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For Active and Retired Federal Employees

RETIREMENT LIFE OCTOBER 2012, Volume 88, Number 10

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

33 Questions &Answers

44 NARFENews

46 Out &About

50 For the Record: TSP Investments, COLAChart

DEPARTMENTS

8 Tentative Agreement Avoids GovernmentShutdown

10 Temporary Federal Firefighters Eligible for FEHBP

12 “America Counts on Us” Events Held inThreeStates

14 NARFE LegislationTracker

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

MembershipApplication . . . . . .29

DuesWithholding Application .30

NARFE-FEEACoupon . . . . . . .31

Alzheimer’s Coupon . . . . . . . . .46

NARFEMember Perks . . . . . . .48

visit us online at www.narfe.org

21 NARFE’s Congressional Scorecard – SpecialPullout Section. Every two years, theAssociation compiles the voting records ofmembers of Congress on issues important toNARFE members. See how your congressionaldelegation voted.

COVER STORY

Cover design by Jim Richards

‘Like’ us on Facebook(NARFE National Headquarters)

SPECIALSECTION40 2012 Open Season

Preview

COLUMNS6 Message From theNational President

16 Managing Money

18 LiveWell

44 Report From theRegions

Follow us on Twitter(@narfehq)

4 OCTOBER 2012 | NARFE

NARFE MAGAZINEVolume 88,Number 10

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 Augie Stratoti(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, NewHampshire, New York, Rhode Island andVermont)Tel: 603-889-1073Email: [email protected]

REGION II Ronald P. Bowers(Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,New Jersey and Pennsylvania)Tel: 410-308-0420Email: [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 Betty Lucero-Turner(Arizona, Colorado, NewMexico, Utah andWyoming)Tel: 719-583-0910Email: [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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By the time you read this issueof NARFE magazine, youprobably will have heard orread about the outcome oftheNARFENational Conven-

tion, which concluded at the end of August.Much was accomplished, and I want to sharesome of the Convention highlights.

First, though, I would like to thank all ofyou for re-electing me as your National Presi-dent. It will be an honor to serve for anothertwo years. I pledge that I will continue toworkwith you and for you during my second term.

Convention delegates approved the revisedNational Bylaws and Standing Rules of the As-sociation. The revised Bylaws, which are nowin compliance with statutes of the District ofColumbia, will be one of the catalysts thatNARFE Headquarters will use to make our or-ganization stronger and better.

Another significant action taken by dele-gates was an overwhelming vote to endorseonline e-Chapters. As many of you know, thee-Chapter concept was adopted by the Na-tional Executive Board as a recruitment tool forthose prospective members who prefer not tojoin a traditional chapter. National e-Chapter2363 has grown from five founding membersin March 2011 to more than 4,000 members,as of September 4. The Florida Federation also has a suc-cessful and growing e-Chapter, and we pledge to assist

other federations interested in starting theirown. YourNational Officers andNational Exec-utive Board must and will continue to addressour declining membership and search for newways to appeal to prospectiveNARFEmembers.

Convention delegates also approved theNARFE Legislative Program for the 113thCon-gress, which will guide us as we continue tofight to protect federal benefits. As citizens, weall need to participate in reasonable and fair ef-forts to balance the budget and reduce the na-tional debt, but wewill continue to lead effortswith our Coalition partners and our membersto ensure that federal workers and retirees arenot singled out unfairly.

Finally, NARFE Headquarters will not ceaselooking for ways to reduce costs and increaserevenue. As employees retire or leave Head-quarters, we are attempting to absorb their du-ties in order to reduce our workforce and ex-penditures. We also will continue to look fornew revenue sources, and ensure that any con-tracting is accomplished by competent individ-uals and companies at the most economicalprice.

Your other National Officers – all havebeen re-elected – and I are committed to pro-viding our members with the best possibleservice. I will end my column by quoting my

personal motto, “Working Together, We Can Make a Dif-ference.”


A Message From theNational President

THE REVISEDBYLAWS

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Atentative agreement by congressional leaders and

the White House on a measure to keep the federal

government running past the start of the fiscal

year October 1 does little to address the overar-

ching questions on the budget and the future economic health and

well-being of the country. This uncertainty does not bode well for fed-

eral employees and retirees.

� The House will be in sessionOctober 1-5. It will be inrecess the rest of the monthleading up to the November 6elections. As of press time,the Senate had notannounced its fall schedule.

� In 1922, the Navy League ofthe United States organizedthe first Navy Day onOctober 27, the birthday ofPresident TheodoreRoosevelt. Over the years, thecelebration grew, with theNavy sending ships to portsthroughout the country. In1949, with the creation of theDepartment of Defense, theNavy was directed to partici-pate in Armed Forces Day inMay. As a civilian organiza-tion, the Navy League was notrequired to move its celebra-tion and has continued itsOctober commemoration.

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

The pay and benefits of active andretired civil servants have already beentrimmed by an estimated $75 billionover 10 years through pay freezes andincreasing retirement contributions fornew hires, effective in January 2013.And all of that comes without any sig-nificant agreement on a grand budgetdeal.

CONTINUING RESOLUTIONPrior to the August congressional

recess, it was reported that HouseSpeaker John A. Boehner, R-OH, andSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, had agreed on a six-month Con-tinuing Resolution (CR) to keep thegovernment operating until March

2013. At press time, details were beingironed out between the leaders’ re-spective staffs. Reid announced thatPresident Obama also had agreed tothe deal.

The agreement adheres to the$1.047 trillion discretionary spendinglimit included in last year’s deficit-re-duction law, the Budget Control Act.So far, the Senate has moved appropri-ations bills through the Senate Appro-priations Committee at the BudgetControl Act limits, while the Househas made deeper cuts. But no regularappropriations bills for any federalagencies have been signed into law,and leaders do not expect to finishwork on those funding bills by theSeptember 30 deadline, making theCR necessary.

SEQUESTRATION LOOMSNot included in the agreement is

resolution of the expiring Bush taxcuts, Medicare physician payment

LEGISLATIVEREPORT

Tentative Agreement Avoids Shutdown Major Issues

Remain, IncludingPostal Reform

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rates or the scheduled January sequestration process. Se-questration, part of the debt-limit deal of 2011, calls fordeep, across-the-board cuts in most discretionary federalspending. Those matters are expected to be addressed in thepost-election, lame-duck session of Congress, and couldhinge on the outcome of the November presidential andcongressional elections. Both Democrats and Republicansare wagering that the 2012 elections will give them astronger negotiating stance to see things decided accordingto their competing visions for the future role of govern-ment and the national economy.

INACTION ON POSTAL REFORM Postal reform also is still on the docket. While the Senate

passed postal reform legislation in April, the House has yetto schedule consideration of a companion measure reportedby the House Committee on Oversight and GovernmentReform, cosponsored by Chairman Darrell Issa, R-CA, andRep. Dennis A. Ross, R-FL. The House bill allows for moredrastic and immediate cuts than the Senate-passedmeasure, such as switching to five-day delivery, cluster-boxinstead of door-to-door delivery, and the renegotiation oflabor contracts. A House vote may not come before a post-

election, lame-duck session, if at all, this year.In the meantime, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) defaulted

on a $5.5 billion payment, due August 1, to cover health in-surance for future retirees. That payment had been deferredfrom last year, and the USPS appears ready to default on an-other $5.6 billion due September 30, absent legislationpassed by Congress. Stay tuned.

By Alan Lopatin, Legislative Counsel

STORY HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS� Congressional leaders have agreed to pass a catch-all Continuing Resolution to avoid a governmentshutdown October 1, as individual appropriationsbills have languished. As of August, none of theappropriations bills had cleared Congress.

� Even though a government shutdown will beaverted, many key matters remain for Congress todecide, including how to deal with sequestration,which calls for deep cuts in federal discretionaryspending beginning in January 2013.

� Postal reform also awaits action in the House ofRepresentatives.

Legislative Report

Temporary Federal Firefighters Eligible for FEHBPThe Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has published regulations extending eligibility for the Federal Em-

ployees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to individuals who assist in fighting forest wildfires throughoutthe nation under temporary appointments. Because of the seasonal nature of the work they are called to do, thousands of federal firefighters are temporary

employees. Formerly, they were not eligible to enroll in the FEHBP. Undernew regulations, these employees will be able to enroll in a health insuranceplan under the FEHBP for health care coverage while they are employed.They also will have the option to continue their coverage at their own expensewhen they return home. Most of these firefighters are employed by the De-partment of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.The regulation does not, however, extend health coverage to thousands

of other temporary employees in land management agencies, who alsowork in a series of seasonal appointments without health insurance or pen-sion benefits.OPM will issue guidelines for agencies following the 60-day comment pe-

riod that allows the public to provide feedback on the new regulations.NARFE’s coalition partner, the National Federation of Federal Employees,

counts many seasonal federal employees as members.

Temporary federal firefighters, includingthose who battled a huge wildfire inColorado in June, will now be eligible toenroll in the FEHBP.

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Legislative Report


In the August issue, NARFE magazine reported on thenew advocacy campaign “America Counts on Us,” or-ganized by the 30-member Federal-Postal Coalition.The campaign is designed to increase awareness of

federal and postal employees and the work they do. TheCoalition conducted three successful events in Virginia,Maryland and Montana, and more are being scheduled.

FORUM IN VIRGINIAFormer Virginia Governor and Democratic U.S. Senate

candidate Tim Kaine joined members of the Federal-PostalCoalition at the first official America Counts on Us forumAugust 1 in Arlington, VA. Responding to questions fromthe audience, Kaine discussed the importance of the federalworkforce and the need to protect federal employees and re-tirees. He labeled the attacks on feds “revolting.” Membersof many Coalition organizations attended, includingNARFE, the American Federation of Government Em-ployees (AFGE), the National Treasury Employees Union(NTEU), the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). In addi-

tion to the strong turnout from member organizations, fivereporters covered the forum. Jessica Klement, NARFE com-munications and legislative representative, was moderator.Former Virginia Governor and Republican Senate candidateGeorge Allen also was invited to participate in the forum buthad a scheduling conflict. The Coalition is working to or-ganize an event with him.

MARYLAND CAMPAIGN EVENTJohn Delaney, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House

of Representatives for Maryland’s 6th District, held a bar-becue July 15 in Frederick, MD, attended by members ofFederal-Postal Coalition organizations, including NARFEMaryland Federation President Ted Jensen and members ofthe NTEU. In discussing the current attacks on federal em-ployees and retirees, Delaney said that he was sympatheticto members’ concerns but emphasized the importance ofreducing the deficit. Since the event took place, the Coali-tion held a “meet and greet” with Delaney, and NARFEmembers in Maryland met with him separately.

MONTANA TOWN HALL MEETINGRep. Denny Rehberg, R-MT, held a “Defending our De-

fenders” town hall meeting July 16 in Great Falls, MT, to dis-cuss the impact of sequestration on the military as well asDepartment of Defense employees and contractors in theGreat Falls area, particularly at Malmstrom Air Force Base.Rehberg was joined, by phone, by Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-VA, and others, including five local Department of Defensecontractors. AFGE field organizer Cheryl Kelso served as themain Coalition coordinator. America Counts on Us isworking to organize additional events in Montana. �

‘America Counts on Us’Events InVirginia,Maryland and Montana

STORY HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS� The Federal-Postal Coalition’s “America Counts onUs” campaign sponsored or took part in events inthree states.

� In Virginia, it sponsored a forum.� In Maryland, it participated in a candidate’sbarbecue.

� In Montana, it sent attendees to a congressionaltown hall meeting.

ABOVE: Tim Kaine, the former governor of Virginia and currentDemocratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, addresses the first“America Counts on Us” forum in Arlington, VA.

RIGHT: A federal retiree poses aquestion to Kaine.

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FEDERAL PAYFREEZE

PHASED RETIREMENT

CHANGES TOTHE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES? COMPENSATION ACT(FECA)

IISSSSUUEE

NARFE Legislation TrackerWhat Bill Would Do Latest CongressionalBill Number / Name /

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.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 insteadof the current high three, andeliminates the Federal EmployeesRetirement System AnnuitySupplement

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)

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, enhances programefficiency, improves program integrityand modernizes benefits

Approved by Committee onOversight and GovernmentReform 2/7/2012(Likely to be consideredby full House)

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)

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 back each issue for updates.

NARFE | OCTOBER 2012 15

IISSSSUUEE

NARFE Legislation TrackerWhat Bill Would Do Latest CongressionalBill Number / Name /

WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS

REPEAL OF GPO ANDWEP

PPOOLLIITTIICCAALLAACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS

PPOOSSTTAALLRREEFFOORRMM

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 ofdeficit-reduction talks)

Referred to Subcommittee onSocial Security 4/7/2011

Referred to Committee onFinance 12/16/2011(Unlikely to beconsidered)

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(Likely to be considered

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Federal employees have ac-cess to great benefits, andthe Federal Employees’Group Life Insurance

(FEGLI) program is no exception.Having said that, there are still timeswhen alternatives, such as individualterm life insurance,will prove to be thebetter choice. Unfortunately,many fed-eral employees take the easy road andsimply elect FEGLI coverage. As a re-sult, they may pay far more for theirlife insurance coverage thannecessary.

Before we go any further, I want topoint out that there are several com-ponents to FEGLI. However, thiscolumn will focus exclusively onOption B, which can be elected at one,two, three, fourorfive timesannualpay.

