October 2018 NARFE Magazine by NARFE

OCT

’18

COVER STORY

NAVIGATING

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE

Volume 94 • Number 10

HOW THEY VOTED: 115TH CONGRESS SCORECARD USE IT OR LOSE IT: FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS FOR FEDS

Federal Employee Program

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* The insured may need to submit for reimbursement. State and/or local taxes may apply. Prices and product subject to change. Price shown includes the cost of comprehensive hearing exam. Examination and testing for prescribing of hearing aids is covered under the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s Service Benefit Plan (also known as the Federal Employee Program or FEP). The member should confirm that the provider rendering the hearing exam participates with their local Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. The Service Benefit Plan will pay a hearing aid benefit up to $2,500 total every 3 calendar years for adults age 22 and over, and up to $2,500 total per calendar year for members up to age 22. Do not rely on this communication piece alone for complete benefit information. All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions in your Service Benefit Plan brochure. The Blue365® Discount Program offers access to savings on items that you may purchase directly from independent vendors, which may be different from items covered under the Service Benefit Plan or any other applicable federal healthcare program. For hearing aids, acupuncture, chiropractic and vision services, you must exhaust your Service Benefit Plan benefits first before accessing the savings of the Blue 365® Discount Program. To find out what is covered under your policy, contact Service Benefit Plan. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under any local Blue company’s contract with the Medicare program. These items 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 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 item and vendors made available through Blue365, at any time. Available at participating locations until 12/31/2018. Beltone is made available through Blue365, which provides exclusive health and wellness deals and is a program of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies. Beltone is an independent company providing discounts on hearing aids. © 2017 GN Hearing Care corporation. All rights reserved. Beltone is a trademark of GN Hearing Care Corporation. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch are tradmarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

NOV

’18

SPECIAL SECTIONS

38 Open Season:

2018 Premiums

WASHINGTON WATCH

COVER STORY TIPS FOR SELECTING A HEALTH CARE PLAN. Federal Benefits expert Tammy Flanagan helps guide you through the many health plan options for federal employees and their family members.

NARFE Files Brief with U.S. Supreme Court

President Trump Reiterates Federal Employee Pay Freeze Proposal

NARFE Supports Federal Salary Council Recommendations

Get Ready for LEGCon19 - NARFE’s Legislative Training Conference

Federal Employee Due Process Under Fire

NARFE Bill Tracker

COLUMNS

From the President

58 Managing Money

PROTECTING YOUR SPOUSE IN RETIREMENT. Mark Keen helps retirees understand the process to keep benefits for their spouses in the event of their death.

62 NARFE News

VISIT US ONLINE AT:

70 Member Perks

www.narfe.org

72 The Way We Worked

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:

@narfehq

16 Questions & Answers 60 For the Record

On the Web

NARFE National Headquarters

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER

Illustration by GRAPHEK W W W. N A R F E . O R G

NOVEMBER 2018 | Volume 94 | Number 11

EDITOR Helen Mosher ASSISTANT EDITOR Christopher Johnson COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Precious Dorch-Robinson GRAPHIC DESIGN GRAPHEK EDITORIAL BOARD Richard G. Thissen, Jon Dowie, Barbara Sido EDITORIAL OFFICE: NARFE Magazine 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7781 Email: communications@narfe.org ADVERTISING SALES: Warren Berger Media People Inc. 122 East 42nd St., Suite 1622 New York, NY 10168 Phone: 212-779-7172, ext. 223 Email: wberger@mediapeople.com

NARFE FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED ON THE TELEPHONE: This publication can be heard on the telephone by persons who have trouble seeing or reading the print edition. For more information, contact the National Federation of the Blind NFB-NEWSLINE® service at 866-5047300 or go to www.nfbnewsline.org. ON DIGITAL AUDIO: Issues of NARFE Magazine are also available in audio format through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). For availability, call 202-727-2142 or your local NLS service provider. The Association, since July 1970, has been classified by the IRS as a tax-exempt labor organization [not a union]; however, dues and gifts or contributions to the Association are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association NATIONAL OFFICERS RICHARD G. THISSEN, President; natpres@narfe.org JON DOWIE, Secretary/Treasurer; natsectreas@narfe.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BARBARA SIDO, execdir@narfe.org

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

REGION I James P. Crawford (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) TEL: 603-630-5191 EMAIL: crawfordjim62@gmail.com REGION II Evelyn Kirby (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) TEL: 410-604-1141 EMAIL: ekirby@atlanticbb.net REGION III Clarence Robinson (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands) CELL: 404-312-8028 EMAIL: crobin8145@att.net

REGION VI Marshall L. Richards (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Republic of Panama and Texas) TEL: 903-660-2784 EMAIL: pappysdad@cobridge.tv REGION VII Rodney L. Adelman (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) TEL: 623-505-4719 EMAIL: narfe7vp@cox.net REGION VIII Helen L. Zajac (California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and Republic of Philippines) TEL: 707-644-7565 EMAIL: HLZajac125@gmail.com

REGION IV Edward J. Konys (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) TEL: 937-470-0566 EMAIL: region4vp@gmail.com

REGION IX Richard Wilson (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) TEL: 253-210-5609, CELL: 425-736-6899 EMAIL: narfe1404@comcast.net

REGION V Carol R. Ek (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) TEL: 620-241-1131, CELL: 620-504-2202 EMAIL: ek617@att.net

REGION X William Shackelford (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) TEL: 703-830-6590, CELL: 703-201-6304 EMAIL: wshack1951@aol.com

HERE’S HOW TO CONTACT US…

TO JOIN NARFE, RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP OR FIND A LOCAL CHAPTER:

CALL (TOLL-FREE) 800-456-8410 OR GO TO www.narfe.org TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL LISTING:

CALL (TOLL-FREE) 800-456-8410 EMAIL memberrecords@narfe.org OR GO TO www.narfe.org, log in and click on “Update My Record”

TO REACH A FEDERAL BENEFITS SPECIALIST:

EMAIL fedbenefits@narfe.org NARFE HEADQUARTERS

606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314 703-838-7760 Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET

www.narfe.org

narfe (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription. Nonmember subscription rate $40. Postmaster: Send address change to: NARFE Attn: Member Records, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. To ensure prompt delivery, members should also forward changes of address without delay. Because of the volume involved, NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures and manuscripts, although every reasonable precaution is taken. All submissions become the property of NARFE. Copyright © 2018, NARFE. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of products and/or services by NARFE, unless officially stated in the ad. We shall accept advertising on the same basis as other reputable publications: that is, we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear in NARFE Magazine, but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.

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“To you, it’s the perfect lift chair. To me, it’s the best sleep chair I’ve ever had.” — J. Fitzgerald, VA

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From the Executive Director

’TIS THE SEASON: OPEN SEASON

hether it’s the beginning of a new school year, transitioning of the seasons or setting back

our clocks, fall ushers in a time of change. For the federal community, this change comes in the form of Open Season, when employees, retirees and annuitants can make changes to health, dental and vision coverage or enroll in a Flexible Spending Account. Choosing a healthcare plan is an important life decision. For Feds, choosing one out of hundreds is all the more complex. Add to that life changes such as a dependent no longer eligible for coverage, death of a spouse, nearing retirement or already there, and the decision-making process can feel downright overwhelming. This year’s Open Season runs from November 12 to December 10, 2018, and NARFE is here to help you understand any changes handed down by OPM. Benefits experts from NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute have information and resources so that you can decide if your current plan is providing the care that fits your needs, and if not, help you to be able to select a different plan.

Being able to speak directly with NARFE specialists, with their decades of government service and benefits experience, is a valuable member benefit. With NARFE’s annual dues at $40, this service provides members with unparalleled insight and guidance and has saved them tens of thousands of dollars. I encourage you to utilize this benefit during Open Season and throughout the rest of the year. Statistics reveal that only about 5 percent of all eligible Feds make a change to their health plan during Open Season. This tells us they either are pleased with their current plan or, for whatever reason, they don’t know they need to act. Regardless of your life situation, inaction can be detrimental. You can contact the Federal Benefits Institute at 800-4568410, option 2. Fall also means that it’s time for NARFE’s big membership drive. Chapter leaders and headquarters staff will attend health fairs across the country, promoting the many benefits of NARFE membership to recruit new members and retain current ones. Attracting new members is not only important for the organization’s bottom line, but the contribution of additional diverse experiences and perspectives helps make NARFE a stronger and louder advocate on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures. During this important time of year, NARFE members receive $10 for each new member they recruit. Remember to include your ID number when you recruit a new member. Need ideas? Don’t miss NARFE’s recruiting resources at www.narfe.org.

BARBARA SIDO NARFE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR execdir@narfe.org 4

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New amplified phone lets you hear AND see the conversation.

o ct N t ra e n Fe o Co N hly t on M

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The Hamilton® CapTel® Captioned Telephone converts phone conversations to easy-to-read captions for individuals with hearing loss.

A simple idea… made possible with sophisticated technology. If you have trouble understanding a call, captioned telephone can change your life. During a phone call the words spoken to you appear on the phone’s screen – similar to closed captioning on TV. So when you make or receive a call, the words spoken to you are not only amplified by the phone, but scroll across the phone so you can listen while reading everything that’s said to you. Each call is routed through a call center, where computer technology – aided by a live representative – generates voice-to-text translations. The captioning is real-time, accurate and readable. Your conversation is private and the captioning service doesn’t cost you a penny. Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) is regulated and funded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is designed exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. To learn more, visit www.fcc.gov. The Hamilton CapTel phone requires telephone service and high-speed Internet access. WiFi Capable. Callers

do not need special equipment or a captioned telephone in order to speak with you. Finally… a phone you can use again. The Hamilton CapTel phone is also packed with features to help make phone calls easier. The keypad has large, easy to use buttons. You get adjustable volume amplification along with the ability to save captions for review later. It even has an answering machine that provides you with the captions of each message.

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Washington Watch

SENATE PASSES FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PAY RAISE FOR 2019

he Senate passed a bill on August 1 that would provide civilian federal employees an average raise of 1.9 percent in January 2019. If signed into law, pay

rates would increase by 1.4 percent across the board, and locality pay rates would increase by an average of 0.5 percent.

