Government Relations Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret). “MOAA is thankful this cost-effective and safe test will be available to beneficiaries.”  In the realm of women's health, new genetic counseling and genetic testing will be covered for women identified by their primary care provider as being at high risk for breast cancer. BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene testing will be covered for women who meet these clinical guidelines.   These revisions bring TRICARE into compliance with the most recent national task force and quality committee recommendations for preventative care- See more at: http://www.moaa.org/NewTRICARE/#sthash.6VRWVMEh.dpuf

Did You Know 2? Dental Care for region B: Effective January 1, 2017-December 31, 2017. The 2017 premium rates for the Enhanced TRICARE Retiree Dental Program for your region are:

*To enroll, you will need to make a prepayment of two month's premiums to ensure that you will be able to participate as soon as your coverage is effective. Once we have established the payment process through mandated automatic deduction from your retirement pay, we will issue you a refund of any unused portion of the premium in the third month of your enrollment. If you have signed up to pay your monthly premiums through electronic funds transfer (EFT) or recurring credit card (RCC) charge, we will apply any unused payment directly to your bank or credit card account. The rates shown for the Enhanced TRICARE Retiree Dental Program are effective January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. Monthly premiums are scheduled to change each year, on January 1. Department of Defense directed implementation of further program enhancements could result in the contractual establishment of monthly premium rate changes. If you move or change your enrollment option, your monthly premium rate may also change. See http://www.trdp.org/enhanced/premium_regB.htm for more details.

Number of Enrolees

Monthly Premium *Prepayment Amount

Single $31.38 $62.76

Two-Person $62.30 $124.60

Family (3 or more) $112.42 $224.84

A Note about our scholarship drive:As noted in the president’s message, we raised nearly $1200 to send to MOAA national for their annual scholarship drive. This is hugely important to those military kids—officer and enlisted—who need financial assistance for their college educations. We raised more money this year than last, and hope to do even better for our donation next year. Thanks to you all for your contributions.As we did last year, we will again be supporting the MOAA scholarship program. Please make a contribution to this worthy cause. Please make your donation by check (to the SCFC of MOAA) or by cash to our treasurer. You can mail checks to our mailing address on the front page of the newsletter.

A note about our flag:I have been asked a time or two why we don’t have a chapter flag. Well, we are working on it. I hope to have it at the January meeting. It may not be ready by then, but I assure you we will see it soon. I have already “scrounged” up a flag pole for it, so we just need the flag. Stay tuned.

Important Notice:If you have not done so, it is time to renew your membership in our South Central Florida Chapter of MOAA. The annual dues are $20.00. Make your checks out to: “SCFC of MOAA.” Cash is accepted as well. Checks may be mailed to the address at top left of this page:

SCFC of MOAAP.O. Box 7841Sebring, FL 33872

Important Note: When was the last time you updated your contact info with MOAA National? Are you getting your magazine, other e-mail items, legislative updates, etc.? If not, it is important to provide your current address, e-mail address, phone number, etc. You can do this by going to the MOAA home page: www.moaa.org, or to make it easy on yourself, call MOAA at 1-800-234-6622. You will get to a real person rather quickly, and they will take care of business in no time.

Did You Know 4? When Will Your Form 1099R Become Available? The IRS Forms 1099R for the 2016 tax year will become available online in mid-December 2016. You will be able to access yours on myPay. We will also mail hard copy versions of the 1099R to those of you who have chosen that option. Please keep in mind that hard copy versions of the 1099R are issued later and will take a while to reach you. If you have elected hard copy, you may not receive it until mid-January 2017. Please not that 1099Rs are not automatically issued for deceased members. If you want to receive a 1099R on the behalf of a member who passed away, a certificate of death must be on file, and you must request that a 1099R be issued. If you would like to make this request, or have questions regarding a 1099R for a deceased member, please contact us using one of the methods descirbed in this link: http://www.dfas.mil/dfas/retiredmilitary/about/aboutus/customer-service.html You can also go to MyPay to access your 1095B, the form you will need for your taxes with regard to the Affordable Care Act. DFAS has created a number of “how to” videos on a variety of myPay topics including electronic-only delivery of 1095 forms. A list of topics can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhx_8nsfXqVjnv_WuYeXc84lmlHBMYe6a

Welcome to Our Newest Members: Linda Tooth Virgil Elliott

January Birthdays: Fred Carino — January 4th Malcolm Johnson—January 4th

Editor’s Note: If your birthday is not recognized, it is because you did not include it on your application form. Please contact the Secretary, Malcolm Johnson at 863-242-9215, and provide the same.