There’s no question that FEGLI hasits advantages, but there are severaldrawbacks as well, which create timeswhen enduring the inconvenience ofobtaining an individual term policywill proveworthwhile. For starters, pre-miums for FEGLI are based on five-year age bands andwill increase as theemployee gets older. On the otherhand, individual term insurance poli-cies can have a premium guaranteedto remain level for as long as 30 years.In some cases, the FEGLI premiummay start out less expensive than acomparable individual termpolicy; butbecause the FEGLI premiums increaseover time, the total cost of FEGLI maybemore over the long run.

For example, a45-year-oldmale fed-eral employeewith $250,000 of OptionB coverage will pay $519 annually, butthat will increase to $846 annually be-ginning at age 50, $1,496 annually atage 55 and $3,381 at age 60. Let’s as-

sume the employee retires at age 65and elects the full reduction option.Under this option, the FEGLI coveragewill be reduced2percent everymonth,beginning the secondmonth after his65th birthday (or if he retired after 65,the secondmonth after his retirementdate)until thecoverage reduces tozero.

On the other hand, this same 45-year old federal employee could get a$250,000 individual term life insurancepolicywith a25-year, guaranteed-level

premium for $943 per year. Note: Thisis for a standard health rating, not anelusive preferred rate for only those inthebest ofhealth.While theFEGLI cov-eragewill begindeclining at age65, theindividual insurancepolicywill providefull coverage until the insured attainsage 70 or simply stops paying the pre-miums. For this comparison, we’ll as-sume the insured stops paying thepre-miums after the 24th year, which willprovide coverage for an additional sixmonths longer than the FEGLI cov-erage.

Add up all the premiums paid, andthe FEGLI coverage will cost a total of$31,200. Although the individual terminsurance premium starts out higher,and continues for an extra four years,the total cost is only $22,632 – a sav-ings of more than $8,500.

Another drawback to FEGLI is thatthere’s no discount for being in goodhealth. Individual term insurance poli-cies, on the other hand, are medicallyunderwritten andprovidehealthy indi-

viduals with lower premiums. For ex-ample, let’s assume the 45-year-old intheaboveexample is inexcellenthealthand qualifies for a preferred healthrating. Instead of paying $943 per year,the individualwouldpayonly $485peryear, and the total savings compared toFEGLI would jump to nearly $20,000over the 24-year period.

Furthermore, women tend to livelonger thanmen, and individual insur-ance policieswill reflect thiswith lower

premiums forwomen.FEGLIpremiumsdo not account for this actuarial differ-ence, and are the same for men andwomen. If our 45-year-old federal em-ployeewere female, she could get a 25-year individual termpolicy for $670peryear ($270 less than hermale counter-part) as a standard health risk and only$388per year as a preferredhealth risk.Assuming the same time period, thetotal savings would be $15,120 and$21,888, respectively.

In somecases, an individual term in-surance policy will be less expensivefromdayone. For example, let’s assumea 55-year-oldmale whowill be retiringat age65andelecting the full reductionoptionwants tocompare thecostof car-rying FEGLI coverage with individualterm insurance. To ensure he’ll havecoverage for as long as FEGLI will pro-vide coverage, he’ll have to go with a15-year, guaranteed-level term insur-ance policy. Recall that the FEGLI pre-mium for a 55-year-old is $1,494. Butthis time, the individual term insurance


Better-Than-FEGLI Term InsuranceBy Mark A.Keen,CFP®

ManagingMoney

MANY federal employees takethe easy road and simplyelect FEGLI coverage.

premium for a standardhealth rating isonly $1,320 per year. The FEGLI pre-miums from age 55 to age 65will total$24,375, whereas the total cost of theterm insurance for14years (sixmonthsafter the FEGLI coverage will be re-duced to zero) will only be $18,480 – asavings of almost $6,000.

The annual premium for the 15-year individual insurance policy for a55-year-old female is only $825 peryear – a savings of almost $13,000 overthe 14-year period. Once again, thesepremiums are for a standard healthrating. If the federal employee is ingood-to-excellent health, the savingscould bemuch larger.

Some of the biggest savings cancome when a federal employee con-tinues to work after age 65 or when aretiree continues Option B coverage

with no reduction beyond age 65.For example, assuming a standard

health rating, a 65-year-old male canget a $250,000 insurance policy withpremiums guaranteed to remain levelfor 10 years for $2,343 per year. Thecomparable FEGLI coverage will run$4,029 per year and rise to $7,410 peryear at age 70. In this example, the in-dividual term insurance will providenearly $34,000 in savings over the 10-year period. And for a female? A 65-year-old female can get the 10-yearpolicy for $1,463 per year, providing atotal savings of approximately $43,000over 10 years.

At this point, you’re probablythinking, “Sure, these premiumsmustbe from some cut-rate insurance com-pany.” Absolutely not. These are thepremiums for reputable, A+ rated in-

surance companies.There’s no “one size fits all” answer

here. And as this column illustrates, it’snot simply an issue of what happens tobe less expensive in the beginning. Todetermine whether FEGLI or an indi-vidual term insurancepolicywill be thebetter option, an analysis of individualcircumstances, including a projectionover the expected time period, is re-quired.

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].



L upus is anautoimmunediseasein which the body’s immunesystem attacks the tissues and

organs it is designed to protect. Thiscauses inflammation that can damagethe joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs,

blood vessels andbrain.According tothe Lupus Founda-tion of America,Inc., five millionpeople throughoutthe world havesome form oflupus, and morethan 16,000 newcases are reported

annually throughout the country.A healthy immune system makes

proteins (antibodies) andcells (lympho-cytes) that destroy foreign substances,suchasbacteria andviruses that invadethe body. In lupus, the immune systemmakesproteins (autoantibodies) that at-tackhealthy cells and tissues. Themostcommontypeof autoantibody found inpeople with lupus is an antinuclear an-tibody (ANA) that damages the cell’scommand center (nucleus).

Four types of lupus occur in adults:1. Systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE) is themost common type, affectsmanyparts of thebody,maybemild orserious, and usually occurs in womenbetween the ages of 15 and 45.

2. Discoid lupus erythematosus isa red, raised rash on the skin of theface, scalp or elsewhere that may be-come thick and scaly, and cause scar-ring. It may last for days or years andrecur. A few people with discoid lupusmay have or develop SLE later.

3. Subacute cutaneous lupus ery-

thematosus causes skinlesions on parts of thebody exposed to sunlightand does not cause scar-ring.

4. Drug-induced lupusis caused bymedicationsand usually goes awaywhen the medication isstopped. Symptoms ofarthritis, rash, fever andchest pain are similar toSLE.

Commonsymptomsoflupus include:

• Painful or swollenjoints andmuscle pain;

• Unexplained fever;• Red rash, most often

on the face;• Chest pain when

breathing deeply;• Hair loss;• Pale or purple fingers or toes from

cold or stress;• Sensitivity to the sun;• Swelling in legs or around eyes;• Mouth ulcers;• Swollen glands; and• Extreme tiredness.Less common symptoms include:• Decreased red blood cells;• Headaches;• Dizziness;• Depression;• Confusion; and• Seizures.There is no single test to diagnose

lupus. It may take years for doctors toput together the symptoms to diag-nose this complex disease accurately.The process involves medical history,physical examination, laboratory testsonblood andurine, and skin or kidneybiopsy. Blood tests for autoantibodies,

including ANA andothers, can help makethe diagnosis.

Lupus isnoted forpe-riods of illness (flares)and periods of wellness(remission). Currently,there is no cure. How-ever, lupus can betreated effectively withmedications, and mostpeople with the diseasecan lead active lives.Manypeoplewith lupusexperience increased fa-tigue, pain, a rash, fever,abdominal discomfort,headache or dizzinessjust before a flare. A keytomanaging lupus is torecognize the warning

signs of a flare and take action to wardit off or reduce its intensity.

In treating lupus, a family doctor orinternist often works with a rheuma-tologist (arthritis and inflammatorydis-orders specialist), dermatologist (skinspecialist) andothermedical specialists.The goals of treatment are to preventand treat flares, and reduce organdamage and other problems.

Therapies for lupus include:

By Marilyn S.Radke,M.D.

LiveWell

ToLearnMoreFor more information, write to

the National Institute ofArthritis and Musculoskeletal andSkinDiseases,National Institutes ofHealth,1AMSCircle,Bethesda,MD20892-3675; or call 877-226-4267(TTY: 301-565-2966); or visit thewebsite atwww.niams.nih.gov.

Living With Lupus

LUPUS RESULTSin inflammationthat can damagethe joints,skin,kidneys,heart,lungs,blood

vessels and brain.

Continued on p. 20

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• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs are used to treat pain, swellingand fever.

• Anti-malarials are drugs formalaria treatment that also relieve fa-tigue, joint pain, skin rashes and in-flammation of the lungs in lupus, andmay prevent flares from recurring.

• Corticosteroids rapidly suppress in-flammation and are drugs related tocortisol, an anti-inflammatory hor-mone.

• Immunosuppressives block theproduction of immune cells, and mayaid patients whose kidneys or centralnervous systems are affected by lupus.

• B-lymphocyte stimulator-specificinhibitors block protein that may re-duce the number of abnormal B cellsthought to be a problem in lupus.

• Othermedicationsmaybeused totreat lupus, including proteins derivedfrom human blood (immunoglobu-lins) andmedications to treat problemsrelated to lupus, such as high choles-terol, high blood pressure or infection.

• Alternative and complementarytherapies include special diets, nutri-tional supplements, fishoils, ointmentsand creams, chiropractic treatment,and homeopathy, which may helpwith symptoms; but research has notshown them to affect the diseaseprocess or prevent organ damage.

Exercising andfindingways to relaxmay make it easier to cope with thestress of having lupus. A supportsystem of family, friends, doctors andcommunity groups also can help.

If youhave lupus, learnmore aboutthe disease, and be involved in yourown care so you can feel better and re-mainmore active.

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


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Continued from p. 18

In the ongoing debate over the federal budgetand deficit, there is general recognition of theneed for shared sacrifices. But as the compila-tion of votes on the next several pages shows,

current and future federal employees and retireeshave been regularly singled out for the very opposite– targeted sacrifice.Having sent very few pieces of legislation to the

president’s desk, the 112thCongress is being assailedas a do-nothing Congress. The strong partisan divideamong members largely accounts for this gridlock.While embracing shared sacrifice in general, Con-gress has rejected the sweeping “balanced” plans of-fered by several bipartisan commissions proposing torein in the federal deficit and grow the economy. Ofcourse, balance among and between entitlements,taxes anddiscretionary spending resides in the eye ofthe beholder.Voting is theessential anddefiningactof lawmakers

and citizens alike. On or before November 6, NARFEmembers, likeall electors, have theopportunity tovotein private. Informed use of the ballot by voters is howcitizens hold elected officials accountable.Howmembers ofCongress vote on thefloor of the

House and Senate is carefully recorded in each

chamber. However, the hundreds of votes make ittime-consuming, if not impossible, for the public tofollow closely. NARFE, like other interest groups, se-lects the most important votes dealing with our leg-islativemission to allow theAssociation’smembers tosee in one place how their congressional delegationbehaved on crucial votes.Redistricting and the explosion of super political

action committee (PAC) spending complicate thiselection. Congressional redistricting means new dis-tricts, and the growth of so-called super PACsmeansanonymous groups may outspend the candidates.These strange bedfellows may make the unlikeliestdistricts competitive.

INFORMATION, NOT ENDORSEMENTNARFE’s biennial voting feature, the largest and

longest-running feature in this publication, serves toprovide information and empowerment. It shouldnotbe interpreted as a NARFE endorsement. The sole in-tent is to provide the best empirical information onhow current members of Congress voted on legisla-tion of concern to the federal community. Use it inconjunction with other means of measuring incum-bents. It remains the best yardstick for that enterprise.


SPECIALPULLOUTSECTION

HHoowwCongressional Behavior

SShhoouulldd IInnffoorrmmOur Own

By Christopher Farrell, Legislative Representative

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION S

o that NARFE members may be as informed aspossible about the 390 representatives and 22senators seeking re-election to Congress, andhow these men and women have representedthe concerns of current and future federal re-

tirees, we are publishing this compilation of voting in the112th Congress (2011-2012). Use it now and detach it forregular consultation, sharing and even recruiting. This is the16th such compilation that NARFE has published.

FISCAL CLIFFSAs you read this, the fiscal year is quickly coming to its

conclusion on September 30. An even more momentousfiscal cliff looms at the end of the calendar year. Many of themost important decisions have been postponed until afterthe November 6 elections. This post-election session willhave to grapple with many expiring policy issues, not theleast of which are the expiring tax cuts established in 2001and 2003, as well as a debate on how to avoid the pendingsequestration cuts. (Votes cast in this lame-duck sessionmay be used in the 2014 edition of this article.)

FIVE HOUSE, FOUR SENATE VOTESFrom the 1,505 House and 424 Senate roll call votes held

during 2011-2012, NARFE has selected five House and fourSenate votes as important to NARFE members, and they aredisplayed here. While similar, none of the votes are on pre-cisely the same legislation.