The raise was included in a package of four appropriations bills bundled into one “minibus,” H.R. 6147. The minibus passed by a vote of 92-6. The House did not include a pay raise in its version of the legislation. At press time, the bills were moving to conference to resolve differences between the House and Senate. “Despite frozen pay for three years from 2011-2013, civil servants come to work every day dedicated to helping the American public,” said NARFE President Richard Thissen. “They do so at a time of continued threats to their earned pay and benefits. For their unwavering service in the face of these challenges, federal employees deserve this modest 6

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raise included in the Senate spending bill.” Without congressional action, federal pay rates will remain stagnant, as the Trump administration has clearly stated its intention to freeze federal employee pay next year. Pursuant to the Federal Employees’ Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA), the president is directed to authorize pay increases ACTION ALERT!

based on the change in wages and salaries paid to workers in the private sector, as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI). In this instance, the ECI was 2.6 percent, the same rate provided by Congress to the military for 2019. However, FEPCA allows the president to propose an alternative pay increase for federal employees if he determines that “because of national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare,” such a pay adjustment would be inappropriate. As the president’s FY19 budget proposes a pay freeze, it indicates that the president intends to propose

OCTOBER

The Senate approved a 1.9 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2019, while the House remained silent. The House and Senate are in conference to reconcile their differences. It is imperative that NARFE members continue to contact their legislators and urge support for this modest pay raise in 2019. To freeze federal pay that at a time of rising private-sector wage growth is a direct attack on the civil service.

an alternative pay plan allowing for no pay adjustment whatsoever for 2019. NARFE expresses its sincere appreciation to the Senate for advancing this modest pay increase, and particularly to

Sen. James Lankford, R-OK, the chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, for including the pay raise in subcommittee’s bill. NARFE President Richard

PLAN TO PRIVATIZE USPS MET WITH RESISTANCE

he Trump administration’s proposal to privatize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been met with steadfast resistance by many lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The proposal calls for the reorganization to “Restructure the U.S. Postal System to return it to a sustainable business model or prepare it for future conversion from a government agency into a privately held corporation.” In response, a bipartisan coalition of representatives rolled out a direct legislative rebuttal. H.Res. 993, introduced by Reps. Rodney Davis, R-IL, and Stephen Lynch, D-MA, expresses the sense of the House that, “Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.” As of August 21, the number of cosponsors expanded to 130 bipartisan members of Congress. In support of this stance, the authors of this resolution point to the impact privatization would have on the Postal Service’s universal service standard. They argue that privatization would result in higher prices

that would especially target rural communities, which are not always profitable for regular mail delivery. Rural communities would likely also be hurt by this since a private enterprise would have little-tono financial incentive to offer reliable delivery services to these areas. The authors warn that privatization threatens the viability of a major component of our nation’s infrastructure, which could endanger the health of our currently booming e-commerce sector. The authors point out that USPS is “at the center of the $1.4 trillion mailing industry… serves the needs of 157 million businesses and residential customers at least six days a week, maintains an affordable and universal network, and connects the country’s rural, suburban, and urban communities.” NARFE supports this resolution wholeheartedly, as USPS privatization would place the jobs, pay and health and retirement security of hard-working, middleclass postal employees at risk. NARFE is a strong supporter of USPS’ constitutional obligation to provide universal service. — BY SAMUEL BARTELS, ADVOCACY ASSISTANT

G. Thissen and NARFE Oklahoma Federation President Randy Freeland requested the inclusion of the pay raise in a letter to Sen. Lankford in June. — BY JOHN HATTON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY

MYTH vs. REALITY Myth: Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for federal retirees are determined in the same manner as pay raises are for federal employees. Reality: COLAs and pay raises are determined differently. Yearly federal retiree annuity COLAs are provided under an automatic formula using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-W. To calculate the COLA, the indices of July, August and September are averaged and compared with the previous years’ third-quarter average. The percentage increase, if any, determines the COLA. The goal of a COLA is to help retirees’ annuities keep pace with inflation. Pay raises for federal employees must be authorized and determined by Congress or the president on a yearly basis. Pay raises are provided to employees to ensure their pay remains competitive with private-sector pay. W W W. N A R F E . O R G

Washington Watch

CONGRESS SCRUTINIZES REORGANIZATION PLAN

ince the release of the president’s reorganization plan, it has received considerable congressional attention. The reorganization plan calls for the privatization of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a transfer of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) programmatic functions — human resources solutions, retirement services, and health care and insurance — to a new Government Services Administration (GSA), as well as a shift of OPM’s personnel policy and strategy functions to the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Congress has explored the merits, or lack thereof, of the administration’s proposals with three hearings thus far. NARFE submitted testimony before all three hearings to voice concerns with these proposals. The testimony cautioned that transferring federal personnel policy to the EOP threatens to politicize the career civil service and imperil merit system principles. The testimony also warned that transferring OPM’s administrative responsibilities to GSA risks undermining the importance of federal workforce retirement and health benefits programs by folding them into an expanded GSA mission. Moreover,

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NARFE testimony forewarned that a privatized postal service would jeopardize the USPS’ universal service and threaten the jobs, pay and benefits of postal employees. The first hearing was held by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Deputy Director for Management Margaret Weichert serving as the committee’s only witness. Many committee members voiced the same misgivings with the reorganization proposals as NARFE laid out in its testimony, and they expressed frustration with the lack of detail and analysis supporting these reorganization recommendations. As it relates to privatizing USPS, the committee members pointed out that OMB did not do its due diligence by consulting USPS before issuing this proposal. Further, they put a spotlight on the proposal’s failure to account for the prefunding requirement’s responsibility for the agency’s mounting unfunded liabilities. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee followed with a hearing, with Weichert again acting as the sole witness, where the senators reiterated a sense of frustration with the plan’s lack of supporting

analysis. Though all committee members were in agreement that government should always strive to attain improved efficiency and effectiveness, it was a point of contention whether OMB should be held accountable for the lack of supporting data. (Reorganization continued on p. 9) Legislative Resources • Legislative Hotline: A weekly update of legislative news, compiled by the NARFE Advocacy Department staff, distributed via email and available by phone (tollfree) at 800-456-8410, option 4 and online at www.narfe.org. • Legislative Action Center: A one-stop site to send a letter to Congress, and more, at www.narfe.org.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE AMONG FUTURE FEDERAL WORKFORCE CHALLENGES

nlike the common practice in the private sector as well as throughout the world, federal employees are not provided paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Instead, they are forced to tap into their accrued vacation and sick leave, or forgo pay. Remedying this situation is about more than benefits; it’s about practical human resources policy. Currently, the federal government is hamstringing its recruitment and retention efforts by not offering this popular benefit at a time when a significant portion of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire in the coming years. Sixty percent of the existing federal workforce is eligible to retire within 10 years. Forty percent is eligible in just three years. Change is desperately needed to meet this workforce recruitment and retention challenge. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not offer its civil service employees any paid time off when a new child is brought into the family. The private sector has also recognized the value

of paid parental leave. With most large employers offering this benefit, we could see more and more young talent drawn away from public service in favor of the improved work-life balance afforded by private-sector employment. To catch up the federal government with worldwide and private-sector trends, Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-VA, introduced H.R. 6275, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018. This legislation would provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid leave in the event of the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. NARFE members added paid parental leave for federal employees to its legislative program, and NARFE supports this legislation, as it will position the federal government to recruit and retain the well-qualified workforce necessary to provide high-quality services to the American public. By improving retention, the federal government would also avoid turnover costs that accompany new parents leaving the workforce, which can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

Beyond the pragmatic purposes of offering this benefit, paid parental leave would demonstrate the value we place on family and parenting. If we truly value family, we should no longer force new parents to pick between spending invaluable, irreplaceable time bonding with their newborns and earning the paychecks necessary to pay the bills and save for their child’s future. In support of this legislation, NARFE’s Staff Vice President of Advocacy Jessica Klement participated in a panel discussion hosted by Congresswoman Comstock on July 23. In reference to the government’s recruitment problem Klement said, “We have to do something to recruit new employees, younger employees into the federal workforce. Study after study of the younger generation shows that they value work-life balance in ways that the generation before them didn’t. There’s actually a demand for more work-life balance, more workplace flexibilities and for policies like paid parental leave.”

(Reorganization from p. 8) Some senators argued that the process is just beginning and details can be expected later, while others felt that such drastic proposals should not be put forth without proper justification. Numerous senators also expressed grievances with the proposal to privatize the Postal Service, arguing privatization would hurt rural communities and diminish USPS’ prized universal service. A third hearing focused specifically on the transfer of OPM’s transactional and administrative functions to GSA. For this hearing, a senate subcommittee was joined by

OPM Director Jeff Pon and GSA Administrator Emily Murphy. Murphy defended the proposal to transfer OPM administrative functions to GSA, claiming they would fit well into GSA’s skillset and mission of agency support. Both Murphy and Pon asserted that efficiency and effectiveness would be gained by centralizing agency support services under GSA. Director Pon testified that allowing OPM to waive its administrative and transactional duties would allow the agency to refocus on federal government human resources policy and strategy matters, such as employee compensation, workforce supply

and demand, identification of workforce skills and leadership management. NARFE will continue to demand that Congress consider how these agency reorganization proposals will impact the well-being of the public servants who are at the core of effective and efficient government. NARFE’s testimony to the committee is available on the NARFE website.

— BY SAMUEL BARTELS, ADVOCACY ASSISTANT

W W W. N A R F E . O R G

Washington Watch

WHY IS NARFE PROMOTING A CDL STRUCTURE?