MOAA Membership is FREE!! Basic membership doesn’t cost a penny and can be done on line at www.moaa.org. Of course there are increased benefits and privileges with Regular or Life membership, and it is strongly encouraged.

The Heartlander is published monthly by members of the South Central Florida Chapter of Military Officers Association of America, P.O. Box 7841, Sebring, FL 33872. The Chapter is an apolitical and not-partisan, non-profit organization affiliated with National MOAA and the Florida Council of Chapters, MOAA, not associated with the Department of Defense. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of MOAA, the Florida Council of Chapters, the Chapter or DOD.

Craig Smith, Tom Nunnallee, and Mike Borders deliver Christmas toys to Majors Tim and Janice Roberts of the local Salvation ArmyI want to take time to mention our outstanding Christmas toy drive for the Salvation Army. Special thanks to everyone who contributed toys or money to buys toys for the neediest of kids in the area. The folks at the Salvation Army were extremely grateful. I know the kids will be very happy—much happier than they would have been without our support. Tom Nunnallee facilitated the activity since he is the Executive Director of the local Salvation Army Advisory Board. And boy oh boy!!—did Glenn and Pam West come through big time with a major toy donation. The picture you see is just a handful of the toys we gave them. Probably over a hundred in all.

Mike presents December guest speaker Harry Marsh of the Military Order of the

Purple Heart with a MOAA tumbler.

PURPOSES OF THE MILITARY OFFICERSASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is a not-for-profit corporation that is operated exclusively to further the interests of the nation and its uniformed services personnel, their family members, and survivors.From the preamble to the Bylaws of The Military Officers Association of America

• To inculcate and stimulate love of country and flag;• To defend the honor, integrity, and supremacy of our

National• Government and the Constitution of the United States;• To advocate military forces adequate to the defense of

our country;• To foster the integrity and prestige of uniformed service;• To foster fraternal relations between all branches of the

various• Services from which our members are drawn;• To further the education of children of Service

personnel;• To aid personnel of the Services from which our

members are• drawn, and their family members and survivors, in every

proper and• legitimate manner; and• To present their rights and interests when Service

matters are under considerationWe unite to form THE MILITARY OFFICERS

ASSOCIATION OF AMERICATAKE ACTION!!www.moaa.org

Selected Legislative Goals for 2017

Active / Reserve Force/Family Issues

• Eliminate sequestration budget penalties• Ensure active duty, Guard and Reserve force are

sized to meet mission requirements• Prevent disproportional adjustments to currently

serving and retiree benefits • Authorize 2018 pay raise fully comparable with

private sector pay growth as measured by the ECI

• Protect funding for commissaries, base exchanges, dependent schools and family support programs

• Credit all Post-9/11 active duty service toward Guard and Reserve early retirement

• Create new incentives for employers to hire and retain drilling Guard and Reserve members

• Restore tax deductions for reservists’ out-of-pocket expenses for travel of 50 miles or more

• Create new incentives for employers/government/contractors to hire military spouses

• Improve professional licensure transferability for service members and their spouses

• Oppose proposals to fund existing or new compensation programs by cutting others

Health Care Issues

• Protect against disproportional TRICARE fee increases

• Monitor new initiatives to reform TRICARE and propose cogent options for improvements

• Ensure DoD healthcare policies and processes properly support pediatric beneficiaries

• Improve seamless transition and protect DoD and VA health budgets and benefits

• Authorize DoD-funded option for G/R families to retain civilian family health insurance upon call-up

• Ensure DoD meets new requirements for healthcare access and quality standards

Veterans / Other Issues

• Extend caregiver services and support to qualifying disabled veterans of all conflicts

• Sustain efficiency of initial VA disability claims process and reform VA appeals process

• Monitor implementation of Commission on Care recommendations and recommend improvements

• Authorize pre-tax payment of health, dental, and long-term health care premiums

• Prevent disproportional Social Security and Medicare penalties for any population segment

Selected Legislative Goals for 2017 (Cont.)

Retirement/Survivor Issues

• Oppose military benefit changes that are inconsistent with service career sacrifices

• Preserve full-inflation cost of living adjustments (COLAs)

• Repeal the deduction of VA disability compensation from military retired pay

• End deduction of VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities

• At minimum, extend and increase Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance for SBP/DIC survivors

• Restore VA Dependency & Indemnification Compensation for spouses who remarry after age 55

• Reform the SBP calculation for reservists who die performing Inactive Duty Training (IDT)

• Authorize deposit of DIC payments into a special needs trust for 100% disabled children

• Authorize survivors to retain a deceased retiree’s full final-month retired pay