RECENT AND HISTORICAL SUMMARIESThe percent “correct” column near the middle summarizes

the four Senate or five House votes cast during 2011-2012;the percent “correct” at the right includes all key votes castfrom 1981 through 2010. Please use both the itemized recentvotes and the historical summary to evaluate your own rep-resentative and two senators. Like the 2010 edition, thisanalysis is posted for NARFE members at www.narfe.org.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER, ONE-STOP SHOPPINGAlthough you are urged to pull out and keep these

pages, the NARFE Legislative Action Center harnesses thepower of the Internet to provide a single site for votes,cosponsorships, congressional staff and offices, and otherinformation for every member of Congress. Start atwww.capwiz.com/narfe/officials/ and insert your ZIP codeto produce a display of your congressional delegation andkey votes for the last 10 years. Provide a copy to your legis-lators and their staff.

HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONAfter two years of divided government, voters will deter-

mine if there should be a change. The November electionscould narrow the margins in Congress, or party controlcould change. At least 50 House incumbents will not returnto Congress – 26 representatives and 10 senators are retiring(marked “R”), 12 representatives and one senator were de-feated (marked “D”) in primary elections, 11 representativesare running for the Senate (marked “S”), one representativeis running for governor (marked “G”) and one is running formayor (marked “M”). Thirty-three Senate terms are expiring(marked *). Senators (33) facing re-election in 2014 aremarked with a “14,” and the 34 facing re-election in 2016are marked with a “16.”

RESPECTED SOURCESKeeping track of the vote on one bill or one lawmaker

can be done using public information. The House(www.clerk.house.gov) and Senate (www.senate.gov) makeindividual roll call votes available within hours of the vote.To produce this article, NARFE staff used CongressionalQuarterly (CQ), the highly respected print and electronicpublisher. Our contract with CQ.com allows NARFE to se-lect the key votes and preferred position, and CQ’s softwareand database produce the “pluses” and “minuses” you seedisplayed on the next several pages. NARFE counts the his-torical “right” (+) and “wrong” (-) votes, and the percentageright (% +).

By Christopher Farrell, Legislative Representative

HowTheyVoted:112thCongress

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 :


SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

2011 SENATE VOTE #225 DECEMBER 8, 2011

Payroll Tax Relief Extension (S. 1931) –Motion to ProceedSen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, proposed a motion to pro-

ceed with the bill to extend current payroll tax rates for in-dividuals through 2012. It would be paid for, or “offset,” byextending the current pay freeze for federal workers forthree years and reducing the federal civilian workforcethrough attrition. It also would require increased Medicarepayments from higher income earners. Motion rejected 22-76. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See February 2012 NARFE, “Analysis: Feds Continue To BeBudget Pawns,” pp. 8-10.)

2012 SENATE VOTE #38 MARCH 13, 2012

Surface Transportation Authorization (S. 1813) –Drilling Approval and Energy Tax ExtensionsSen. Pat Roberts, R-KS, introduced an amendment to ex-

tend energy tax credit programs, excluding the productioncredit and the stimulus grant program that expired in 2011.Provisions would be partially offset by extending the federalemployee pay freeze through 2013. It also would approvethe Keystone XL pipeline, and expand oil and gas drilling innew areas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge inAlaska. Rejected 41-57. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

2012 SENATE VOTE #73 APRIL 24, 2012

Postal Service Overhaul (S. 1789) –Federal Workers’ CompensationSen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI, introduced an amendment

to strike provisions in the bill restricting injured workers’compensation and replace it with adjustments strength-ening the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).The amendment would allow payments of certain benefitsin the event of terrorism incidents and increase funeral re-imbursement. It also would allow the U.S. Postal Service torecoup $11 billion in overpayments to a retirement accountand use the money to provide financial incentives to some100,000 employees to retire.Rejected 46-53. A “yea” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See July 2012 NARFE, “Senate Passes Postal Reform Bill, Re-duces Workers’ Comp Benefits,” p. 12.)

2012 SENATE VOTE #98 MAY 16, 2012

House Fiscal 2013 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 112) –Motion to Proceed Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, proposed a motion to proceed

with the concurrent resolution to allow $2.794 trillion innew budget authority for fiscal year 2013, not including off-budget accounts. The resolution would save $368 billionover 10 years by cutting federal retirement, extending for anadditional year the current federal employee pay freeze andreducing the federal workforce. See full vote description onp. 24 for 2012 House Vote #151.Motion rejected 41-58. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See August 2012 NARFE, “Congress’ To-Do List: Deficit,Budget, Tax Cut,” pp. 8-10.)


HowTheyVoted:112thCongress KEYNARFE VOTES

SENATE VOTES112TH CONGRESS



HOUSE VOTES112TH CONGRESS

2011 HOUSE VOTE #133 FEBRUARY 19, 2011

Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Appropriations (H.R. 1) –Federal Employee Step IncreasesRep. Darrell Issa, R-CA, proposed an amendment

to bar the use of funds made available in the bill tofund periodic pay increases (step increases) forfederal employees. Rejected 191-230. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See April 2011 NARFE, “Step-Increase Ban Defeated,” p. 11.)

2011 HOUSE VOTE #363 MAY 26, 2011

Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization (H.R. 1540) –Civilian Employee Workforce Reduction Rep. John Campbell, R-CA, introduced an amendment to

direct the Defense Secretary to reduce the baseline numberof civilian employees at the Defense Department by 1 per-cent every year for the next five fiscal years.Rejected 98-321. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See August 2011 NARFE, “House Panel Considers Bills toReduce the Federal Workforce,” p. 16.)

2011 HOUSE VOTE #923 DECEMBER 13, 2011

Year-End Extension of Payroll Tax Holiday (H.R. 3630) –PassagePassage of the bill to extend the 4.2 percent employee pay-

roll tax rate through 2012. It also would provide for a 1 per-cent increase in Medicare payment rates to doctors in 2012and 2013, preventing a reduction scheduled to occur in 2012.The bill also extends unemployment benefits, fees chargedby Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Keystone XLpipeline. Among offsets included to reduce costs, the bill in-creases the employee contribution to the Civil Service Re-tirement System and the Federal Employees RetirementSystem for calendar years 2013, 2014 and 2015. The bill es-tablishes new annuity computation rules for federal em-ployees hired after December 31, 2012, with less than fiveyears of creditable civilian service. In addition, the bill elimi-nates the FERS Annuity Supplement for federal employees. Passed 234-193. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See March 2012 NARFE, “Fed Benefits Again on ChoppingBlock,” pp. 8-10.)

2012 HOUSE VOTE #151 MARCH 29, 2012

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 112) –AdoptionAdoption of a concurrent resolution to provide $2.793

trillion in new budget authority for fiscal year 2013, not in-cluding off-budget accounts. It calls for limiting discre-tionary appropriations to $1.028 trillion in 2013 throughmajor cuts to nondefense discretionary and mandatoryspending over the next 10 years. In order to achieve this sav-ings, the resolution saves $368 billion over 10 years by cut-ting federal retirement, extending for an additional year thecurrent federal employee pay freeze and reducing the fed-eral workforce. It would assume significant future savingsby restructuring Medicare into a “premium support” systembeginning in 2023, converting Medicaid and the food stampprogram into block grants to states, and repealing the 2010health care overhaul. Adopted 228-191. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See May 2012 NARFE, “Ryan Budget Aims Another Assaulton Feds,” pp. 8-10.)

2012 HOUSE VOTE #247 MAY 10, 2012

Budget Sequestration Replacement (H.R. 5652) –Passage Passage of the bill to cancel $98 billion in automatic dis-

cretionary spending cuts scheduled to go into effect in Jan-uary 2013. It replaces the sequester with a $19 billion reduc-tion in the discretionary cap for fiscal year 2013 and with rec-onciliation savings from mandatory programs recommendedby six House committees, among them requiring all currentand future federal workers to pay an additional 5 percentagepoints of their salary toward their federal pensions. It alsoeliminates the separate cap on defense spending for the yearto allow for higher spending levels. The bill modifies manda-tory programs to save $19.7 billion through fiscal year 2013and $310 billion over 10 years, including by decreasing ben-efits and eligibility for the food stamp program, and reducingand repealing elements of the 2010 health care law. Passed 218-199. A “nay” vote is considered a “plus” for NARFE purposes.

(See July 2012 NARFE, “Feds Hit Again in Budget Reconcil-iation,” pp. 8-10.)


112th Congress 97th-111th

AL At-large representativeR Member not running for re-election, retiringG Running for governorM Representative running for mayorS Representative running for Senate* Senator whose term is expiringD Member defeated in primary’16 Term expires in 2016’14 Term expires in 2014

Votes:+ Voted for the NARFE-preferred position– Voted against the NARFE-preferred positionx Did not voteMembers of Congress:Representatives’ names in blackSenators’ names in blue1 Not yet elected when vote takenS Speaker of the House, rarely votes

112th Congress 97th-111th

STATE-BY-STATE RECORD OF PERFORMANCE ON

KEYNARFE VOTES

ALABAMA1 Bonner (R) + + – – – 40 3 13 192 Roby (R) – + – – – 203 Rogers (R) + + – – – 40 14 6 704 Aderholt (R) + + – – – 40 6 22 215 Brooks (R) + + + – – 606 Bachus (R) – + – – – 20 8 28 227 Sewell (D) + + + + + 100’16 Shelby (R) + – – – 25 15 36 29’14 Sessions (R) + – – – 25 3 16 16ALASKAAL Young (R) + + – – – 40 32 28 53’14 Begich (D) + – + + 75 3 0 100’16 Murkowski (R) – – – – 0 2 8 20ARIZONA1 Gosar (R) – + – – – 202 Franks (R) – + – – – 20 1 18 53 Quayle (R) x – – – – 04 Pastor (D) + + + + + 100 37 3 935 Schweikert (R) – + – – – 206 SFlake (R) – x + – – 25 0 24 07 Grijalva (D) + + + + + 100 20 0 1008 Barber (D) I I I I I’16 McCain (R) – – – – 0 19 19 50* RKyl (R) + – – – 25 3 19 14ARKANSAS1 Crawford (R) – + – – – 202 Griffin (R) – + – – – 20 1003 Womack (R) – + – – – 204 R Ross (D) + + – + + 80 24 0 100’16 Boozman (R) + – – – 25’14 Pryor (D) + + + + 100 10 0 100CALIFORNIA1 Thompson (D) + + + + + 100 25 1 962 R Herger (R) – + – – – 20 12 41 233 Lungren (R) – – – – – 0 3 10 234 McClintock (R)– – + – – 20 0 5 05 Matsui (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 1006 R Woolsey (D) + + + + + 100 31 1 977 Miller (D) + + + + + 100 61 4 948 Pelosi (D) + + + x + 100 43 1 989 Lee (D) + + + + + 100 27 0 10010 Garamendi (D)+ – + + + 80 2 0 10011 McNerney (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 10012 Speier (D) + + + + + 100 6 0 10013 Stark (D) x – + + + 75 61 5 9214 Eshoo (D) + + + + + 100 34 1 9715 Honda (D) + + + + + 100 22 0 10016 Lofgren (D) + – + + + 80 31 1 97

17 Farr (D) + – + + + 80 33 1 9718 Vacant19 Denham (R) – + – – – 2020 Costa (D) + + + + + 100 12 0 10021 Nunes (R) – + – – – 20 6 13 3222 McCarthy (R) – + – – – 20 2 8 2023 Capps (D) + + + + + 100 27 0 10024 RGallegly (R) – + – – – 20 21 30 4125 McKeon (R) – + – – – 20 6 31 1626 RDreier (R) – + – – – 20 16 48 2527 Sherman (D) + + + + + 100 26 2 9328 Berman (D) + + + + x 100 56 2 9729 Schiff (D) + + + + + 100 22 1 9630 Waxman (D) + + + + + 100 64 1 9831 Becerra (D) + + + + + 100 35 1 9732 Chu (D) + + + + + 100 2 0 10033 Bass (D) + + + + + 10034 Roybal-Allard (D)+ + + + + 100 35 1 9735 Waters (D) + + + + + 100 37 1 9736 Hahn (D) I I + + + 10037 Richardson (D) + + + + + 100 9 0 10038 Napolitano (D)+ + + + x 100 24 0 10039 Sanchez,

Linda (D) + + + + + 100 19 0 10040 Royce (R) – – – – – 0 2 34 641 RLewis (R) – + – – – 20 24 35 4142 Miller (R) – + – – – 20 5 20 2043 Baca (D) + + + + + 100 23 0 10044 Calvert (R) – + – – – 20 10 25 2945 Bono Mack (R) – – – – – 0 9 17 3546 Rohrabacher (R) – + – – – 20 9 37 2047 Sanchez,

Loretta (D) + + + + + 100 26 2 9348 Campbell (R) – – + – – 20 1 9 1049 Issa (R) – + – – – 20 18 40 3150 Bilbray (R) – + – – – 20 4 6 4051M Filner (D) + x x x x 100 36 0 10052 Hunter (R) – + – – – 20 1 4 2053 Davis (D) + + + + + 100 24 0 100* Feinstein (D) + + + + 100 22 7 76’16 Boxer (D) + + + + 100 28 1 97COLORADO1 DeGette (D) + + + + + 100 18 0 1002 Polis (D) + – + + + 80 5 0 1003 Tipton (R) – + – – – 204 Gardner (R) – – – – – 05 Lamborn (R) – + – – – 20 1 9 106 Coffman (R) – – – – – 0 1 4 207 Perlmutter (D)+ + + + + 100 10 0 100