ARFE is dedicated to strengthening its role as the trusted source of information about the federal community. One way NARFE is increasing its visibility is by bolstering the Congressional District Leader (CDL) and Senatorial Leader (SL) program across the country. Federations with a CDL structure appoint NARFE members to serve as the primary connection between a congressional office and the NARFE members who live in that congressional district. In their role, CDLs ensure a legislator and his/her staff is aware of NARFE’s legislative priorities by streamlining NARFE communication with the office. As of August 1, 242 NARFE members serve as CDLs or SLs, covering 255 House and Senate offices. Our goal is to have a CDL or SL representing NARFE in all 535 congressional offices. Maximizing the number of CDLs will aid in addressing NARFE’s legislative priorities with all legislators and present NARFE as a consistent, trusted source of information about the federal community for legislators and their staff. NARFE’s goal of appointing a CDL for each congressional office will only be met if strong support for the CDL program exists within each federation. CDLs are responsible for coordinating actions and alerting NARFE members in a congressional district to advocacy activities in which they can participate. For example, CDLs should alert NARFE members when a legislator is hosting a town hall

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or community event. NARFE members then can plan to participate and ask questions about proposals affecting the earned pay and benefits of the federal community. Or, if a chapter invites a member of Congress or staff person to speak at a NARFE meeting, the CDL should work with chapter leadership to invite all NARFE members in the district to attend. As the point person for the congressional office, CDLs are tasked with facilitating congressional meetings and training members on legislative issues. This position does not replace the chapter legislative officer, but rather facilitates unity among all members in a congressional district. Visit the advocacy page of the NARFE website to read more about the responsibilities of a CDL. Building an effective CDL program, whether from an existing structure or from the ground up, takes dedication from NARFE federation leaders and members interested in fulfilling the duties of the position. Currently, the status of NARFE’s CDL program differs from federation to federation. While some federations have a strong CDL structure already, others have expressed interest in developing a program. In other states, this model is not employed. There is a wide range of participation across the country, therefore, NARFE staff can provide further training based on your specific program. Are you interested in becoming a CDL and advocating on behalf of NARFE to achieve our legislative goals? Is your

federation interested in hosting CDL training? NARFE wants to hear from you! Please contact NARFE’s Grassroots Program Manager Molly Checksfield (mchecksfield@narfe.org) for more information. Let’s work together to build CDL programs in each federation to bolster recognition of NARFE and our legislative priorities across the nation. —BY MOLLY CHECKSFIELD, GRASSROOTS PROGRAM MANAGER

NARFE GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY Learn more about how you can take action to protect your earned pay and benefits by reviewing NARFE Grassroots materials at bitly.com/ NARFEGrassroots2018

narfe bill tracker

THE NARFE BILL TRACKER IS YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO THE CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION THAT NARFE IS FOLLOWING. CHECK BACK EACH ISSUE FOR UPDATES. ISSUE

BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

WHAT BILL WOULD DO

H.R. 756: Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 / Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-UT Cosponsors: 11 (D), 12 (R)

Requires postal retirees to enroll in Medicare in order to continue receiving their current federal health insurance coverage. Enrollment would be automatic.

H.R. 6076 / S. 2629: Postal Service Reform Act of 2018. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-NC Cosponsors 5 (D), 2 (R) Sen. Tom Carper, D-DE Cosponsors 3 (R), 2 (D)

POSTAL REFORM

NARFEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Position:

LATEST ACTION(S) Approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; pending in two other committees Pending in three House committees Approved to bypass committee process

H.Res. 15: As a resolution, it will not be sent to the president and, therefore, cannot become law / Rep. Sam Graves, R-MO Cosponsors: 183 (D), 72 (R)

Expresses the sense of the House that the U.S. Postal Service should take all appropriate mesaures to ensure the continuation of six-day delivery.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

H.Res. 31: As a resolution, it will not be sent to the president and, therefore, cannot become law / Rep. David McKinley, R-WV Cosponsors: 177 (D), 50 (R)

Expresses the sense of the House that the U.S. Postal Service should take all measures to restore service standards in effect on July 1, 2012.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

H.Res. 28: As a resolution, it will not be sent to the president and, therefore, cannot become law / Rep. Susan Davis, D-CA Cosponsors: 183 (D), 61 (R)

Expresses the sense of the House that the U.S. Postal Service should take all measures to ensure the continuation of door-to-door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

H.Res. 993: As a resolution, it will not be sent to the president and, therefore, cannot become law / Rep. Steven Lynch, D-MA Cosponsors: 105 (D), 25 (R)

Expresses the sense of the House that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Support

Oppose

No position

W W W. N A R F E . O R G

Washington Watch

EDITOR’S NOTE: These bills are all listed online at www.narfe.org/legislation/votervoice.cfm.

ISSUE

BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

WHAT BILL WOULD DO

LATEST ACTION(S)

H.R. 4775 / S. 2295: The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act / Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-VA Cosponsors (H.R. 4775): 51 (D), 1 (R) Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI Cosponsors (S. 2295): 10 (D), 0 (R)

Provides for a 3 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2019.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (H.R. 4775) and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

H.R. 3269: Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act of 2017 / Rep. Anthony G. Brown, D-MD

Repeals laws passed in 2012 and 2013 that increased the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) contributions for newly hired federal employees.

Referred to the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Foreign Affairs NARFE, October 2017

Provides federal employees with 6 weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child.

Referred to the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Administration and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental affairs

This legislation would allow federal employees who started their careers in temporary positions, before transitioning into permanent roles, to “buy back” such time and include it in their retirement annuity calculations.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Cosponsors: 28 (D), 0 (R)

H.R. 1022/S. 362: Federal Employees Paid Parental FEDERAL Leave Act of 2017 / Rep. COMPENSATION Carolyn Maloney, D-NY Cosponsors: 80 (D), 1 (R) Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI Cosponsors: 3 (D), 0 (R) H.R. 5389: Federal Retirement Fairness Act / Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA Cosponsors: 9 (D) 4 (R)

H.R. 6275: The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018/Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-VA

Provides federal employees with 12 weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child.

Cosponsors: 4 (D), 4 (R)

DC STATEHOOD

H.R. 1291 / S. 1278: Washington, DC Admission Act / Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC Cosponsors (H.R. 1291): 166 (D), 0 (R) Sen. Thomas Carper, D-DE Cosponsors (S. 1278): 28 (D), 1 (I)

Sets forth procedures that would allow the District of Columbia to become a state known as the State of Washington, DC.

Referred to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs NARFE’s Position:

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Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Committee on Rules

Support

Oppose

No position

ISSUE

BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

LATEST ACTION(S)

H.R. 1251: CPI-E Act of 2017/ Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA Cosponsors: 51 (D), 1 (R)

Requires Social Security and many federal retirement programs to use the Consumer Price Index for the elderly (CPI-E) to calculate cost-ofliving adjustments (COLAs) to retirement benefits.

Referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services NARFE, May 2017

H.R. 1205 / S. 915: Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 / Rep. Rodney Davis, R-IL Cosponsors (H.R. 1205): 130 (D), 58 (R) Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH Cosponsors (S. 915): 20 (D), 4 (R), 1 (I)

Repeals both the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means (H.R. 1205) Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance (S. 915) NARFE, May 2017

COLA

GPO/WEP

WHAT BILL WOULD DO

NARFE’s Position:

Support

Oppose

No position

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Questions & Answers

The following Questions & Answers were compiled by NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute staff. NARFE does not provide legal, financial planning or tax advice or assistance.

EMPLOYEES FSAFEDS AND EXPENSES

As a federal employee, I registered for a health care flexible spending account (HCFSA) with the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) this past Open Season. I’m going to be separating from federal service next month, and I know that any expenses I might incur after I separate won’t qualify for reimbursement. If I incur the eligible expenses before I separate from federal service, will I have to return any funds received from my account if I separate before FSAFEDS has enough time to deduct my entire allocation from my pay?

Your HCFSA will terminate as of the date of your separation. There are no extensions permitted. Any eligible health-care expenses incurred prior to the date of your separation will still be reimbursed, but any expenses incurred after the separation date are not reimbursable, even if you accelerated your allotments. You probably already know that when you incur eligible expenses, you can 16

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immediately claim reimbursement from your HCFSA for as much as the entire amount that you allocated with your Open Season election. The good news is that if you use your entire elected amount before FSAFEDS has deducted it from your pay, you will NOT be responsible for the remaining allotments. This is the opposite of what happens when folks don’t plan properly and they sometimes lose money at the end of the year if they don’t incur the

expenses that they planned to incur, which is why they sometimes call this a “use it or lose it” benefit. If this sounds too good to be true, then that means you understand this part of the IRS tax code. When preparing to separate from federal service, during the Open Season prior to the year of separation, federal employees should only elect a HCFSA amount that will equal the total amount of eligible expenses that they expect to incur between January 1 and the date of their separation next year. And if they are separating before December 31, they can take advantage of this special rule too. As long as you incur the eligible expenses between January 1 and the date of your separation from federal service, you have until April 30 of the following year to submit these claims for reimbursement. Any balances remaining for which claims were not submitted by April 30 will be forfeited.

FEHB COVERAGE

If I separate under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) at my minimum retirement age (MRA) with just over 15 years of service and opt to postpone collecting my annuity to avoid a permanent reduction for early retirement age, I understand that there would be no reduction if I wait until age 62 to apply for the annuity. I also understand that my Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program coverage will be restored when I apply for this postponed annuity. I will be looking for an opportunity to return to federal service a few years after I separate and it’s possible that I might not be able to find another federal job until after my 62nd birthday. So if I don’t actually apply for my retirement at age 62 and eventually give up on returning to federal service, can I still have my FEHB coverage when I claim my annuity after 62?

Yes, as long as you were covered by FEHB for the last 5 years of federal service leading up to the date of your separation from federal service on or after your FERS MRA with 10+ years of creditable service, you will be given the option to restore your FEHB coverage upon application for your postponed annuity. Most folks would typically apply for their full unreduced postponed annuity at age 62, but since you might still be looking to return to federal service and have no desire to become a reemployed annuitant, you have decided that

you don’t want to apply for your retirement so soon. But if you are unsuccessful with finding another federal job that conveys retirement coverage under FERS, if you file your application for a postponed annuity a few years later, your unreduced annuity would initially be paid retroactive to age 62 in a lump-sum payment with monthly payments moving forward, but the FEHB coverage wouldn’t be effective until you actually apply for your annuity. For example, let’s say that at age 64 you decide to give up trying to get back into a federal job. Upon application for your annuity, you would be entitled to two years of unreduced annuity as a lump-sum payment, and moving forward you would receive a monthly annuity payment along with your FEHB coverage. In other words, you would not owe two years’ worth of FEHB premiums. This also means that you should expect to find some health-insurance coverage during the period of time that you aren’t federally employed and not officially retired. Upon separation, your FEHB coverage ends after 31 days of free coverage. Your FEHB coverage is restored once you return to federal service or once your annuity starts. If you’re returning to federal service later, be sure that it’s a job that will allow FERS coverage. Otherwise, most temporary federal jobs with appointments, not that aren’t expected to last longer than one year won’t allow service credit towards retirement, and they often don’t allow access to

FEHB. You would still be allowed FEHB coverage once you apply for your postponed annuity, but this sort of federal job wouldn’t allow you to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan and wouldn’t add any additional service credit to the computation of your FERS annuity. But if you get your foot back in the door with a temporary job like this and eventually expect to be converted to an appointment that will permit FERS coverage and FEHB coverage, then be sure to sign up for FEHB as soon as you become eligible (within 60 days). Otherwise, you might have to work an additional 5 years to be allowed to keep your FEHB coverage in retirement once you separate from federal service for retirement purposes.

LIFE INSURANCE UNDER FEGLI

Q A

How much life insurance coverage do I have under the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program?

That’s difficult to answer without access to your records. NARFE does not have access to your federal employment or federal retirement records. If you are an employee, you can find documentation that shows what FEGLI coverage you have. Although your Statement of Earnings & Leave (SEL) reflects any deductions from your pay for FEGLI, it’s often difficult W W W. N A R F E . O R G

Questions & Answers

to decipher what level of coverage you have when referring to your SEL. We recommend taking a look at your most recent SF-50 (Personnel Action) to see what FEGLI coverage you currently have. If you need to translate the FEGLI code listed on your SF-50, you can use the following web link for assistance: www. opm.gov/retirement-services/ calculators/fegli-calculator/ codes-on-a-notification-of-personnel-action-sf50/ Once retired, annuitants can use OPM’s Retirement Services Online to review the level of FEGLI coverage they previously chose to carry into retirement. Alternatively, annuitants can call, email or write OPM and request

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a Verification of Life Insurance (VOLI), although using OPM’s Retirement Services Online is much easier and quicker for those with internet access. Unless you waived FEGLI coverage, you most likely have at least Basic. The Basic Insurance Amount (BIA) payable upon your death is based on your basic salary rate. Basic salary usually includes the following: • regular pay • locality-based pay • environmental differential pay • premium pay for standby time • law enforcement availability pay (LEAP) • night differential pay for Federal Wage System (blue-collar) employees

• special pay rate for recruiting and retention purposes The BIA would be your basic salary, rounded up to the nearest thousand, plus two thousand. Your BIA is also affected by your work schedule. For example, if you basic salary was $47,500, then your BIA would be $50,000 as a full time employee. If this individual was a part-time employee with a half-time schedule, then his/her BIA would be $25,000. Your BIA for retirement would be based on your final basic salary rate and work schedule on the date of your separation for retirement from federal service. Most employees first hired under CSRS or FERS were automatically enrolled into BASIC

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Questions & Answers

and would have had to waive the coverage if they didn’t want it. But you may have also signed up for optional coverage as well. Please note that these optional coverages are only available to folks who are enrolled in Basic. You can’t have optional coverage without Basic. Optional coverages might include any combination of the following in addition to your Basic coverage: -OPTION A (sometimes called Standard) which is usually $10,000 -OPTION B which is anywhere from one to five times your salary -OPTION C (sometimes called Family coverage) where you are the beneficiary if a family member dies. Keep in mind, the current levels and costs of these coverages depend upon several factors—including decisions you may have previously made, such as your age, and whether you’re employed or retired. Whether you are employed or retired, once you know what level of FEGLI coverage you have, you should take the time to use the FEGLI calculator on OPM’s website to review the cost for each part of FEGLI you have as well as the amounts payable to your beneficiaries upon your death, or the amount payable to you for the death of an eligible family member if you have Option C. For more information, see www. bitly.com/FEGLICalculator.

RETIREES SPOUSAL SURVIVOR BENEFIT

Q 20

As an annuitant, I did not elect a spousal survivor benefit for my current

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spouse when we got married 10 years ago because I have a divorce decree that dictates that my former spouse is entitled to a full survivor benefit. Although I have my spouse under my FEHB plan, I just found out that if I predecease her, she would not be allowed to keep my FEHB plan since I never elected a spousal survivor benefit for her. Can I make this election for her now?

No. Unfortunately, as an annuitant, since you did not file an election for a spousal survivor benefit for your current spouse within the first two years of your marriage, you are unable to make this election now. However, if your former spouse dies before you and your current spouse do, or if your former spouse remarries before his/her 55th birthday (assuming that you divorced prior to 30 years of marriage), the law does allow you an additional two years from the date that your former spouse dies or remarries before his/her 55th birthday to make this election for your current spouse. Obviously, this is not something that folks can plan on, so most annuitants would want to contact OPM within two years from the date of their marriage if they wanted to preserve FEHB access for their spouse in the event of their death. But since you missed out on your initial opportunity to make this election, you should be aware of this potential option in the future. You and your current spouse may not like the following idea, but your alternative is to divorce your current spouse and remarry again so you will have a new two-year window from the date of remarriage to elect a

spousal survivor benefit. Since your annuity is already being reduced for the cost of a full survivor annuity, there will not be an additional reduction. And once OPM accepts your current spousal survivor benefit election, if you predecease both your former and current spouse, the current spouse would be allowed to maintain the FEHB coverage even if the former spouse is receiving the monthly survivor benefit payment. However, if your former spouse predeceases your current spouse, the survivor benefit payment would roll over to your current spouse.

THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN

I am 63 and I retired from federal service last month. I have no desire to start drawing any money from my Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) until a few years from now. I’m assuming that I don’t have to begin drawing sooner, do I?

You can leave your entire account balance in the TSP when you leave federal service if the balance is $200 or more. You can continue to enjoy tax-deferred earnings and low administrative expenses. Now that you are separated, you will no longer be able to make employee contributions. However, you can transfer money into your TSP account from IRAs (although not from Roth IRAs) and eligible employer plans. Refer to the following web link for these details: www.bitly.com/ TSPBenefits. Your account will continue to accrue earnings, and you can continue to change the way your money is invested in the TSP

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Questions & Answers

NARFE at Your Service investment funds by making interfund transfers. Refer to the following web link for these details: www.bitly.com/TSPInterfundTransfers For more details regarding your current withdrawal options, required minimum distributions at age 70½, and details regarding the new flexible withdrawal options that should become available in September 2019, you can refer to the NARFE white paper titled “TSP Withdrawal Options – Choose the One That Fits Your Needs” on the member side of

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our web site at the following web link: www.narfe.org/member/index.cfm After logging in, search for “White Papers” that includes the one on TSP Withdrawals.

To obtain an answer to a federal benefits question, NARFE members should call 800-456-8410 and select option 2 for the Federal Benefits Institute; send the question by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Federal Benefits; or submit it by email to fedbenefits@narfe.org.

At NARFE headquarters, experts are available to answer questions and to assist in helping with a variety of benefit matters. Call NARFE at:

800-456-8410, Option 2

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Your 22-day journey through 8 countries starts with 2 nights in charming Prague followed by a city tour and overnight stay in Berlin. Then board the spectacular MSC Meraviglia and travel in comfort through many of Europe’s most popular ports. Spend 2 days in Reykjavík, and enjoy Iceland’s otherworldly natural beauty on an included tour of the breathtaking Golden Circle. Continue on to Canada, then spend a final full day in New York City.

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Surround yourself in the natural splendor of Alaska starting in Fairbanks. Explore the area and see the restored Gold Dredge #8. Travel south to Denali and enjoy a Natural History Tour in the 6 million acre National Park. Visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters near Wasilla en route to Seward. Witness marine wildlife on a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. Continue to the picturesque fishing town of Homer and conclude your tour with a final day of sightseeing in Anchorage.

Enjoy a fully-escorted 4 island Hawaiian vacation with beachfront lodging on Kauai, Maui, and the “Big Island” of Hawaii, and in gorgeous Waikiki on Oahu. Includes a Pearl Harbor experience where you will see the USS Arizona Memorial and Battleship Missouri. Visit historic Lahaina, enjoy a boat cruise on the Wailua River and authentic Hawaiian entertainment and food at our Farewell Feast. Escorted throughout by our friendly Tour Directors—your local experts. Price includes 3 inter-island flights.

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See up to 9 of America’s most spectacular national parks on this incredible tour! Start off in dazzling Las Vegas and continue to the world-famous Grand Canyon, Zion’s steep sandstone cliffs, rock hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley’s giant mesas, Arches National Park’s gravity-defying rock arches, waterfalls and granite scenery in Yosemite, towering sequoia trees in Kings Canyon, and everything in between — America’s natural beauty awaits!

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The escorted tour experts since 1967! All tours include hotels, sightseeing and baggage handling. *Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus up to $299 taxes & fees. Cruise pricing based on lowest cabin category; upgrades available. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Free Balcony Upgrade requires purchase of Ocean View Cabin. For full Set Sail terms and conditions see www.ymtvacations.com/setsailoffers. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 11/30/18. Other terms and conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details.

W W W. N A R F E . O R G

Open Season Report

PEN SEASON REPORT

WHAT YOU CAN DO IN OPEN SEASON

It’s Time to Prepare: Open Season 2018 is from Monday, November 12 - Monday, December 10

he 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, November 12, through Monday, December 10. During Open Season, federal employees may enroll or change their current enrollments in several federal insurance benefit programs, such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS). Federal retirees and survivors may make changes to their current enrollment in FEHB and FEDVIP. Importantly, Open Season is the only time of the year when enrollees in FEDVIP can cancel their enrollment. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will release information regarding the 2019 premiums and benefit changes for the numerous insurance plans participating in these federal programs in early October, well ahead of the starting date of Open Season, to give everyone enough time to study the options and make

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a change if they want. NARFE will publish the new premium rates and information in NARFE Magazine in November and December. They will also be posted on the NARFE website, www.narfe.org.

WHAT WE KNOW NOW

OPM is concerned with the rising number of opioid addicts causing the Trump Administration to declare a nationwide public health emergency. FEHB carriers already are making significant efforts to prevent and treat opioid addictions. The 2019 plan year must include: • Screening of patients for opioid use history, pathways for referral to treatment and prescription

drug monitoring • Effective outreach regarding opioid risks and availablity of alternative treatment for pain • Quantity and prior approval limits on opioid medications • Efforts to safely dispose of prescription medications • Initiatives to further improve access to MAT • Initiatives to facilitate access to naloxone-based rescue agents • Evaluation of the availablity of addiction treatment programs for unique populations (pregnant women, youth) • Assessment of adequate non-opioid pharmacy benefits for pain management

OPEN SEASON WEBINARS SPONSORED BY GEHA The NARFE Federal Benefits Institute will conduct two webinars by federal benefits experts on topics related to Open Season: •F EHBP & Medicare – Understanding Your Choices, October 11, 2 p.m. ET (James Marshall) • Health Plans: What’s New and How to Choose, November 8, 2 p.m. ET (Tammy Flanagan) One-hour Q&A sessions will follow. The webinars are free to NARFE members. To register, go to www.narfe.org, log in and click on the Federal Benefits Institute banner after September 20.

The choice for your 2019 vision plan is clear. National network including private practice and retail settings. Now welcoming TRICARE retirees and active military families. Open season begins November 12.