VOTE NUMBER:House 133 363 923 151 247 % # # %Senate 225 38 73 98 + – +




’14 Udall (D) + + – + 75 2 1 67’16 Bennet (D) + + – + 75 2 1 67CONNECTICUT1 Larson (D) + + + + + 100 25 0 1002 Courtney (D) + + + + + 100 9 0 1003 DeLauro (D) + + + + + 100 39 2 954 Himes (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 1005 S Murphy (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 100’16 Blumenthal (D) + + + + 100* RLieberman (I) + + – + 75 27 9 75DELAWAREAL Carney (D) + + + + + 100* Carper (D) + + – + 75 10 2 83’14 Coons (D) + + + + 100FLORIDA1 Miller (R) – – – – – 0 4 17 192 Southerland (R)– – – – – 03 Brown (D) + + + + + 100 34 1 974 Crenshaw (R) + + – – – 40 7 17 295 Nugent (R) – + – – – 206 D Stearns (R) – – – – – 0 13 33 287 Mica (R) – – – – – 0 6 29 178 Webster (R) + + – – – 409 Bilirakis (R) – + – – – 20 4 6 4010 Young (R) – + – – – 20 32 33 4911 Castor (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 10012 Ross (R) – + – – – 2013 Buchanan (R) – + – – – 20 4 4 5014 SMack (R) – – – x x 0 4 9 3115 Posey (R) – – – – – 0 1 4 2016 Rooney (R) – + – – – 20 2 3 4017 Wilson (D) x + + + + 10018 Ros-Lehtinen (R)+ + – – – 40 16 19 4619 Deutch (D) + + + + + 100 2 0 10020 Wasserman

Schultz (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 10021 Diaz-Balart (R)+ + – – – 40 6 14 3022 West (R) – + – – – 2023 Hastings (D) + + + + + 100 30 1 9724 DAdams (R) – + – – – 2025 Rivera (R) – + – – – 20* Nelson (D) + + + + 100 12 0 100’16 Rubio (R) – + – – 25GEORGIA1 Kingston (R) – – – – – 0 6 29 172 Bishop (D) + + + + + 100 28 5 853 Westmoreland (R) – – – – – 0 2 10 174 Johnson (D) + + + + + 100 9 0 1005 Lewis (D) + + + + + 100 50 2 966 Price (R) – – – – – 0 2 11 157 Woodall (R) – – + – – 208 Scott (R) – + – – – 209 Graves (R) – – – – – 010 Broun (R) – – – x – 0 0 8 011 Gingrey (R) – – – – – 0 3 17 1512 Barrow (D) + + – + + 80 12 0 10013 Scott (D) + + + + + 100 19 1 95’14 Chambliss (R) + – – – 25 2 7 22’16 Isakson (R) + – – – 25 1 5 17HAWAII1 Hanabusa (D) + + + + + 1002 S Hirono (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 100’16 Inouye (D) + + + + 100 48 8 86* RAkaka (D) + + + + 100 33 1 97IDAHO1 Labrador (R) x – – – + 252 Simpson (R) + + – – – 40 6 19 24

’16 Crapo (R) – – – – 0 1 13 7’14 Risch (R) – – – – 0 0 3 0ILLINOIS1 Rush (D) + – + + + 80 31 0 1002 Jackson (D) + x + x + 100 29 0 1003 Lipinski (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 1004 Gutierrez (D) + + x + + 100 33 1 975 Quigley (D) + – + + + 80 4 0 1006 Roskam (R) – + – – – 20 3 7 307 Davis (D) + + + + + 100 26 0 1008 Walsh (R) – – – – – 09 Schakowsky (D)+ + + + + 100 26 0 10010 Dold (R) – – – – – 011 Kinzinger (R) + + – – – 4012 RCostello (D) + + + + + 100 40 5 8913 Biggert (R) – – – – – 0 6 20 2314 Hultgren (R) – + – – – 2015 RJohnson (R) – – + – + 40 16 7 7016 DManzullo (R) – – – – – 0 7 29 1917 Schilling (R) + + – – – 4018 Schock (R) – – – – – 0 1 4 2019 Shimkus (R) – – – – – 0 10 16 38’14 Durbin (D) + + + + 100 18 1 95’16 Kirk (R) + x x x 100INDIANA1 Visclosky (D) + + + + + 100 52 4 932 S Donnelly (D) + + – + x 75 10 0 1003 Stutzman (R) – – – – x 04 Rokita (R) – – – – – 05 R Burton (R) – – – – – 0 14 44 246 G Pence (R) – – – – – 0 0 23 07 Carson (D) + + + + + 100 8 0 1008 Bucshon (R) – + – – – 209 Young (R) – + – – – 20* DLugar (R) – – – – 0 17 41 29’16 Coats (R) + – – – 25IOWA1 Braley (D) + + – + + 80 9 1 902 Loebsack (D) + + – + + 80 9 0 1003 Boswell (D) + + – + + 80 26 1 964 Latham (R) + + – – – 40 12 21 365 King (R) – + – – – 20 2 18 10’16 Grassley (R) – – – – 0 18 40 31’14 Harkin (D) + + + + 100 30 6 83KANSAS1 Huelskamp (R) – – – + – 202 Jenkins (R) – + – – – 20 2 3 403 Yoder (R) – – – – – 04 Pompeo (R) – + – – – 20’16 Moran (R) + – – – 25’14 Roberts (R) + – – – 25 3 16 16KENTUCKY1 Whitfield (R) – – – + + 40 9 24 272 Guthrie (R) + + – – – 40 1 4 203 Yarmuth (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 1004 R Davis (R) + – – – – 20 2 6 255 Rogers (R) + – – – – 20 27 37 426 Chandler (D) + + + + + 100 18 0 100’14 McConnell (R) – – – – 0 13 31 30’16 Paul (R) – – – + 25LOUISIANA1 Scalise (R) – + – – – 20 1 6 142 Richmond (D) + + + + + 1003 Landry (R) – – – – – 04 Fleming (R) – + – – – 20 1 4 205 Alexander (R) – + – – – 20 10 8 566 Cassidy (R) – + – – – 20 1 4 20



112th Congress 97th-111th112th Congress 97th-111th



7 Boustany (R) – x – – – 0 4 8 33’14 Landrieu (D) + + – + 75 14 5 74’16 Vitter (R) – – – – 0 1 6 14MAINE1 Pingree (D) + + + x + 100 5 0 1002 Michaud (D) + + + + + 100 20 0 100* R Snowe (R) – + – + 50 17 7 71’14 Collins (R) – + – + 50 14 5 74MARYLAND1 Harris (R) + + – – – 402 Ruppersberger (D)+ + + + + 100 19 0 1003 Sarbanes (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 1004 Edwards (D) + + + + + 100 7 0 1005 Hoyer (D) + + + + + 100 62 4 946 Bartlett (R) + – – – + 40 6 30 177 Cummings (D) + + + + + 100 26 0 1008 Van Hollen (D)+ + + + + 100 20 0 100’16 Mikulski (D) + + + + 100 36 4 90* Cardin (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100

MASSACHUSETTS1 R Olver (D) + x + + + 100 35 2 952 Neal (D) + + + + + 100 43 3 933 McGovern (D) + + + + + 100 28 0 1004 R Frank (D) + – + + + 80 64 2 975 Tsongas (D) + + + + + 100 8 0 1006 Tierney (D) + + + + + 100 28 0 1007 Markey (D) + + + + + 100 63 3 958 Capuano (D) + + + + + 100 25 0 1009 Lynch (D) + + + + + 100 23 0 10010 Keating (D) + + + + + 100’14 Kerry (D) x + + + 100 35 7 83* Brown (R) – + – + 50 0 3 0

MICHIGAN1 Benishek (R) – – – – – 02 Huizenga (R) – – – – – 03 Amash (R) – – + + + 604 Camp (R) – + – – – 20 9 31 235 R Kildee (D) + + + + + 100 64 2 976 Upton (R) – + – – – 20 23 29 447 Walberg (R) – + – – – 20 1 4 208 Rogers (R) – + – – – 20 6 16 279 Peters (D) x – + + + 75 4 0 10010 Miller (R) – + – – – 20 11 8 5811 Vacant12 Levin (D) + + + + + 100 54 7 8913 DClarke (D) + + + + + 10014 Conyers (D) + – + + + 80 61 3 9515 Dingell (D) + + + + + 100 63 3 95’14 Levin (D) + + + + 100 52 6 90* Stabenow (D) + + + + 100 12 0 100

MINNESOTA1 Walz (D) + + – + + 80 10 0 1002 Kline (R) – – – – – 0 3 17 153 Paulsen (R) – – – – x 0 1 4 204 McCollum (D) x + + + + 100 23 0 1005 Ellison (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 1006 Bachmann (R) – + x – – 25 2 7 227 Peterson (D) + + + + + 100 31 10 768 Cravaack (R) – + – – – 20* Klobuchar (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100’14 Franken (D) + + + + 100 3 0 100MISSISSIPPI1 Nunnelee (R) – – – – – 0 6 1 1002 Thompson (D) + + + + + 100 33 2 943 Harper (R) + + – – – 40 1 4 204 Palazzo (R) – + – – – 20’14 Cochran (R) – – – – 0 18 40 31

* Wicker (R) – – – – 0 1 3 25MISSOURI1 Clay (D) + + + + + 100 24 0 1002 S Akin (R) – + – – – 20 0 24 03 D Carnahan (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 1004 Hartzler (R) – + – – – 205 Cleaver (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 1006 Graves (R) – + – – – 20 9 13 417 Long (R) – x – – – 08 Emerson (R) + – – – – 20 14 13 529 Luetkemeyer (R)– + – – – 20 1 4 20’16 Blunt (R) + – – – 25* McCaskill (D) + – – + 50 4 2 67

MONTANAAL SRehberg (R) – – – + – 20 6 19 24’14 Baucus (D) + + + + 100 39 18 68* Tester (D) + + + + 100 5 1 83

NEBRASKA1 Fortenberry (R) – + + – – 40 7 6 542 Terry (R) – + – – – 20 3 23 123 Smith (R) – – – – – 0 1 9 10* RNelson (D) + + + + 100 8 4 67’14 Johanns (R) + – – – 25 0 3 0NEVADA1 S Berkley (D) + + + + + 100 22 1 962 Amodei (R) I I – – – 03 Heck (R) + + – – – 40’16 Reid (D) + + + + 100 37 4 90* Heller (R) – – + + 50 4 6 40

NEW HAMPSHIRE1 Guinta (R) – – – – – 02 Bass (R) – + – – + 40’16 Ayotte (R) – – – – 0’14 Shaheen (D) + + + + 100 2 1 67NEW JERSEY1 Andrews (D) + + + + + 100 33 8 802 LoBiondo (R) + + – – + 60 23 10 703 Runyan (R) – + – – – 204 Smith (R) + + – – – 40 44 22 675 Garrett (R) – + + – – 40 2 18 106 Pallone (D) + + + + + 100 37 9 807 Lance (R) + + – – – 40 3 2 608 Pascrell (D) + + + + + 100 28 0 1009 D Rothman (D) + + + + + 100 26 1 9610 Vacant11 Frelinghuysen (R) – + – – – 20 15 18 4512 Holt (D) + + + + + 100 26 0 10013 Sires (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 100’14 Lautenberg (D) + + + + 100 41 7 85* Menendez (D) + + + + 100 3 0 100

NEW MEXICO1 S Heinrich (D) + + + + x 100 5 0 1002 Pearce (R) – + – – – 203 Luján (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 100* RBingaman (D) + + + + 100 40 9 82’14 Udall (D) + + + + 100 3 0 100NEW YORK1 Bishop (D) + + + + + 100 20 0 1002 Israel (D) + + + + + 100 23 0 1003 King (R) + + – – – 40 16 19 464 McCarthy (D) x x + + + 100 26 2 935 R Ackerman (D) + + + + + 100 56 2 976 Meeks (D) + + + x + 100 25 0 1007 Crowley (D) + + + + + 100 25 0 1008 Nadler (D) + – + + + 80 33 1 979 Turner (R) I I – – – 010 RTowns (D) + + + + + 100 49 5 91

112th Congress 97th-111th 112th Congress 97th-111thVOTE NUMBER:House 133 363 923 151 247 % # # %Senate 225 38 73 98 + – +




11 Clarke (D) + + + + + 100 9 0 10012 Velázquez (D) + + + + + 100 31 2 9413 Grimm (R) + + – – – 4014 Maloney (D) + + + + + 100 34 1 9715 Rangel (D) + + + x + 100 63 1 9816 Serrano (D) + + + + + 100 41 0 10017 Engel (D) + + + + + 100 42 2 9518 Lowey (D) + + + + + 100 43 2 9619 Hayworth (R) – + – – – 2020 Gibson (R) + – – + + 6021 Tonko (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 10022 RHinchey (D) + + + x + 100 34 1 9723 Owens (D) + + + + + 100 2 0 10024 Hanna (R) – + – – – 2025 Buerkle (R) – + – – – 2026 Hochul (D) I I + + + 10027 Higgins (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 10028 Slaughter (D) + + + + x 100 53 1 9829 Reed (R) – – – – – 0’16 Schumer (D) + + + + 100 14 0 100* Gillibrand (D) + + + + 100