See for yourself at fedvip.myuhcvision.com UnitedHealthcare Vision® coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, located in Hartford, Connecticut, or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by Spectera, Inc., United Healthcare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage contact UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. MT-1179385

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Open Season Report

• Assessment of adequate nonpharmalogic benefits for pain management, inluding physical therapy, chiropractor, etc. • Processes to detect and remedy concerns about overuse, misuse or fraud related to opioid prescribing or drug testing. In addition to the focus on opioids, OPM’s latest Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) includes several other guidelines. Greater utilization of existing drugs and the high cost of new specialty medications contribute significantly to FEHB Program premiums. Chronic physical and mental health conditions continue to be a primary concern in the health care market. FEHB carriers cite heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, cerebrovascular disease, inflammatory conditions and respiratory conditions as both most prevalent and

OPM’s goal for FEHB is to pursue ways to contain rising health care costs while providing opportunities for members to live healthier lives. most costly. OPM continues to focus on medication management for patients with chronic health conditions. Technology continues to improve the efficiency of provider and pharmacy electronic workflows. Enhanced provider tools such as electronic prior authorizations allow the provider to exchange clinical information in real time, which results in quicker coverage determination turnaround times, reduced prescription abandonment rates and increased member satisfaction. OPM encourages FEHB carriers to adopt technologies that

streamline the pharmaceutical coverage determination process and enhance the member experience. FEHB carriers will also be reviewing their plan design, network and benefit management strategies in the context of the delayed excise tax on high-cost employersponsored health coverage. OPM’s goal for the FEHB program is to pursue ways to contain rising health care costs while providing opportunities for members to live healthier lives. OPM is very focused on ways to provide affordable, quality health plans for federal employees, annuitants and their families.

OPM SHOWS PROGRESS TOWARD IMPROVING PLAN PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OPM congratulates FEHB carriers on their progress toward improving clinical quality, customer service, and resource use measures in the OPM Plan Performance Assessment. FEHB carriers’ effort were scored on the three high-priority measures: timeliness of prenatal care, controlling high blood pressure, and overalll readmission rate. In 2017, a majority of FEHB carriers scored above the national commercial average on these three measures, and the percentage of FEHB plans exceeding this benchmark was greater than in 2016. FEHB carriers also performed well on diabetes control, with 61 percent scoring above the national average. However, continued attention to controlling hypertension and diabetes is necessary. FEHB carriers report heart disease and diabetes as the most common conditions among their enrolled population and diabetes as a top driver of medical

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and pharmacy cost. The 2017 ADC indicated some FEHB carriers are not meeting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations to refer qualifying adults to intensive behavioral counseling interventions for cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention.

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» Low monthly plan premiums » A fund of up to $1,800 to help you pay for

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prescriptions or Medicare Part B premiums services if Medicare Parts A and B are primary and your provider accepts Medicare assignment

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.......................................................................................................... Open season starts November 12, 2018. Learn more at aetnafeds.com/aetnadirect

Health insurance plans are offered and/or underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna). This is a brief description of the features of this Aetna health insurance plan. Before making a decision, please read the plan’s applicable federal brochure(s). All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the federal brochure. Plan features and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Aetna does not provide care or guarantee access to health services. For more information about Aetna plans, refer to aetnafeds.com/aetnadirect. ©2018 Aetna Inc. 19.12.310.1-FED B (8/18)

COVERAGE THAT FOCUSES ON YOU

fepbluevision.com

There’s a reason why more people choose Blue. Since 1960, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP) has been the provider of choice for federal employees and their families. No hidden costs. No out of pocket guesswork. FEP BlueVision members enjoy comprehensive coverage at significantly lower prices. As a participating FEDVIP vision plan, FEP BlueVision® benefits include:

ZERO COPAY comprehensive routine eye exam

FULLY COVERED FEP BlueVision® Collection Frames

GENEROUS FRAME ALLOWANCE at Independent Providers & Retail Locations

ENHANCED FRAME ALLOWANCE of up to $200 for High Option Members at Visionworks®

Regular eye exams can serve as a preventive health measure. Your eye exam can detect eye diseases as well as systemic diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, high blood pressure and more. Enroll during the Federal Benefits Open Season: November 12 through midnight Eastern time December 10, 2018. To enroll, visit BENEFEDS.com or call 1-877-888-FEDS (3337), TTY: 1-877-889-5680. BLUVISFLR2019-02-EDIT

Questions? Visit fepbluevision.com or call 1-888-550-BLUE (2583), TTY: 1-800-523-2847.

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

HOW THEY VOTED:

115th Congress

SO THAT NARFE MEMBERS MAY BE AS INFORMED AS POSSIBLE about the representatives and senators seeking re-election to Congress, and how these legislators have represented the concerns of active and retired federal employees, NARFE publishes this Voting Scorecard of the 115th Congress (2017-2018). The vote descriptions below refer to the votes in the scorecard on pp. 31-40.

KEY HOUSE VOTES, 115TH CONGRESS 2017 House Vote #417, July 26, 2017

Abolishment of the Budget Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office (H.Amdt. 217 to H.R. 3219) NARFE opposed this amendment to H.R. 3219 because it was considered pursuant to the Holman Rule, under which amendments can be offered during floor debate of an appropriations bill to do any of the following: reduce the number of employees at a federal agency; reduce the salaries of those employees, or even one particular employee; or, eliminate one particular federal position (or employee). In this case, the amendment would have abolished the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) 89-employee budget analysis division as a political repercussion for providing expert forecasts that some members of Congress found inconvenient. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 116-309.

2017 House Vote #555, October 5, 2017

Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution Substitute (H.Amdt. 455 to H.Con.Res. 71) NARFE opposed this amendment, which would have replaced the House fiscal year 2018 budget with a substitute resolution proposed by the Republican Study Committee (RSC). The RSC budget reduced cost-ofliving adjustments through a switch to the chained CPI; increased federal employees contributions toward their retirement without any benefit increase; based federal retirement benefits on the highest five years of salary; voucherized the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program; and eliminated the FERS Annuity Supplement. The RSC budget also endorsed the Holman Rule, which NARFE opposes, as explained above. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 139-281.

2017 House Vote #556, October 5, 2017

Democratic Caucus Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution Substitute (H.Amdt. 456 to H.Con.Res. 71) NARFE supported this substitute amendment, which would have replaced the House fiscal year 2018 budget with a substitute resolution proposed by Rep. John Yarmuth, D-KY. NARFE supported resolution because it included a policy statement that “Congress should not target Federal employees to achieve further reductions in the deficit as they as they have already contributed more than their fair share, that Federal workers should be compensated with pay and benefits at a level that enables the government to attract high quality people.” The amendment was rejected by a vote of 156-268.

2017 House Vote #557, October 5, 2017

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 71) NARFE opposed this budget resolution, which instructed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) to find at least $32 billion in savings over 10 years from mandatory spending under the committee’s jurisdiction. As the only substantial mandatory spending under OGR’s jurisdiction comes from federal retirement and health benefit programs, such instructions would target those programs. The House Budget Committee report on the resolution outlines specific policies to achieve its proposed savings, including: increasing retirement contributions for W W W. N A R F E . O R G

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

HOW THEY VOTED:

115th Congress current federal employees, limiting the rate of return on the Thrift Savings Plan’s Government Securities fund, limiting the government’s portion of Federal Employees Health Benefits premiums, ending the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Annuity Supplement and increasing the postal employee share of FEHB contributions. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 219-206.

2018 House Vote #33, January 18, 2018

Continuing Appropriations (H.R. 195) NARFE supported this bill, which would have extended fiscal year 2017 government funding levels through February 16, 2018, because passage would have avoided a government shutdown. The bill passed the House by a vote of 230-197.

2018 House Vote #44, January 22, 2018

Continuing Appropriations (H.R. 195) NARFE supported this legislation, which reopened the government and extended fiscal year 2017 government funding levels through February 8, 2018, because it ended a three-day government shutdown and included back

pay for furloughed federal employees. The bill passed the House by a vote of 266-150.

2018 House Vote #118, March 20, 2018

Continuing the Holman Rule (H.Res. 787) NARFE opposed this resolution, which provided rules for debate on two bills before the House, because it extended the Holman Rule through 2018. As explained earlier, amendments offered pursuant to the Holman rule threaten political repercussions for nonpartisan public servants simply for doing their job. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 225-183.

2018 House Vote #69, February 9, 2018

Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892) NARFE supported this legislation because it lifted sequestration caps on spending levels for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 without using reductions in federal pay or benefits as an offset. The legislation also extended fiscal year 2017 funding levels through March 23, 2018, to avoid another government shutdown. The bill passed by a vote of 240-186.

KEY SENATE VOTES, 115TH CONGRESS 2017 Senate Record Vote #233, October 19, 2017

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution Amendment (S.Amdt. 1296 to S. Amdt. 1116 to H.Con.Res. 71) NARFE opposed this amendment because it instructed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) to find at least $16.9 billion in savings during fiscal year 2018 from mandatory spending under the committee’s jurisdiction. As a substantial amount of mandatory spending under HSGAC’s jurisdiction comes from federal retirement and health benefit programs, such instructions would target those programs for cuts. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 4-94.

2017 Senate Record Vote #238, October 19, 2017

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution Amendment (S.Amdt. 1277 to S. Amdt. 1116 to H.Con.Res. 71) NARFE opposed this amendment because it instructed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to find at least $1 million in savings over 10 years from mandatory spending under the committee’s jurisdiction. As a substantial amount of mandatory spending under HSGAC’s jurisdiction comes from federal retirement and health benefit programs, such instructions would target those programs for cuts. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 33-66.

2018 Senate Record Vote #14, January 20, 2018 Cloture Vote on Continuing Appropriations (H.R. 195) NARFE supported the motion to invoke cloture to allow a vote on H.R. 195, which would have extended fiscal year 2017 government funding levels through February 16, 2018, because passage of the bill would have avoided 30

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a government shutdown. The motion to invoke cloture, which requires 60 votes, failed by a vote of 50-49, resulting in a three-day government shutdown.

2018 Senate Record Vote #17, January 22, 2018

2018 Senate Record Vote #31, February 9, 2018

Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892) NARFE supported this legislation because it lifted sequestration caps on spending levels for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, without using reductions in federal pay or benefits as an offset. The legislation also extended fiscal year 2017 funding levels through March 23, 2018, to avoid another government shutdown.The bill passed by a vote of 71-28.

2018 Senate Record Vote #180, August 1, 2018 Appropriations Minibus (H.R. 6147) NARFE supported this bill because it would increase pay rates for civilian federal employees by 1.4 percent across-the-board, and increase locality pay rates by an average of 0.5 percent, in January 2019. The pay increase was included in a package of four appropriations bills bundled into one “minibus,” H.R. 6147. The bill passed by a vote of 92-6.

STATE BY STATE RECORD ON

KEY NARFE VOTES

VOTE LEGEND P Voted for the NARFE-preferred position x Voted against the NARFE-preferred position NV Did Not Vote S Speaker of the House, rarely votes I Not yet elected when vote taken

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Representatives’ names in black / Senators’ in blue AL At-Large representative R Retiring, not seeking re-election G Running for Governor S Representative running for Senate D Defeated in primary O Seeking other office * Senator whose term expires in 2018 2020 Senator whose term expires in 2020 2022 Senator whose term expires in 2022

115th Congress

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P

ALABAMA 1 Byrne (R) x x x x P P P x 38 15 2 Roby (R) 63 29 P P x x P P P x 3 Rogers, Mike D. (R) 63 43 P P x x P P P x 4 Aderholt (R) 63 25 P P x x P P P x 5 Brooks, M. (R) x x x x P 25 24 P x x 6 Palmer (R) x x x x P P x x 25 11 7 Sewell (D) 88 97 P P P P x P P P 2020 Jones (D) I I P P P P 100 100 2022 Shelby (R) P P P P P P 100 32 ALASKA AL Young, D. (R) x NV x x P P P x 43 49 2020 Sullivan (R) P x P P P P 83 55 2022 Murkowski (R) P P P P P P 100 46 ARIZONA 1 O’Halleran (D) 75 75 P P x P x P P P 2 S McSally (R) NV 71 59 P P x x P P P 3 Grijalva (D) 63 92 P P P P x x x P 4 Gosar (R) x x x x x x x x 0 6 5 Biggs(R) x x x x x x x x 0 0 6 Schweikert (R) 38 21 P x x x P P x x 7 Gallego (D) 63 78 P P P P x x x P 8 Lesko (R) I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 9 S Sinema (D) 75 81 P P x P x P P P *R Flake (R) x x x P x NV 20 23 2022 McCain (R) P P NV NV NV NV 100 46 ARKANSAS 1 Crawford (R) x P x x P P P x 50 39 2 Hill (R) 50 28 P x x x P P P x 3 Womack (R) 63 41 P P x x P P P x 4 Westerman (R) x x x x P P x x 25 11 2020 Cotton (R) P x P P P P 83 35 2022 Boozman (R) P x P P P P 83 39 CALIFORNIA 1 LaMalfa (R) x x x x P P P x 38 19 2 Huffman (D) 75 92 P P P P x x P P 3 Garamendi (D) 88 89 P P P P x P P P 4 McClintock (R) 38 13 P x x x P P x x 5 Thompson, M. (D) NV 71 95 P P P P x x P 6 Matsui (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 7 Bera (D) 75 78 P P x P x P P P 8 Cook (R) 63 48 P P x x P P P x W W W. N A R F E . O R G

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

HOW THEY VOTED:

115th Congress

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P

9 McNerney (D) 75 88 P P P P x x P P 10 Denham (R) 63 38 P P x x P P P x 11 DeSaulnier (D) x x P 63 83 P P P P x 12 Pelosi (D) x x P 63 94 P P P P x 13 Lee, B. (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 14 Speier (D) 63 92 P P P P x x x P 15 Swalwell (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 16 Costa (D) 88 89 P P x P P P P P 17 Khanna (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 18 Eshoo (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 19 Lofgren (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 20 Panetta (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 21 Valadao (R) 57 46 P P x x P NV P x 22 Nunes (R) 63 38 P P x x P P P x 23 McCarthy, K. (R) 63 34 P P x x P P P x 24 Carbajal (D) 100 100 P P P P P P P P 25 Knight (R) 63 44 P P x x P P P x 26 Brownley (D) 50 77 P P x P x x x P 27 Chu (D) NV 57 91 P P P P x x x 28 Schiff (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 29 Cardenas (D) x P 63 88 P P P P x x 30 Sherman (D) 63 92 P P P P x x x P 31 Aguilar (D) x P 63 78 P P P P x x 32 Napolitano (D) NV NV NV NV x x x P 25 94 33 Lieu (D) 63 78 P P P P x x x P 34 Gomez (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 35 Torres (D) 63 82 P P P P x x x P 36 Ruiz (D) 75 83 P P x P x P P P 37 Bass (D) x P 63 91 P P P P x x 38 Sanchez, Linda (D) 63 94 P P P P x x x P 39 R Royce (R) x P x x P P P x 50 17 40 Roybal-Allard (D) 57 94 P NV P P x x x P 41 Takano (D) 63 85 P P P P x x x P 42 Calvert (R) 50 32 P x x x P P P x 43 Waters (D) 63 92 P P P P x x x P 44 Barragan (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 45 Walters (R) 50 44 P x x x P P P x 46 Correa (D) x P 63 63 P P P P x x 47 Lowenthal (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 48 Rohrabacher (R) x x x x P P x x 25 15 49 R Issa (R) 63 34 P P x x P P P x 50 Hunter (R) x P x x P 50 18 P P x 51 Vargas (D) x P 63 88 P P P P x x 52 Peters, S. (D) 50 73 P P x P x x x P 53 Davis, S. (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P * Feinstein (D) P P x x x P 50 78 2022 Harris (D) P P x x x P 50 50 COLORADO 1 DeGette (D) x P 63 95 P P P P x x 2 G Polis (D) 63 82 P P P P x x x P 3 Tipton (R) 50 27 P x x x P P P x 4 Buck (R) x x x P P P x x 38 22 5 Lamborn (R) x x x x P P P x 38 14 6 Coffman (R) 50 31 P x x x P P P x 7 Perlmutter (D) 75 95 P P P P x P x P 2020 Garnder (R) P x P P P P 83 33 2022 Bennet (D) P P x P x P 67 81 CONNECTICUT 1 Larson, J. (D) 88 98 P P P P x P P P 2 Courtney (D) 88 98 P P P P x P P P 3 DeLauro (D) 75 94 P P P P x x P P 4 Himes (D) 63 89 P P x P x x P P 32

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P

5 R Esty (D) 75 92 P P P P x x P P * Murphy, C. (D) P P x x P P 67 86 2022 Blumenthal (D) P P x x P P 67 89 DELAWARE AL Blunt Rochester (D) 75 75 P P P P x x P P * Carper (D) P P x P P P 83 86 2020 Coons (D) P P x P P P 83 94 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AL Norton (D) I I I I I I I I n/a n/a FLORIDA 1 Gaetz (R) x x x x x x x 13 13 P 2 Dunn (R) x x x x P 38 38 P P x 3 Yoho (R) x x x x P x x 25 11 P 4 Rutherford (R) 63 63 P P x x P P P x 5 Lawson (D) 88 88 P P P P x P P P 6 G DeSantis (R) x NV NV NV P 60 17 P P x 7 Murphy (D) 75 75 P P x P x P P P 8 Posey (R) x x x x P x x 25 18 P 9 Soto (D) x 75 75 P P P P x P P 10 Demings (D) x x P 63 63 P P P P x 11 Webster (R) x x x x P x x 25 26 P 12 Bilirakis (R) x P x x P 50 34 P P x 13 Crist (D) 75 75 P P x P x P P P 14 Castor (D) x 75 95 P P P P x P P 15 R Ross (R) 50 21 P x x x P P P x 16 Buchanan (R) 63 42 P P x x P P P x 17 R Rooney, T. (R) 50 23 P x x x P P P x 18 Mast (R) x 63 63 P x P P P P x 19 Rooney, F. (R) x x x x P 38 38 P P x 20 Hastings (D) x x P 63 94 P P P P x 21 Frankel (D) x x P 63 88 P P P P x 22 Deutch (D) x 75 91 P P P P x P P 23 Wasserman Schultz (D) P P P x x P 63 91 P x 24 Wilson (D) x x 63 90 P P P P x P 25 Diaz-Balart (R) 71 40 P P x x P P P NV 26 Curbelo (R) 50 44 P P x x x P P x 27 R Ros-Lehtinen (R) x x x 38 45 P P x P x * Nelson (D) P P x P P P 83 97 2022 Rubio (R) P x P P P P 83 38 GEORGIA 1 Carter, E. (R) x x x x P P P x 38 22 2 Bishop, S. (D) 88 91 P P P P x P P P 3 Ferguson (R) 50 50 P x x x P P P x 4 Johnson, H. (D) 63 90 P P P P x x x P 5 Lewis (D) x x P 63 93 P P P P x 6 Handel (R) 50 50 P x x x P P P x 7 Woodall (R) 50 24 P x x x P P P x 8 Scott, A. (R) x x x x P P P x 38 26 9 Collins, D. (R) x x x x P 38 23 P P x 10 Hice (R) x x x x P P x x 25 11 11 Loudermilk (R) x x x x P P P x 38 22 12 Allen (R) x x x x P P P x 38 28 13 Scott, D. (D) 88 94 P P P P x P P P 14 Graves, T. (R) x x x x P P P x 38 18 2020 Perdue (R) P P P P P P 100 73 2022 Isakson (R) P P P P P P 100 46

HAWAII 1 G Hanabusa (D) P P P P x P P P 88 96 2 Gabbard (D) 63 85 P P P P x x x P * Hirono (D) P P x x x P 50 79 W W W. N A R F E . O R G

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

HOW THEY VOTED:

115th Congress

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P 2022 Schatz (D) P P x P P P 83 93 IDAHO 1 G Labrador (R) x x x x P P x x 25 16 2 Simpson (R) 63 37 P P x x P P P x 2020 Risch (R) P x P P x P 67 19 2022 Crapo (R) P x P P x P 67 16 ILLINOIS 1 Rush (D) x x NV 57 93 P P P P x 2 Kelly, R. (D) NV 57 86 P P P P x x x 3 Lipinski (D) NV 57 87 P P x P x P x 4 R Gutierrez (D) 63 92 P P P P x x x P 5 Quigley (D) 63 86 P P P P x x x P 6 Roskam (R) 63 35 P P x x P P P x 7 Davis, D. (D) NV 57 95 P P P P x x x 8 Krishnamoorthi(D) 50 50 P P x P x x x P 9 Schakowsky (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 10 Schneider (D) 75 75 P P x P x P P P 11 Foster (D) 63 85 P P x P x P x P 12 Bost (R) 63 53 P P x x P P P x 13 Davis, R. (R) 63 52 P P x x P P P x 14 Hultgren (R) 50 18 P x x x P P P x 15 Shimkus (R) 50 33 P x x x P P P x 16 Kinzinger (R) 63 44 P P x x P P P x 17 Bustos (D) 75 81 P P x P x P P P 18 LaHood (R) x x x x P P 38 21 P x 2020 Durbin (D) P P x P P P 83 95 2022 Duckworth (D) P P x P P P 83 92 INDIANA 1 Visclosky (D) 63 90 P P x P x x P P 2 Walorski (R) 50 30 P x x x P P P x 3 Banks (R) x x x x P P P x 38 38 4 S Rokita (R) x x x x P P x x 25 12 5 Brooks, S. (R) 63 50 P P x x P P P x 6 S Messer (R) x x x x P P P x 38 22 7 Carson (D) 71 92 P P P P x NV x P 8 Bucshon (R) 50 24 P x x x P P P x 9 Hollingsworth (R) NV x x x x P x x 14 14 * Donnelly (D) P P P P P P 100 93 2022 Young (R) P x P P P P 83 34 IOWA 1 Blum (R) x P x P P P NV x 57 24 2 Loebsack (D) 75 88 P P x P x P P P 3 Young, D. (R) x P x x P 50 33 P P x 4 King, S. (R) x P x x P 38 13 P x x 2020 Ernst (R) P x P P P P 83 55 2022 Grassley (R) P x P P x P 67 30 KANSAS 1 Marshall (R) x P x x P P P x 50 50 2 R Jenkins (R) 50 26 P x x x P P P x 3 Yoder (R) x x 38 15 P x x x P P 4 Estes (R) x x x x P P 38 38 P x 2020 Roberts (R) P P P P P 100 35 2022 Moran (R) P P P P P 100 44 KENTUCKY 1 Comer (R) x x x x P P x x 25 25 2 Guthrie (R) 50 33 P x x x P P P x 3 Yarmuth (D) 75 95 P P P P x x P P 4 Massie (R) x x x P x x x P 25 29 5 Rogers, H. (R) 63 43 P P x x P P P x 6 Barr (R) x x x x P P P x 38 30

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2020 McConnell (R) P P 2022 Paul (R) x x

x x

P x

P 83 35 x 0 17

LOUISIANA 1 Scalise (R) NV x x x NV P P x 33 21 2 Richmond (D) x x P 50 88 P P x P x 3 Higgins (R) x x x x P P P x 38 38 4 Johnson (R) x x x x P P x x 25 25 5 Abraham (R) x x x x 38 22 P P P x 6 Graves (R) 38 17 P x x x P P x x 2020 Cassidy (R) P P P P x P 83 31 2022 Kennedy (R) P x P P x P 67 67 MAINE 1 Pingree (D) NV 57 92 P P P P x x x 2 Poliquin (R) 63 50 P P x x P P P x * King, A. (I) P P x P P P 83 93 2020 Collins (R) P P P P P P 100 76 MARYLAND 1 Harris (R) x x x x P P x x 25 15 2 Ruppersberger (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P 3 Sarbanes (D) 57 93 P NV P P x x x P 4 Brown (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 5 Hoyer (D) NV 57 92 P P P P x x x 6 O Delaney (D) 63 88 P P x P x P x P 7 Cummings (D) NV P P P NV NV NV NV 100 100 8 Raskin (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P * Cardin (D) P P x P P P 83 96 2022 Van Hollen (D) P P x P P P 83 98 MASSACHUSETTS 1 Neal (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 2 McGovern (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 3 R Tsongas (D) 75 95 P P P P x x P P 4 Kennedy (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 5 Clark, K. (D) 63 85 P P P P x x x P 6 Moulton (D) 63 83 P P P P x x x P 7 Capuano (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 8 Lynch (D) 88 98 P P P P x P P P 9 Keating (D) 88 94 P P P P x P P P * Warren (D) P P x x x P 50 79 2020 Markey (D) P x x P x P 50 67 MICHIGAN 1 Bergman (R) 50 50 P x x x P P P x 2 Huizenga (R) x x x x P P P x 38 15 3 Amash (R) x x x P x x x P 25 26 4 Moolenaar (R) 50 28 P x x x P P P x 5 Kildee (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 6 Upton (R) 63 44 P P x x P P P x 7 Walberg (R) x x x x P 38 21 P P x 8 Bishop (R) 50 33 P x x x P P P x 9 R Levin (D) 63 89 P P P P x x x P 10 Mitchell (R) 50 50 P x x x P P P x 11 R Trott (R) 63 39 P P x x P P P x 12 Dingell (D) 63 83 P P P P x x x P 13 Vacant I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 14 Lawrence (D) 75 89 P P P P x x P P * Stabenow (D) P P x P P P 83 97 2020 Peters, G. (D) P P x P P P 83 93 MINNESOTA 1 G Walz (D) NV x x x NV 25 85 P NV NV 2 Lewis (R) 38 38 P x x x P P x x 3 Paulsen (R) 63 34 P P x x P P P x W W W. N A R F E . O R G

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P 4 McCollum (D) 75 96 P P P P x x P P 5 O Ellison (D) 63 91 P P P P x x x P 6 Emmer (R) 38 17 P x x x P P x x 7 Peterson (D) 75 79 P P x P P P x P 8 R Nolan (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P * Klobuchar (D) P P x P P P 83 96 * Smith (D) I I x P P P 75 75 MISSISSIPPI 1 Kelly, T. (R) x x x x P P P x 38 27 2 Thompson, B. (D) 63 91 P P x P x x P P 3 R Harper (R) x x x x P P P x 38 31 4 Palazzo (R) 63 24 P P x x P P P x * Wicker (R) P x P P P P 83 45 * Hyde-Smith (R) I I I I I P 100 100 MISSOURI 1 Clay (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 2 Wagner (R) x P x x P P P x 50 33 3 Luetkemeyer (R) x P x x P P P x 50 31 4 Hartzler (R) 63 26 P P x x P P P x 5 Cleaver (D) x x P 63 93 P P P P x 6 Graves, S. (R) 50 31 P x x x P P P x 7 Long (R) 38 12 P x x x P P x x 8 Smith, J. (R) x x x x P P x x 25 13 * McCaskill (D) P P P P P P 100 75 2022 Blunt(R) P P P P P P 100 50 MONTANA 1 Gianforte (R) 50 50 P P x x P P x x * Tester (D) P P x x P P 67 79 2020 Daines (R) P x P P x P 67 45 NEBRASKA 1 Fortenberry (R) 63 41 P P x x P P P x 2 Bacon (R) 63 63 P P x x P P P x 3 Smith (R) 38 18 P x x x P P x x * Fischer (R) P x P P P P 83 50 2020 Sasse (R) P x P P x x 50 27 NEVADA 1 Titus (D) NV x x x P 40 86 P NV NV 2 Amodei (R) x P NV P x 43 24 P x x 3 S Rosen (D) NV NV x x P P 60 60 P NV 4 R Kihuen (D) NV x x x P 40 40 P NV NV * Heller (R) P x P P P P 83 46 2022 Cortez Masto (D) P x P x P P 67 67 NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 R Shea-Porter (D) 75 92 P P P P x x P P 2 Kuster (D) 75 81 P P x P x P P P 2020 Shaheen (D) P P x P P P 83 90 2022 Hassan (D) P P x P P P 83 83

NEW JERSEY 1 Norcross (D) x x 63 83 P P P P x P 2 R LoBiondo (R) 75 67 P P x P P P P x 3 MacArthur (R) 63 53 P P x x P P P x 4 Smith, C. (R) 75 61 P P x P P P P x 5 Gottheimer (D) 88 88 P P x P P P P P 6 Pallone (D) 63 85 P P P P x x x P 7 Lance (R) 75 38 P P x P P P P x 8 Sires (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 9 Pascrell (D) 75 97 P P P P x x P P 10 Payne (D) 50 84 P P x P x x x P 11 R Frelinghuysen (R) 57 42 P NV x x P P P x 12 Watson Coleman (D) x x P 63 83 P P P P x 36

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* Menendez (D) NV P x 2020 Booker (D) P P x

x x

P x

P 60 90 P 50 73

NEW MEXICO 1 G Lujan Grisham, M. (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 2 G Pearce (R) x P x x P 38 29 P x x 3 Lujan, B. (D) 63 89 P P P P x x x P * Heinrich (D) P P x P P P 83 93 2020 Udall (D) P P x P P P 83 95 NEW YORK 1 Zeldin (R) x x x x P P x x 25 28 2 King, P. (R) 75 49 P P x P P P P x 3 Suozzi (D) 50 50 P P x P x x x P 4 Rice (D) 75 89 P P x P x P P P 5 Meeks, G. (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 6 Meng (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 7 Velazquez (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 8 Jeffries (D) NV P P P x x x P 57 88 9 Clarke, Y. (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 10 Nadler (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 11 Donovan (R) 63 53 P P x x P P P x 12 Maloney, C. (D) NV P P P x x x P 57 93 13 Espaillat (D) x P 63 63 P P P P x x 14 D Crowley (D) x x P 63 95 P P P P x 15 Serrano (D) 63 96 P P P P x x x P 16 Engel (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 17 Lowey (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 18 Maloney, S. (D) x 50 74 P P x P x x P 19 Faso (R) 63 63 P P x x P P P x 20 Tonko (D) 75 95 P P P P x x P P 21 Stefanik (R) 63 50 P P x x P P P x 22 Tenney (R) 63 63 P P x x P P P x 23 Reed, T. (R) 50 32 P P x x P P x x 24 Katko (R) 75 61 P P x P P P P x 25 Vacant I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 26 Higgins (D) x 75 93 P P P P x P P 27 R Collins, C. (R) 63 48 P P x x P P P x * Gillibrand (D) P P x x x P 50 83 2022 Schumer (D) P P x P P P 83 97 NORTH CAROLINA 1 Butterfield (D) 75 96 P P P P x x P P 2 Holding (R) 38 15 P x x x P P x x 3 Jones (R) 60 48 P P x P x NV NV NV 4 Price, D. (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 5 Foxx (R) x x 50 26 P P x x P P 6 Walker (R) 38 17 P x x x P P x x 7 Rouzer (R) x x x x P P x x 25 17 8 Hudson (R) x x x x P P x x 25 12 9 D Pittenger (R) x x x x P P 38 23 P x 10 McHenry (R) 50 26 P x x x P P P x 11 Meadows (R) x x x x P 29 12 P x NV 12 Adams (D) x x 63 83 P P P P x P 13 Budd (R) x x x x P P x x 25 25 2020 Tillis (R) P x P P P P 83 73 2022 Burr (R) P x P P x P 67 24 NORTH DAKOTA AL S Cramer (R) x P x x P P P x 50 44 * Heitkamp (D) P P P P P P 100 93 2022 Hoeven (R) P x P P P P 83 44 OHIO 1 Chabot (R) x x x x P P x x 25 13 2 Wenstrup (R) x x x x P P P x 38 19 W W W. N A R F E . O R G