NORTH CAROLINA1 Butterfield (D) + + + + + 100 15 0 1002 Elmers (R) – + – – – 203 Jones (R) + – – + + 60 14 18 444 Price (D) + + + + + 100 43 3 935 Foxx (R) – + – – – 20 3 10 236 Coble (R) – – x – – 0 20 37 357 McIntyre (D) + + + + x 100 24 4 868 Kissell (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 1009 RMyrick (R) – + – – – 20 5 28 1510 McHenry (R) – – – – – 0 3 10 2311 RShuler (D) + + + + + 100 8 1 8912 Watt (D) + + + x + 100 35 1 9713 RMiller (D) + + + + + 100 11 0 100’16 Burr (R) + – – – 25 0 7 0’14 Hagan (D) + + – + 75 3 0 100NORTH DAKOTAAL SBerg (R) – + – – – 20* RConrad (D) + + + + 100 31 10 76’16 Hoeven (R) – – – – 0OHIO1 Chabot (R) – – – – – 02 D Schmidt (R) – + – – – 20 4 7 363 Turner (R) – + – – – 20 10 10 504 Jordan (R) – – – – – 0 0 10 05 Latta (R) – + – – – 20 2 5 296 Johnson (R) – – – – – 07 R Austria (R) + + – – – 40 1 4 208 Boehner (R) S S S S S 8 33 209 Kaptur (D) + + + + + 100 50 8 8610 DKucinich (D) + + + + + 100 27 0 10011 Fudge (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 10012 Tiberi (R) – – – – – 0 9 15 3613 Sutton (D) + + + + + 100 9 0 10014 RLaTourette (R) + + – – + 60 23 10 7015 Stivers (R) – – – – – 016 Renacci (R) – – – – – 017 Ryan (D) + + + + + 100 20 0 10018 Gibbs (R) – – – – – 0* Brown (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100’16 Portman (R) – – – – 0 4 15 21OKLAHOMA1 D Sullivan (R) – + – – – 20 4 17 192 R Boren (D) + + – + + 80 11 0 1003 Lucas (R) – + – – – 20 11 24 314 Cole (R) – + – – – 20 6 14 30

5 Lankford (R) – + – – – 20’16 Coburn (R) + – – – 25 2 5 29’14 Inhofe (R) + – – – 25 3 20 13OREGON1 Bonamici (D) I I I + + 1002 Walden (R) – – – – – 0 9 16 363 Blumenauer (D)+ + + + + 100 25 2 934 DeFazio (D) + + + + + 100 45 5 905 Schrader (D) + + + + + 100 4 1 80’16Wyden (D) + + + + 100 20 2 91’14 Merkley (D) + + + + 100 3 0 100PENNSYLVANIA1 Brady (D) + + + + + 100 27 0 1002 Fattah (D) + + + + + 100 38 1 973 Kelly (R) – + – – – 204 D Altmire (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 1005 Thompson (R) + + – – – 40 1 4 206 Gerlach (R) + – – – – 20 14 6 707 Meehan (R) – + – – – 208 Fitzpatrick (R) – – – – + 209 Shuster (R) + + – – – 40 4 19 1710 Marino (R) – + – – – 2011 Barletta (R) + + – – – 4012 Critz (D) + + + + + 100 1 0 10013 Schwartz (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 10014 Doyle (D) + + + + + 100 31 1 9715 Dent (R) – – – – – 0 7 5 5816 Pitts (R) – – – – – 0 4 24 1417 DHolden (D) + + + + + 100 34 3 9218 Murphy (R) + + – – – 40 12 8 6019 RPlatts (R) x + – + + 75 14 10 58* Casey (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100’16 Toomey (R) + – – – 25RHODE ISLAND1 Cicilline (D) + + + + + 1002 Langevin (D) + + + + + 100 23 0 100’14 Reed (D) + + + + 100 18 1 95* Whitehouse (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100

SOUTH CAROLINA1 Scott (R) – – – – – 02 Wilson (R) – + – – – 20 3 20 133 Duncan (R) – – – – – 04 Gowdy (R) – – – – – 05 Mulvaney (R) – – – – – 06 Clyburn (D) + + + + + 100 34 1 97’14 Graham (R) + – – – 25 1 8 11’16 DeMint (R) + + – – 50 1 6 14SOUTH DAKOTAAL Noem (R) – + – – x 25’14 Johnson (D) + + + + 100 16 1 94’16 Thune (R) + – – – 25 1 6 14TENNESSEE1 Roe (R) + + – – – 40 1 4 202 Duncan (R) – – – + + 40 14 32 303 Fleischmann (R)– + – – – 204 DesJarlais (R) – + – – – 205 Cooper (D) + + + + + 100 17 3 856 Black (R) – – – – – 07 Blackburn (R) – + – – – 20 3 16 168 Fincher (R) – + – – – 209 Cohen (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 100’14 Alexander (R) + – – – 25 2 8 20* Corker (R) + + – – 50 2 4 33

TEXAS1 Gohmert (R) – + – – + 40 3 10 232 Poe (R) – – – – – 0 4 9 313 Johnson (R) – – – – – 0 5 35 13

112th Congress 97th-111th112th Congress 97th-111thVOTE NUMBER:House 133 363 923 151 247 % # # %Senate 225 38 73 98 + – +



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 the benefits of all federal workers and retirees, NARFE informs you of any developments and proposals that affect your compensation, retirement and health 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 (NARFE membership 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 chapter closest 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 TONARFE Member Records606 N. Washington St.Alexandria, VA 22314-1914

Learn about our ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP ateNARFE.org

IQA

�� Mr. �� Mrs. �� Miss �� Ms.

Full Name _____________________________________________

Street Address _________________________________________

Apt./Unit______________________________________________

City _________________________ State _____ ZIP ___________

Phone (__________) ____________________________________

Email_________________________________________________

Date of Birth _________ /_________ / ___________________________dd mm yyyy

NARFE MEMBERSHIP INFORMATIONNARFE Membership ID ______________________________

NARFE Chapter Number_____________________________

�� YES. I Also Authorize My (NARFE Member)Spouse’s Dues To Be Withheld From My Annuity.(Additional annual dues of $34 plus Chapter dues ofrecord 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 pay-ments, not to exceed the amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as theamount of dues for which I am annually obligated, in accordance with elections I make below, and to pay thededucted sum to the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). This authorization shallalso apply to any and all dues changes certified by NARFE 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 inaccordance with its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management and that any disputes regarding this authorizationshall be a matter between NARFE and myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allot-ment deduction made 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 member-ship dues deducted from their annuities on a monthly basis.

How does it work?One-twelfth of your total dues is automatically deductedfrom your 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 member-ship card distinguishing you as a NARFE dues-withholdingmember.

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



4 Hall (R) – + – – – 20 34 32 525 Hensarling (R) – + – – – 20 0 18 06 Barton (R) + – + + – 60 14 42 257 Culberson (R) – – – – – 0 5 19 218 Brady (R) – – – – – 0 3 22 129 Green, A (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 10010 McCaul (R) – + – – – 20 4 9 3111 Conaway (R) – + – – – 20 3 16 2312 Granger (R) – + – – – 20 7 19 2713 Thornberry (R)– + – – – 20 6 27 1814 RPaul (R) x – x x x 0 3 25 1115 Hinojosa (D) x + + + + 100 26 0 10016 DReyes (D) + + + + + 100 28 0 10017 Flores (R) – + – – – 2018 Jackson Lee (D)+ + + + + 100 31 1 9719 Neugebauer (R)– – + – – 20 2 18 1020 RGonzalez (D) + + + + + 100 29 2 9221 Smith (R) – + – – – 20 23 29 4422 Olson (R) – + – – – 20 1 4 2023 Canseco (R) – + – – – 2024 Marchant (R) – + – – – 20 3 9 2525 Doggett (D) + + + + + 100 31 1 9726 Burgess (R) + – – – x 25 5 15 2527 Farenthold (D) – + – – – 2028 Cuellar (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 10029 Green, G (D) + + + + + 100 32 4 8930 Johnson (D) + + + + + 100 32 2 9431 Carter (R) – + – – – 20 2 17 1132 Sessions (R) – + – – – 20 4 23 15* RHutchison (R) – – – – 0 5 20 20’14 Cornyn (R) + – – – 25 2 8 20UTAH1 Bishop (R) + + – – – 40 6 13 322 Matheson (D) + + – + + 80 23 1 963 Chaffetz (R) – – – – – 0 1 4 20* Hatch (R) + x – – 33 17 40 30’16 Lee (R) + + – – 50VERMONTAL Welch (D) + + + + + 100 10 0 100’16 Leahy (D) + + + + 100 48 7 87*Sanders (I) + + + + 100 6 0 100

VIRGINIA1 Wittman (R) + + – – – 40 5 3 632 Rigell (R) + + – – – 403 Scott (D) + + + + + 100 32 4 89

4 Forbes (R) + + – – – 40 8 14 365 Hurt (R) – + – – – 206 Goodlatte (R) – – – – – 0 8 28 227 Cantor (R) – x – – – 0 3 21 138 Moran (D) + + + + + 100 35 4 909 Griffith (R) – – – – – 010 Wolf (R) + x + – + 75 48 17 7411 Connolly (D) + + + + + 100 5 0 100* RWebb (D) + + + + 100 6 0 100’14Warner (D) + + – + 75 2 1 67WASHINGTON1 Vacant2 Larsen (D) + + + + + 100 23 0 1003 Herrera

Beutler (R) – + – – + 404 Hastings (R) – x – – – 0 8 24 255 McMorris

Rodgers (R) – + – – – 20 3 10 236 R Dicks (D) + + + x + 100 62 3 957 McDermott (D)+ + + + + 100 43 2 968 Reichert (R) – + – – – 20 9 3 759 Smith (D) – + + + + 80 25 3 89’16 Murray (D) + + + + 100 29 0 100* Cantwell (D) + + + + 100 12 0 100

WEST VIRGINIA1 McKinley (R) + + + + – 802 Capito (R) + + – – – 40 20 4 833 Rahall (D) + + + + + 100 60 4 94’14 Rockefeller (D) + + + + 100 38 6 86* Manchin (D) + – + + 75

WISCONSIN1 Ryan (R) – + – – – 20 2 23 82 S Baldwin (D) + + + + + 100 26 0 1003 Kind (D) + + + + + 100 27 0 1004 Moore (D) + + + + + 100 13 0 1005 Sensenbrenner (R)– – – – x 0 12 52 196 Petri (R) – + – – – 20 23 43 357 Duffy (R) – – – – – 08 Ribble (R) – + – – – 20* RKohl (D) x + + + 100 24 14 63’16 Johnson (R) + – – – 25WYOMINGAL Lummis (R) – – + – – 20 1 4 20’14 Enzi (R) – – – – 0 2 17 11* Barrasso (R) – – – – 0 0 4 0

112th Congress 97th-111th 112th Congress 97th-111thVOTE NUMBER:House 133 363 923 151 247 % # # %Senate 225 38 73 98 + – +


NARFE-FEEA Program FundCONTRIBUTION FORM YOUR CHARITABLE

CONTRIBUTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.Make check payable to:

NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund orNARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund.

Please mail coupon and check to:

FEEA3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300

Lakewood, CO 80227

YES! I would like to help with my contribution.Please check appropriate box(es). To make credit-card contributions,call 800-338-0755.Scholarships are available to children and grandchildren of federal civilian retirees and cur-rent federal employees who are NARFE members.

� NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund Amount $� NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund Amount $

Name

Address

City State ZIP

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

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

11 Days Join other NARFE members departing Jan. 11 & Feb. 22, 2013 from $1798*

Caribbean CruisePlus...New Orleans Tour

Start in New Orleans for two days and nights and tour ‘The Big Easy,’ including the French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral, Bourbon Street, the Ninth Ward devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Lake Pontchartrain, the new � ood gates and rebuilt levees, plus travel on St. Charles Avenue, following the Mardi Gras route. Then before boarding the NCL Star, visit the museum “Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond.” Aboard ship enjoy the renowned Norwegian Freestyle cruise experience with 10 di� erent dining rooms with no assigned seating. In the Western Caribbean visit the exciting ports of: Costa Maya, Mexico, with Mayan Ruins and unspoiled coastal paradise; Belize City, Belize (in Central America), an English colony as late as 1963; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras, a peaceful, eco-tourist’s dream, teaming with marine life and prestine reefs; and Cozumel, Mexico, an isolated island with a laid-back charm. After seven nights at sea, spend a � nal night in New Orleans to tour two, pre-civil war mansions and plantations. *Air supplement from some airports. Add $100 for February 22nd departure.

Hawaii Cruise & TourStart in Honolulu, Hawaii and exciting Waikiki Beach for one night. The following day board NCL’s Pride of America which o� ers FreeStyle cruising for the start of your Hawaii Cruise Experience. Sail upon the big, blue, beautiful Paci� c to ports in Kahului, Maui (2-days), o� ering beautiful sea vistas, breathtaking waterfalls and golden beaches; Hilo, the � ower capital of Hawaii, and Kona, Hawaii, known for its many island co� ee plantations. Continue to Nawiliwili, Kauai, nicknamed the ‘Garden Island’ with glorious stretches of palm-fringed beaches and cruise the Na Pali Coast which is featured in many movies. Disembark in Honolulu, Oahu and enjoy a city tour including the State Capitol and Iolani Palace, Punchbowl Crater, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. Spend a � nal three days and nights at your leisure in Waikiki.

12 Days Travel with other NARFE members departing March 1, 2013 from $2098*

Save on this Repositioning Cruise!

Transatlantic & Europe CruisePlus...Tour Germany

Start in Ft. Lauderdale for one-night with a city tour, including Miami. The following day, you will board the magni� cent MSC Poesia where you will discover comfort and luxury cruising at its best! Sail to ports in: “The Big Apple,” New York City; Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, with miles of sandy beaches; Lisbon, Portugal, � lled with cobblestone streets; La Coruna, Spain, known for spectacular inland scenery and seaside towns and Dover, England, famous for its amazing white cli� s. Disembark in Kiel, Germany and travel to Hamburg for the start of your � ve-day tour of Germany including: Berlin, Dresden, Weimar, Nuremburg and Munich. Fly home May 12th. *Add only $600 for Superior Balcony Stateroom.

MSCCRUISES

24 Days Join other NARFE members departing April 19, 2013 from $2198*

Alaska CruiseVisit the last of the wilderness-like areas in North America all from the comfort of your deluxe motor coach and cruise ship. Fly into Calgary starting your scenic six-day motor coach tour to Vancouver, B.C. You’ll visit Calgary, Bow Falls, Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness;” Lake Louise, Ban� and Ban� National Park, Athabasca Glacier, take a “SnoCoach” ride over the Columbia Ice Fields, visit Jasper National Park and Kamloops, B.C. Then you will board your 4-STAR cruise ship the Century for your seven-day . Travel the inside passage including: Icy Strait, with pretty woodland walks; Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America; Juneau; and Ketchikan. Disembark and travel to Seattle for one day.

15 Days Travel with other NARFE members departing May 20, 2013 from $1998*

Ireland TourVisit the best of both Northern and The Republic of Ireland!

Start in Dublin with a city tour including St. Patrick’s Cathedral (the largest church in Ireland). Travel to Cork, stopping at the Rock of Cashel and Cobh along the way. Then visit Blarney Castle, Woollen Mill and Muckross House & Gardens en route to Killarney. Drive the “Ring of Kerry” o� ering spectacular scenery, tour Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, built in 1425. Visit the Cli� s of Moher, Galway, the Connemara region, Kylemore Abbey and the Bundoran area. Enjoy a guided tour of Belleek Pottery, visit Ulster American Folk Park, & explore “The Giant’s Causeway.” Finally take a sightseeing tour of Belfast that includes the impressive Parliament buildings plus you will visit the newly opened “Titanic Belfast.” Tour includes 16 meals.

12 Days Join other NARFE members departing June 13, 2013 from $1598*

& Canadian Rockies Tour


INSURANCE PREMIUMREBATE?

QUESTION: I am a federal retireeunder the Civil Service RetirementSystem. I have Medicare as primaryand Blue Cross/Blue Shield as sec-ondary medical coverage. Does thenew Affordable Care Act, which re-quires insurance companies to spend80-85 percent of premiums on actualhealth care,allow for rebates on pre-mium rates for the next scheduledyear if the companies spent less of thepremiumson benefits?Response: The requirement of the Pa-tient Protection and Affordable CareAct you referenced is called themedicalloss ratio provision. Specifically, the lawstates that individual and small groupinsurersmust spend at least 80 percentof premium dollars on direct medical

care and on efforts to improve thequality of care that enrollees receive.Large group insurers, such as plansunder the Federal Employees HealthBenefits Program (FEHBP), must use atleast 85 percent of the premiums theytake in for covering claims. Insurerswillbe required to disclose publicly theirrates on a newnational consumerweb-site, www.HealthCare.gov. Insurersmust report theirmedical loss ratio datato the Department of Health andHuman Services on an annual basis. In-surers that donotmeet themedical lossratio standard will be required to pro-vide rebates to their consumers ormake adjustments to their premiumsfor the next year.The Office of Personnel Manage-

ment (OPM), which administers theFEHBP, has always required partici-pating plans to justify the premiumsthey charge the government. NARFEwould not expect many, ifany, of the plans to notmeet themedical lossratio standard. How-ever, if an FEHBPplan doesn’t meet thestandard, the excesspremiums will be rebatedto OPM and not to individuals.OPMwill use the rebate to adjustpremiums for that individualplan in the following year.

ROTHTSPQUESTION: In the July 2012 issue ofNARFEmagazine,NARFE stated thatit is possible to putmoney into aRothThrift Savings Plan (TSP) account bytransferringRothmoneydirectly fromeligible plans: a Roth 401(k), Roth403(b) or Roth 457(b). Is it also pos-sible to transfermoney frommy vol-untary contribution (VC) account? Iam under the Civil Service Retire-mentSystemandhavemadeperiodic

after-tax contributions to myVC ac-count.Upon retirement,I understandthat I can transfer thatmoneydirectlyto a Roth individual retirement ac-count, but Iwould prefer to transfer itto aRothTSP account instead.Response: Yes. You can transfer the tax-able portion of your contributions fromyourVCaccount to aRothTSPaccount.

EXCESS CONTRIBUTIONSQUESTION: I currentlyhave42yearsof service under the Civil Service Re-tirement System and plan to stay an-otheryearbefore I retire.I understandthat the maximum my retirementbenefit can be is 80 percent of mysalary,which occurs at approximately41 years.I was told that,at that point,I would not be paying into the retire-ment system any further, as therewould be no additional benefit, andthat thedeductionswouldbereturnedtome.Is the excessmoney returnedat the time of my retirement? Do

contributions continue tobe withdrawn from myearnings once I reachthe 80 percentmark?Response: Once youreach 41 years and11 months ofservice, you are

entitled to 80 percent ofyour high-three average salary. Youwould continue tomake contributionsto the Civil Service Retirement Fundafter working for 41 years and 11months. Your department or agencywould continue towithhold your retire-ment contributions from your salary.After you retire, the Office of PersonnelManagement (OPM) will look at yourwork history. If you have any serviceduring which you did not pay into theretirement fund, or you separated andtook a lump-sum payment of your re-tirement contributions,OPMwoulduse

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


those contributions toward a deposit orredeposit for civilian service.OPM will send you an application

and ask you if youwould like a refundof your retirement contributions thatexceed 41 years and 11 months or ifyou would like to purchase a supple-mental annuity. Supplemental annu-ities will be computed based on each$100 of contributions in excess of 41years and 11months of service, whichwill give you an additional annuity of$7 for each $100 in contributions, plus20 cents for each full year that you areover age 55. You also would get creditfor your sick leave in excess of 41 yearsand11months of service. For example,if you have one year of sick leave, youwould receive 82percent of yourhigh-three average salary.

REHIRED ANNUITANTQUESTION: I ama rehired annuitantandapermanent,part-timeemployeeat theDepartment of Agriculture.Be-cause I am an annuitant, the depart-menthasbeenapplyinganoffset tomysalary.What happens to this offset?Will I get it backwhen I retire again?Response:Theamountof theoffset goesto theOfficeof PersonnelManagement.Youmay be eligible for a supplementalannuity or a redetermined annuitywhen you separate from your currentpart-timeposition.Youwouldbeeligiblefor a supplemental annuity after one ac-tual, continuousyear of full-time re-em-ployment or the part-time equivalent.You would be eligible for a redeter-mined annuity after fiveormore actual,continuous years of full-time re-em-ployment or the part-time equivalent.You must make retirement contri-

butions to the retirement fund toqualify for the supplemental or rede-termined annuity. Your human re-sources office should have given youtheopportunity to contribute to the re-

tirement fund when you were ap-pointed. If it didnot, youmightwant tocontact the office and ask to beginmaking contributions. You also maypay the deposit, plus interest, to thefund after you separate and receive asupplemental or redeterminedannuity.

SURVIVOR BENEFITS& REMARRIAGE

QUESTION: My wife retired underthe Civil Service Retirement Systemand died in 1979.I was receiving a sur-vivor benefit. I remarried in 1980 atage 58, and my survivor benefitstopped.I had understood that,if I re-marriedafterage55,mysurvivorben-efitwould continue.Shouldn’t I still bereceivingmy survivor annuity?Response:Therewasadifferent law inef-fect in1980whenyou remarried.Underthe law at that time, survivor benefitswere terminated if youremarriedprior toage 60, as described in Title 5, Code ofFederal Regulations, 831.644 (a)(1). Youare subject to the earlier law, and yoursurvivor annuity was properly termi-nated because you remarried prior toage 60. The current law requires sur-vivor benefits to terminate if remar-riage occurs before age 55.

DIVORCE & FED BENEFITSQUESTION: I am in the middle of adivorce and need some answers.I re-tired under the Civil Service Retire-ment System in January 3,2001.I wasmarried in October 1997. Does my

soon-to-be ex-spouse qualify formed-ical insurance coverage from the fed-eral system?What would be her costfor this?Does my soon-to-be ex-spouse

have any claims onmypension?Response: Regarding health insurancecoverage, your wife qualifies for Tem-porary Continuation of Coverage(TCC). Shehas 60days from thedate ofthe divorce to apply for TCC. She willbe able to continue this coverage for36 months. Her cost includes the em-ployee premium, the governmentmatching contribution and a 2percentadministrative fee.The only way your spouse would

be entitled to your pension is if youhave a court order requiring you topay benefits to her. If the court ordersyou to pay her a portion of your an-nuity or a survivor benefit after yourdeath, she would be entitled tohealth insurance for the rest of herlife under the spouse equity provi-sions. The cost for the health benefitswould be the employee premium andthe government matching contribu-tion. Again, the only way she couldget any part of your pension isthrough a court order.Youshouldhaveyourattorneycon-

sult thepublication,AHandbook forAt-torneys on Court-ordered Retirement,HealthBenefits andLife InsuranceUnderthe Civil Service Retirement System, Fed-eral Employees Retirement Benefits, Fed-eral Employees Health Benefits and Fed-eral Employees’ Group Life Insurance(FEGLI) Program. It is available only on

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.

Questions &Answers

RETIREES

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Seemed To BeFrank Sinatra

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Seems Like Old TimesVaughn Monroe

Prisoner Of LovePerry ComoThe Gypsy

The Ink SpotsTo Each His Own

Eddy HowardRumors Are Flying

Frankie CarleIt’s MagicDoris Day

The Old LamplighterSammy Kaye

BallerinaVaughn Monroe

The Anniversary SongDinah Shore

I Wonder Who’sKissing Her Now

Perry Como

That’s My DesireFrankie LaineHeartachesTed Weems(I Love You)

For Sentimental ReasonsNat “King” ColeEaster ParadeGuy LombardoApril Showers

Al JolsonPeg O’ My Heart

Buddy ClarkTime After Time

Frank Sinatra(There’s Just One

Place For Me)Near You

Francis CraigRed Roses For

A Blue LadyVaughn Monroe

Some EnchantedEvening

Perry ComoGolden Earrings

Peggy LeeLittle White Lies

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the Office of Personnel Managementwebsite at www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/pamphlets/list.asp.

ELIGIBLE FOR SS BENEFITS?QUESTION:I retired under the CivilService Retirement System (CSRS)and receive no Social Security bene-fits. My husband retired under theFederal Employees Retirement Sys-tem (FERS).When he dies, am I eli-gible for any Social Security? I am eli-gible for a survivor benefit under hisannuity.But without a Social Securitybenefit, I will have to make lifestylechanges, such as moving to more af-fordable housing.Hewould have beeneligible for a Social Security benefitwithout the FERSpension.Response: As a CSRS retiree, you aresubject to the Government PensionOffset. Go to the Social Security Admin-istration (SSA) website for a link on howto compute your benefit. The SSA alsohas a fact sheet on its website that ex-plains how the Government PensionOffset affects Social Security benefits.The SSA will compute an amount

that equals two-thirds of your CSRSpension and subtract that figure fromyour SSA spousal benefit. If you get apositive number, the SSA will pay youthat amount. However, most CSRS re-tirees donot receive anythingbasedontheir spouse’swork record. But theonlyway that you can get the exact amountof your benefit is to contact your localSSAoffice.Thenumber is800-772-1213.

.WITHDRAW SS

CONTRIBUTIONS?QUESTION:I retired under theCivilServiceRetirement Systemandhavebeen receiving an annuity since 1997.I also have 30quarters of Social Secu-rity onmywork recordbut donot re-ceive anySocial Security benefits.Is itpossible to withdraw my contribu-

tions frommySocialSecurityaccount?Response: We checked with the SocialSecurity Administration, and here is theresponse:“No. Participation in the Social Se-

curity program is mandatory with re-spect to the payment of Social Securitytaxes, regardless of the citizenship orplace of residence of either the em-ployer or the employee. Unless specifi-cally exempt by law, everyoneworkingin the United States is required to paySocial Security taxes on earnings fromcovered employment. These earningsare subject to Social Security taxwithout regard to the citizenship orplace of residence of either the em-ployer or the employee.“The law provides an exemption

only in very limited circumstances formembers of certain religious sects. In-dividuals generally cannot voluntarilywithdraw from or terminate their par-ticipation in the Social Security pro-gram.“Similarly, people cannot withdraw

the Social Security taxes that they havealready paid. This is true regardless ofthe number of Social Security creditsearnedorwhetherbenefits arepayable.The Social Security taxes that em-ployees andemployers payonworkers’earnings arenotplaced inan individualworker’s account, but arepooled in spe-cial funds fromwhich benefits are paidto eligible workers and their families.However, people will not receive bene-fits unless they voluntarily apply forthemat the time they become eligible.”

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].


Questions &Answers

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* Fitting and programming of the hearing aids, and three adjustment visits 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.

Enroll online: www.TruHearingMemberPlus.comUSE GROUP NUMBER: HP2R-A365then call (877) 360-2432 M- F, 8am-8pm Central.

To take advantage of these savings, contact TruHearing:

Appointments must be scheduled through TruHearing.

Hear that? It’s tsound of a

§ 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 nor

Cost Example: Starkey® Ignite i30Avg. retail $3,390 per pair—MemberPlus® price $2,390 per pair

MemberPlus Price (save $2,010 off retail): $ 2,390

FEP covered hearing benefit (up to $2,500§ ): − $ 2,390

MemberPlus Membership + Shipping*: + $ 10

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.

OFFER VALID THROUGH 12/31/2013

TRUHEARING IS AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY THAT PROVIDES DISCOUNTS ON HEARING AIDS.

s the Service Benefit Plan members can save hundreds to thousands on hearing aids through TruHearing.

For a limited time, $108 Membership Fee waived!

Hearing Aid Cost Per Pair: $10

great deal.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series.

The 2012 Open Seasonfor the Federal Em-ployees Health Bene-fits Program (FEHBP),the Federal Employees

Dental and Vision Insurance Program(FEDVIP) and the Federal FlexibleSpendingAccount Program (FSAFEDS)runs from Monday, November 12, toMonday, December 10.

BENEFITS AND PREMIUMSBecause this issue ofNARFEmaga-

zine went to press in early September,official announcements regarding nextyear’s benefits and premiums, andchanges to the Open Season processes,were not available for inclusion.Contract negotiations between the

Office of Personnel Management(OPM) and FEHBP plans are con-ducted in private. OPMwill not releaseinformation about any plan’s benefitsor premiums for contract year 2013until it completes negotiationswith allof the participating plans. After thechanges for 2013 are announced by

OPM in September, this informationwill be included in the November andDecember issues ofNARFEmagazine.

NEW FOR 2013: SUMMARYOF BENEFITS, COVERAGEOne of the changes required under

theAffordableCareAct (health reform)is that all health insurance plans pro-vide a summary document detailinginformation about the plan’s benefitsand coverage on their websites. Planswill provide information in their OpenSeason materials about where to findtheir summary on their websites andhow to obtain a copy.Health plans in the FEHBP no

longer are required to automaticallymail participants their plan brochurefor the new year. All FEHBP planbrochures can be viewed and printedat the following:www.opm.gov/insure/health/planinfo/index.asp. Or you cancall your planusing the informationonthe back of your health plan identifi-cation card.

Changes in benefits and premiumsfor the 2013 year should be availableonline by the beginning of Open

Season onNovember 12.

CHANGES YOU CAN MAKEDURING OPEN SEASON

Health Insurance(FEHBP)

During Open Season, employees,annuitants, survivor annuitants,former spouses and those in receipt ofbenefits from theDepartment of Labor,Office of Workers’ Compensation Pro-grams, already enrolled in the FEHBPmay change plans, options, type of en-rollment (self-only or family) or makeany combination of these changes.Annuitants and survivor annui-

tants who suspended FEHBP cov-erage to enroll in TRICARE, TRI-CARE-For-Life, the Uniformed Serv-ices Family Health Plan, a MedicareAdvantage Health Maintenance Or-ganization (HMO) plan, CHAMPVA,Medicaid or as a Peace Corps volun-teer may re-enroll in the FEHBPduring Open Season.Eligible active federal employees

who are not enrolledmay enroll or re-enroll duringOpen Season. Annuitantsandsurvivorswhoarenotenrolledgen-


PPEENN SSEEAASSOONN RREEPPOORRTT2012Preview

Effective Dates of Changes, Enrollments, Cancellations• FEHBP Annuitants and Survivors. For changes and re-enrollments: January 1, 2013. The new premiums will

be deducted beginning with the February 1, 2013, annuity payments. • FEHBP Federal Employees. For enrollments, changes and re-enrollments: beginning of the first pay period after

January 1, 2013.• FEDVIP Annuitants and Survivors. For enrollments, cancellations and changes: January 1, 2013. The new pre-

miums will be withheld from annuities beginning with the February 1, 2013, payment.• FEDVIP Federal Employees. For enrollments, cancellations and changes: beginning of the first pay period on

or after January 1, 2013.• FSAFEDS. The effective date is January 1, 2013.


erally may not enroll or re-enroll. Dental and Vision Insurance

(FEDVIP)During Open Season, eligible em-

ployees, annuitants, survivors andcompensationers may enroll in theprogram or, if already enrolled, changeplans, options, type of enrollment ormake any combination of thesechanges. Open Season also is the onlytime you can voluntarily cancel your

FEDVIP enrollment. Your FEDVIP en-rollment continues year to year unlessyou change or cancel during OpenSeason.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

During Open Season, federal em-ployees may sign up for FSAs for the2013 plan year under the Federal Flex-ible Spending Account Program(FSAFEDS). FSAs allow employees (but

not retirees) to set aside pretax moneythat can be used for certain health anddependent-care expenses. Unlike theFEHBP and FEDVIP, enrollment inFSAFEDS does not carry over fromyear to year, so employees must re-en-roll each year. To enroll, employeesmust go to www.fsafeds.com or call877-372-3337.

Federal Benefits Service Department

Important Questions for Open SeasonWill my current health plan continueto participate in the Federal Em-ployees Health Benefits Program(FEHBP)?Don’t assume that FEHBP plans remainparticipants or have the same coverageevery year. The FEHBP frequently addsnew plans and drops others, particularlyhealth maintenance organization(HMO) plans. In addition, medical ex-penses covered by a plan this year maynot be covered next year and vice versa. HMO plans might change the area

of coverage, dropping some ZIP codesand adding others. You also will needto know if your HMO plan has splitinto two separate plans, with separatepremiums and areas of coverage. Thiscould result in your being automati-cally enrolled in the new plan, unlessyou make an Open Season election tostay with your original plan. The bestway to stay on top of upcomingchanges is to read the informationavailable to you from your health planand from the Office of Personnel Man-agement (OPM). This means that youneed to keep your mailing address andemail address current with both theplan and OPM so the information yourequest arrives in a timely manner. Re-member, health plans in the FEHBPare no longer required to automatically

mail you their plan brochure for thenew year. You can view plan brochuresonline at www.opm.gov/insure/health/planinfo/index.asp, or call your planusing the number on the back of yourhealth plan ID card.

What should I do if I don’t understandsomething in a plan’s brochure?Don’t ignore plan features that are un-clear to you. Contact the FEHBP carriersdirectly to clarify plan features and elim-inate future misunderstandings. This isvery important whenever a plan offers anew option or a new benefit. Contact in-formation can be found at the OPMwebsite listed in the previous answer.

Am I correct in believing that OPM’sonline comparison chart gives me allof the information I need to select ahealth plan that best meets my needsand the needs of my family?The comparison chart available online atOPM’s website provides a good sum-

mary of the plans available to you andthe services that the plan pays for. Evenso, OPM cautions you not to rely exclu-sively on the comparison chart orhearsay about health plans. Do an inde-pendent review of your family’s andyour health care needs – and how wellindividual plans meet those needs. Besure to review your plan brochure andthe brochure of any other plan you areinterested in for upcoming changes.Compare the benefits offered with yourhealth care needs and those of your cov-ered family members.

Are there other aspects of healthplans’ day-to-day business that I needto consider when choosing a planunder the FEHBP?Don’t forget to check the plans’ recordsof service and reimbursement, and theavailability of preferred provider organ-izations (PPOs) in your area for contractyear 2013. Remember: A plan’s PPOsalso can change from one year to the

OPEN SEASON REPORTSNOVEMBER: 2013 Premiums

DECEMBER: Plan Changes and Prescription Drug Guide


PPEENN SSEEAASSOONN RREEPPOORRTT

next; and, if you use a nonpreferredprovider, it would cost you more in co-pays and/or coinsurance. Also be sureto read and understand the plans’ co-ordination of benefits policy if youhave other insurance coverage, suchas Medicare or TRICARE.

Is it true that the safest way to selecta health plan is to go by the least ex-pensive premium available to you?Don’t figure the cost of a health plan onpremium rates alone. Keep in mind thatpremiums are but one aspect of yourhealth care costs; benefits are equallyimportant.Review deductible, coinsurance and

co-payment features. Some plans haveseparate deductibles for “major med-ical” and specialized-care expenses.Some plans may substitute coinsur-ance for co-payments. Carefully reviewhealth plans’ “catastrophic protectionlimits” and which of your out-of-pocket costs count toward those limits.If Medicare (Parts A and B) is your

primary insurer, review your FEHBPplan brochure to see if the plan waivesor discounts any of your deductibles,coinsurance or co-payments. Remem-ber: A co-payment is a flat amount;coinsurance is a percentage of the cost.If prescription drug coverage is a

major part of your health care, thenyou want to look at a plan’s out-of-pocket expenses for generic as well asbrand name or specialty drugs. Youalso should pay attention to the differ-ence in amounts and costs for orderingprescriptions by mail, and the costs forusing your neighborhood retail phar-macist.Double-check your understanding

of the total costs before enrolling in aplan.Evaluate each plan in light of your

past medical history and your antici-pated medical needs for the coming

year. Also make the same considera-tions for your eligible family members.

Are there other cost-related implica-tions that I need to consider whenmaking a decision about a health plan?Don’t forget to consider a plan’s cata-strophic coverage feature – a limitationon the maximum out-of-pocket ex-penses that you might have to pay in acalendar year. Also, be sure you under-stand what counts as an out-of-pocketexpense. All out-of-pocket expenses donot count toward the catastrophic pro-tection limit. Consumer-driven healthplans and high-deductible health plans(HDHPs) tend to have higher cata-strophic protection limits, along withlower monthly premiums.

What is an HDHP/HSA?HDHP stands for high-deductible healthplan. Anyone who is enrolled in anHDHP may be eligible for a health sav-ings account (HSA) or health reimburse-ment account (HRA). Medicare-eligibleenrollees cannot open an HSA. HDHPmonthly premiums may be lower thantraditional fee-for-service or HMO plans.However, such coverage may not be ap-propriate for retirees or those withhigher annual medical costs. HSAs andHRAs allow HDHP enrollees to setmoney aside to pay for out-of-pockethealth care costs. HDHP enrollees areencouraged to be prudent about theirhealth care treatment and expenditures.

How will an HDHP/HSA or an HDHP/HRA help the FEHBP member?An HDHP/HSA or HDHP/HRA providesinsurance coverage and catastrophiccoverage, and a tax-advantaged way tohelp save for future medical expenses.They provide greater flexibility and dis-cretion over how to use your health caredollars. However, if you or a member ofyour family get very sick, you would

have to meet your health plan’s cata-strophic protection limit, which could beas much as $10,000 out-of-pocket in acalendar year.

My health plan will continue to partici-pate in the FEHBP next year. What doI have to do if I want to stay with mypresent enrollment?Don’t do anything if you are satisfiedwith your present health insurance cov-erage. Your present coverage is auto-matically continued unless you make achange, or unless your plan or option isterminated. For retirees and survivors: If your

monthly health benefits premiums for2013 are more than your monthly an-nuity, and you do not change to a less-costly plan or option during Open Sea-son, OPM will send you instructions onwhat you must do. One option is to keepyour current plan but pay the premiumsdirectly to OPM instead of having themdeducted from your annuity.

My health plan will not be participatingnext year. What happens if I do notchange to another plan before OpenSeason ends?If your current plan will not be partici-pating in the FEHBP in 2013, you mayelect a new plan during Open Season. For active federal employees: You

must elect a new health plan, or you willnot have any FEHBP coverage in 2013. For retirees and survivors: OPM

will enroll you automatically in BlueCross/Blue Shield (Standard) if yourplan is leaving the FEHBP for contractyear 2013, and you do not choose anew plan. If your plan terminates theoption of the plan in which you areenrolled for 2012, OPM may enrollyou in the plan’s other option, if it isapproximately equivalent to the op-tion being terminated, and you do notchoose a new plan for 2013.

I am going to change my currentFEHBP coverage. How will I obtainmy new plan identification cards?New plan ID cards are generated by thehealth plan – not by your employingagency or OPM. The plans usually issuethe cards within 30 days from the datethey receive your enrollment changefrom your agency or OPM.

How do I make sure that my spouse iscovered by the FEHBP in the event ofmy death?For retirees: In order to retain FEHBPcoverage, the surviving spouse (if notalso a federal employee or retiree) mustbe eligible to receive a survivor annuitybenefit and be covered by a family en-rollment at the time of the death of theretiree. Survivor annuity benefits for apost-retirement marriage must be

elected within two years of the mar-riage. (Note: If you are a retiree and youremarry the person who was yourspouse when you retired, and thatspouse at retirement waived his or herentitlement to a survivor annuity, youcannot elect a survivor annuity for thatsame spouse based on the remarriageto that person.) For active federal employees: Upon

your death, your spouse would be cov-ered by your FEHBP plan if he or she iseligible for a survivor annuity and youare enrolled in family coverage at thetime of your death. For active federalemployees, survivor benefits are deter-mined by operation of law; there is norequirement for active federal workersto elect survivor annuity benefits fortheir spouses in order to protect thespouses’ future FEHBP entitlement.

If I have FEHBP plan coverage, do Ineed to sign up for Medicare Part Dprescription drug plan benefits aswell?Your prescription drug benefits underthe FEHBP are generally better than,or at least as good as, the prescriptiondrug benefits under Medicare. Most re-tirees do not need to sign up forMedicare Part D. The OPM contractyear 2013 FEHBP plan brochures willeach contain a statement telling youthat your FEHBP prescription drugbenefit is superior to or at least as goodas Medicare’s. If you subsequently de-cide to sign up for Medicare Part D, theplan brochure statement from OPMwill excuse you from any MedicarePart D late-enrollment penalty.

Federal Benefits Service Department


Affordable Progressives Are Here.

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®


NARFENews

The Benefits ofNARFE MembershipBy Augie StratotiRegion I Regional Vice [email protected]

NARFEmembers knowthat theAssociationworks tirelessly on theirbehalf before Congress,

theWhiteHouse and theOffice of Per-sonnelManagement. But somemem-bersmay not be fully aware of all of theadvantages of NARFEmembership. Ihopemy column serves to remind youof the value of yourmembership, aswell as encourage you to take full ad-vantage ofwhatNARFEhas to offer.

The award-winningNARFEmagazine is anexcellent source oflegislative analysisand reporting, andincludes the latestinformation on

retirement and health benefits.Articles focus onmoneymanage-ment, Thrift Savings Plan investmentupdates, andNARFE chapter andfederation activities throughout thecountry. A “Questions &Answers”feature includes responses to

questions submitted bymembers to ateamof experts inNARFE’s FederalBenefits ServiceDepartment.NARFE’s newly redesignedwebsite

offersmembers-only access to thelatest information on legislationaffecting federal benefits, and pre- andpost-retirement issues.WeeklyLegislativeHotlinemessages keepmembers up to date on breakingnews. And through attendance atchapter, federation and nationalmeetings, NARFEmembers can getthe latest on issues affecting them, aswell as enjoy the camaraderie ofparticipatingwith fellow federalworkers and retirees. Chapter serviceofficers andNARFE volunteers incommunity-based service centersalso helpNARFEmemberswho needbenefits assistance.Special offers and discounts on

products and services also areavailable tomembers through

NARFE’s Affinity Partners Program.Thesemember perks range fromfinancial services andmovingcompanies to travel and vacations.Each year, NARFE awards 60

college scholarships to the children,grandchildren, great grandchildrenand stepchildren of NARFEmembers.Disaster relief grants also are availabletoNARFEmemberswho are victimsof a declared natural disaster. Both ofthese programs are administered bythe Federal Employee Education&Assistance Fund on behalf of NARFE.If you were unaware of the

discounts and special offers availablethrough NARFEmembership, checkthe NARFEMember Perks section onp. 48 of this issue ofNARFEmagazine or visit the NARFE website,www.narfe.org, where you also canfind details on the scholarship anddisaster relief programs. Get themostout of your NARFEmembership! �

Report From the Regions

T wo NARFE members pre-sented Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-VA, with a glass plaque from

the Public Employees Roundtable andtheCoalition forEffectiveChange forhiseffective leadershipon federal employeeandretiree legislationandpolicy.NARFE

is a participant in those organizations.William Shackelford (left in photo atright), immediate past president of theVirginia Federation, and WilliamSchmidt (right), NARFE congressionaldistrict liaison in Virginia’s 10th Con-gressionalDistrict, presented theplaque toWolf in his Capitol Hill office. �

Organizations HonorWolf

20Yearsof ServiceNARFE recently recognized threeemployees who reached their 20thanniversary with the Association. Left toright: Sharon Campbell, Support Services;Gloria Washington, Budget & Finance; andMyra Moore, Member Records.

NNEEWW FFEEDDEERRAATTIIOONN LLEEAADDEERRSSAs of August, 40 federations had held conventions in2012. New presidents were installed by 24. All feder-ation presidents are listed at the right.

FEDERATION PRESIDENTS 2012-2013ALABAMAWilla Dean [email protected]

ALASKAHollis D. [email protected]

ARIZONARodney [email protected]

ARKANSASWinston [email protected]

CALIFORNIAJeanette L. [email protected]

COLORADOFrank C. Impinna [email protected]

CONNECTICUTGerald J. [email protected]

DELAWAREErik D. [email protected]

DISTRICT ofCOLUMBIALinwood N. [email protected]

FLORIDAKenneth J. [email protected]

GEORGIARoger A. [email protected]

HAWAIIHenry J. [email protected]

IDAHOArnold F. [email protected]

ILLINOISR. Leo [email protected]/il

INDIANAAndy F. Whitt III812-249-0984 [email protected]/in

IOWALarry E. [email protected]

KANSASCindy Renee [email protected]

KENTUCKYNoreene [email protected]

LOUISIANATeddy R. [email protected]/la

MAINESusan S. [email protected]/me

MARYLANDTed [email protected]

MASSACHUSETTSWilliam L. [email protected]

MICHIGANDavid [email protected]

MINNESOTAJohn A. [email protected]

MISSISSIPPIGerald M. [email protected]

MISSOURIEric E. [email protected]/mo

MONTANAMary [email protected]/mt

NEBRASKABonnie M. [email protected]

NEVADAThomas R. [email protected]/nv

NEW HAMPSHIRENell R. [email protected]/nh

NEW JERSEYRae C. [email protected]://mysite.verizon.net/vzeon7y1/njfederationnarfe/index.html

NEW MEXICOJanice [email protected]

NEW YORKAnthony F. Montoro, [email protected]

NORTH CAROLINASamuel E. [email protected]

NORTH DAKOTAHarold [email protected]/nd

OHIOSondra K. [email protected]

OKLAHOMACharles [email protected]

OREGONRobert J. [email protected]/or

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PHILIPPINESFidel T. [email protected]

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WASHINGTONSandra S. [email protected]

WISCONSINJ. Dobbin [email protected]://narfewi.tripod.com

WEST VIRGINIAWayne F. [email protected]

WYOMINGEdward E. [email protected]://home.bresnan.net/~wynarfe/wyfed



Visit our online photo gallery atwww.narfe.org.

Sign in and click on NARFE Publications.

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.

ADVOCACY. Larry Harper, right, legislativedirector and NARFE-PAC coordinator of

the Georgia Federation, recently met withseveral congressional candidates,

including Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia’s8th Congressional District.

WINNING IDEA. Members of Chapter 2 in Topeka, KS, brainstorm recruitment ideasat a recent meeting. Members explained how and why they became NARFEmembers and then suggested names and addresses of potential new members,along with recruitment ideas. The chapter made it a competition, pitting tableagainst table. Members put each name and idea on a separate piece of paper,along with their table number, for a drawing for a free lunch for the entire table atthe next meeting. The more names and ideas a table submitted, the better theirchances of winning.

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

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

225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th 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

$9,881,418**Total as of July 31, 2012100% 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: _______________

HELP TO REBUILD. Chapter 106 in Duluth, MN,recently made a donation to the Lake SuperiorZoo in Duluth to help it rebuild followingtorrential rains on June 20 that severelydamaged the zoo and killed 14 animals. SamMaida, CEO of the zoo, left, is picturedaccepting a check from Wally Ruce, presidentof Chapter 106, and Jeanne Merrifield,treasurer.


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] NARFE

members will re-ceivediscountedpricing for all interstateshipments. Discount will apply topacking andmoving services and valua-tion protection. All intrastate shipments,locals and international moves will becompetitive in cost based on your geo-graphical location. Mention you are aNARFE member and transportationagreement #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®

Offers government employees,retirees and their families 7-NightStays for ONLY $349 on accommoda-tions worldwide. Book online atwww.getravelop.com/narfe and saveon your next vacation 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

(855-996-2733)

NARFEMERCHANDISE


It was a good summer for the ThriftSavings Plan stock funds. DuringJune, July and August, the S Fund

rose 9.7 percent, and the C Fund in-creased 10.7 percent. But the star per-former was the I Fund, which posted a13.7 percent gain. Despite that strongperformance, the I Fund remains theworst performing equity fund so far in2012.While investors no longer fear thedemise of the eurozone, big problemsstill remain in Greece, Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, on August 31, FederalReserveChairmanBenBernanke deliv-ered a speech at the central bank’s an-nual retreatwherehe talked about newefforts that the Federal Reserve wouldundertake to bring down “gravely highunemployment.” Investors focused onhopeshis planswouldwork rather thanon the poor economic condition itself.

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 September 0.16% 0.73% (7.03%) (10.73%) (10.55%)

October 0.14% 0.11% 10.93% 14.09% 9.48%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%

Last 12 Months 1.61% 5.85% 18.14% 13.87% 0.36%

Month L Income L 2020 L 2030 L 2040 L 20502011 September (1.51%) (4.73%) (5.92%) (6.85%) (7.80%)

October 2.31% 6.18% 7.68% 8.83% 9.92%November 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%

Last 12 Months 4.41% 8.12% 9.57% 10.56% 11.20%

For theRecord

TSP Funds HadGood Summer

ByTracey Ray

TheConsumer Price Index for UrbanWage Earners andCler-ical Workers (CPI-W) decreased 0.20 percent in July. To cal-culate the 2013 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the indices

of July, August and September 2012 will be averaged for a third-quarter determinant, which will be compared with the 2011 third-quarter base of 223.233. The July index of 225.568 is up 1.04 percentfrom the base.

Benefits awardedunder the Federal Employees’ CompensationAct(FECA) to individuals suffering work-related injuries or illnesses areadjusted according to each calendar year’s percentage change in theCPI-W. July’s index is 1.53 percent higher than the December 2011base index of 222.166. �

Index Declines AgainThe chart below tracks the CPI-W, the monthly infla-tion change, and the cumulative percentage gain forthe next CSRS and Social Security COLA.

CPI-W MONTHLY % CHANGE% CHANGE FROM 223.2

October 2011 223.043 -0.29 -0.09November 222.813 -0.10 -0.19December 222.166 -0.29 -0.48January 2012 223.216 +0.5 -0.01February 224.317 +0.5 +0.49March 226.304 +0.89 +1.38April 227.012 +0.31 +1.69May 226.600 -0.18 +1.51June 226.036 -0.24 +1.26July 225.568 -0.20 +1.04AugustSeptember

What To Look Forin a Walk-In Tub:Five major considerations to

help make an informed decisionbefore buying a Walk-In Tub:

� Quality - A walk-in tub is amajor investment. You wantto find a quality tub that willlast for decades. Look forone that’s 100% leakproof, mold-resistant, full metal frame construction and onethat’s American made.

� Warranty - Ask for a lifetime“no leak guarantee.” Thebest tubs offer a lifetime warranty on both the tub and the operating system.

� Pain Relieving Therapy - Finda tub that has both water andair jet therapy to soak awayyour aches and pains prefer-ably with a perfectly balancedwater to air mix.

� Comfort - Insist on ergonomicdesign, easy-to-reach controls.

� Endorsements - Only considertubs that are ETL or UL listed.Also look for a tub tested toIAPMO (InternationalAssociation of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials)standards and that’s USPC(Universal Spa PlumbingCode) Certified.

Technology Breakthrough Safe, comfortable bathing from Jacuzzi®�

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special promotion code 45727. Third-party financing available with approved credit.

Not Available in Hawaii and Alaska

All rights reserved. © 2012 firstSTREET®, Inc. For Boomers and Beyond®

New!

There is nothing like the simple pleasure of taking a warm bath.The cares of the day seem to fade

away, along with the aches and pains ofeveryday life. Unfortunately for manyaging Americans with mobility issues,slipping into a bath can result in slippingonto the floor. The fear of falling hasmade the simple act of bathing and itstherapeutic benefits a thing of the past…until now. firstSTREET, the leader inproducts Designed for Seniors® has part-nered with Jacuzzi®, the company thatperfected hydrotherapy. Together, they’vecreated a walk-in tub that offers morethan just safe bathing, peace-of-mindand independence, it can actually helpyou feel better.

Unlike traditional bathtubs, ourJacuzzi® Walk-In Tub features aleakproof door that allows you to simply step into the tub rather than stepping precariously over the side. Itfeatures a state-of-the-art acrylic surface,a raised seat, and the controls are withineasy reach. No other Walk-In Tub features the patented Jacuzzi® PointProTM

jet system. These high-volume, low-pressure pumps feature a perfectlybalanced water to air ratio to massage

thoroughly yet gently. Some swirl, somespiral, some deliver large volumes ofwater and others target specific pressurepoints. They are all arranged in preciselocations designed to deliver a therapeu-tic massage, yet they are fully adjustableso that your bathing experience can becompletely unique.

Why spend another day wishing you could enjoy the luxury and pain-relieving benefits of a safe, comfortable bath. Call now and you’llget an unsurpassed lifetime warranty.Knowledgeable product experts arestanding by to help you learn moreabout this product. Call Today!

SEE THE JACUZZI® DIFFERENCELaboratory tests clearly show how

Jacuzzi® outperforms other manufacturers’jet systems, producing a deeper and widerplume of revitalizing bubbles. Best of all,

it doesn’t cost you a penny more!

Jacuzzi®

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october 2012 narfe magazine

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