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P 3 Beatty (D) 75 92 P P P P x x P P 4 Jordan (R) x x x x P 25 7 P x x 5 Latta (R) x x x x P P P x 38 20 6 Johnson, B. (R) 57 33 P P x x P NV P x 7 Gibbs, B. (R) x x x x P P P x 38 21 8 Davidson (R) x x x x x x 25 22 P P 9 Kaptur (D) 88 90 P P P P x P P P 10 Turner (R) 63 45 P P x x P P P x 11 Fudge (D) 63 92 P P x P x x P P 12 Balderson (R) I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 13 Ryan, T. (D) NV P P P x x P P 71 92 14 Joyce (R) 50 48 P x x x P P P x 15 Stivers (R) 63 38 P P x x P P P x 16 S Renacci (R) x x x x P P x x 25 18 * Brown (D) P P x P P P 83 96 2022 Portman (R) P x P P P P 83 30 OKLAHOMA 1 Vacant I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 2 Mullin (R) x x x x P P P x 38 30 3 Lucas (R) x P x x P P P x 50 34 4 Cole (R) 50 33 P x x x P P P x 5 Russell (R) 63 39 P P x x P P P x 2020 Inhofe (R) P x P P P P 83 25 2022 Lankford (R) x x P P x P 50 26 OREGON 1 Bonamici (D) 63 90 P P P P x x x P 2 Walden (R) 63 36 P P x x P P P x 3 Blumenauer (D) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 4 DeFazio (D) 63 86 P P P P x x x P 5 Schrader (D) 50 82 P P x P x x x P 2020 Merkley (D) P P x x x P 50 81 2022 Wyden (D) P P x x x P 50 85 PENNSYLVANIA 1 R Brady, R. (D) 63 95 P P P P x x x P 2 Evans x 75 75 P P P P x P P 3 Kelly, M. (R) 50 29 P x x x P P P x 4 Perry (R) x x x x P P x x 25 12 5 Thompson, G. (R) 63 44 P P x x P P P x 6 R Costello (R) NV P x P P P P x 71 53 7 Vacant I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 8 Fitzpatrick (R) 75 75 P P x P P P P x 9 R Shuster (R) 63 32 P P x x P P P x 10 Marino (R) 63 35 P P x x P P P x 11 S Barletta (R) NV 71 42 P P x x P P P 12 Rothfus (R) x P x x P P x x 38 27 13 Boyle (D) 63 83 P P P P x x x P 14 Doyle (D) NV x P P P 80 97 P NV NV 15 Vacant I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 16 Smucker (R) 38 38 P x x x P P x x 17 Cartwright (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P 18 Lamb I I I I I I I I n/a n/a * Casey (D) P P x P P P 83 96 2022 Toomey (R) P P P P x x 67 28 RHODE ISLAND 1 Cicilline (D) 83 88 P P P P x x x P 2 Langevin (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P * Whitehouse (D) P P x P P P 83 96 2020 Reed, J. (D) P P x P P P 83 95 SOUTH CAROLINA 1 D Sanford (R) x x 38 24 P x x x P P 2 Wilson, J. (R) x x x x P 38 18 P P x

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P

3 Duncan, Jeff (R) x P x x P 38 12 P x x 4 R Gowdy (R) x x x x P 38 12 P P x 5 Norman (R) x x x x P P x x 25 25 6 Clyburn (D) 63 94 P P P P x x x P 7 Rice (R) 38 22 P x x x P P x x 2020 Graham (R) P P x P P P 83 38 2022 Scott (R) P x P P P P 83 36 SOUTH DAKOTA AL G Noem (R) 43 31 P P x x NV P x x 2020 Rounds (R) P x P P P P 83 73 2022 Thune (R) P x P P P P 83 40 TENNESSEE 1 Roe (R) 63 23 P P x x P P P x 2 R Duncan, John (R) x P x x P P x x 38 26 3 Fleischmann (R) 50 21 P x x x P P P x 4 DesJarlais (R) x x x x P P P x 38 18 5 Cooper (D) 63 79 P P x P x P x P 6 G Black, D. (R) 50 13 P x x x P P NV NV 7 S Blackburn, M. (R) x x x x P 38 15 P P x 8 Kustoff (R) 50 50 P x x x P P P x 9 Cohen (D) 88 98 P P P P x P P P *R Corker (R) P P P P x P 83 50 2020 Alexander, L. (R) P P P P P P 100 46 TEXAS 1 Gohmert (R) x x x x P 25 21 P x x 2 R Poe (R) x x x x P P 38 19 P x 3 R Johnson, S. (R) x x x x P 38 11 P P x 4 Ratcliffe (R) x x x x P P x x 25 11 5 R Hensarling (R) x x x x P P x x 25 10 6 R Barton (R) x x x x P NV x x 14 21 7 Culberson (R) 50 24 P x x x P P P x 8 Brady, K. (R) 50 17 P x x x P P P x 9 Green, A. (D) 75 91 P P P P x x P P 10 McCaul (R) x x x x P P P NV 43 22 11 Conaway (R) 50 23 P x x x P P P x 12 Granger (R) 57 31 P P x x P NV P x 13 Thornberry (R) 63 24 P P x x P P P x 14 Weber (R) x x x x P P P x 38 19 15 Gonzalez (D) 100 100 P P P P P P P P 16 S Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke (D) 75 91 P P P P x x P P 17 Flores (R) x x x x P P P x 38 18 18 Jackson Lee (D) 75 95 P P P P x x P P 19 Arrington (R) 57 57 P x x x P P P NV 20 Castro (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 21 R Smith, Lamar (R) 50 35 P x x x P P P x 22 Olson (R) x x x x P P 38 18 P x 23 Hurd (R) 63 44 P P x x P P P x 24 Marchant (R) x x x x P P P x 38 22 25 Williams (R) x x x x P P P x 38 15 26 Burgess (R) x x x x P NV P x 29 22 27 Cloud (R) I I I I I I I I n/a n/a 28 Cuellar (D) 88 85 P P x P P P P P 29 R Green, G. (D) 86 91 P P P P x NV P P 30 Johnson, E. (D) NV 83 97 P P P P x NV P 31 Carter, J. (R) 63 24 P P x x P P P x 32 Sessions, P. (R) 50 18 P x x x P P P x 33 Veasey (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 34 Vela (D) NV 71 84 P P P P x x P 35 Doggett (D) 63 94 P P P P x x x P 36 Babin (R) x x x x P P P x 38 17 * Cruz (R) P x P P P x 67 46 2020 Cornyn (R) P P P P P P 100 43 W W W. N A R F E . O R G

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VOTE NUMBER: HOUSE SENATE Vote # 417 555 556 557 33 44 69 118 233 238 14 17 31 180 Date 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 %P %P UTAH 1 Bishop, R. (R) x x x x P 38 31 P P x 2 Stewart (R) x x x x P P P x 38 26 3 Curtis (R) I I I I 50 50 P P x x 4 Love (R) x x x x P P P x 38 22 *R Hatch (R) P x P P P P 83 36 2022 Lee, M. (R) x x x x x x 0 17 VERMONT AL Welch (D) 75 93 P P P P x x P P * Sanders (I) P P x x x P 50 83 2022 Leahy (D) P P x x P P 67 88 VIRGINIA 1 Wittman (R) x P x x x P P x 38 40 2 Taylor (R) x x x x P P P x 38 38 3 Scott, R. (D) 88 93 P P P P x P P P 4 McEachin (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 5 R Garrett (R) x x x x P NV x x 14 14 6 R Goodlatte (R) x x x x P P P x 38 17 7 Brat (R) x x x x P P x x 25 11 8 Beyer (D) 63 83 P P P P x x x P 9 Griffith (R) x P x x P P x x 38 21 10 Comstock (R) 88 72 P P x P P P P P 11 Connolly (D) 88 95 P P P P x P P P * Kaine (D) P P x P P P 83 93 2020 Warner (D) P P x P P P 83 86 WASHINGTON 1 DelBene (D) 88 89 P P P P x P P P 2 Larsen, R. (D) 75 96 P P P P x x P P 3 Herrera Beutler (R) 43 39 P P x x P NV x x 4 Newhouse (R) 38 33 P x x x P P x x 5 McMorris Rodgers (R) P x x x P P P x 50 30 6 Kilmer (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P 7 Jayapal (D) 63 63 P P P P x x x P 8 R Reichert (R) 63 51 P P x x P P P x 9 Smith, Adam (D) 63 88 P P P P x x x P 10 Heck, D. (D) 88 96 P P P P x P P P * Cantwell (D) P P x P x P 67 93 2022 Murray (D) P P x P P P 83 98 WEST VIRGINIA 1 McKinley (R) x P x P P 63 56 P P x 2 Mooney (R) x NV 14 12 P x x x x x 3 S Jenkins (R) x P x x P P P x 50 39 * Manchin (D) P P P P P P 100 89 2020 Capito (R) P x P P P P 83 69 WISCONSIN 1 R Ryan, P. (R) S S S x P S S 67 21 P 2 Pocan (D) 63 85 P P P P x x x P 3 Kind (D) 50 90 P P x P x x x P 4 Moore (D ) 63 93 P P P P x x x P 5 Sensenbrenner (R) x x x x P P x x 25 18 6 Grothman (R) x x x x P 38 22 P P x 7 Duffy (R) x P x x P P P x 50 26 8 Gallagher (R) x P x x P P P x 50 50 * Baldwin (D) P P x P P P 83 93 2022 Johnson (R) P x P P x x 50 33 WYOMING AL Cheney (R) x P x x P P 50 50 P x * Barrasso (R) P x P P P P 83 41 2020 Enzi (R) P P P P x P 83 19 40

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Cover Story

m r e T g Is Lon e c n a r u s n I e r Ca ? u o Y For

r no rance o u s in e t , priva lp you surance in d e r perts he o x s e n r o u p O s y t all? Federall rance a u s in e r rm ca ion. long-te nt decis a t r o p e this im navigat asen

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Sooner or later, the majority of Americans will require long-term care. We may not want to think about it now—but at some point, many of us will need help with everyday tasks such as eating, dressing and bathing.

Usually that help will cost a significant amount of money. How will we pay for it—and how can we plan to get the level of care we want before we need it, so we won’t be a burden on our loved ones? For many, the answer is long-term care insurance. Federal employees, retirees and their qualifying relatives have the opportunity to participate in a group insurance program just for them—the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), 270,000 people are currently enrolled in the program, half of whom are active federal employees, and 30 percent of whom are spouses or family members of employees or retirees. But is participation worth it, and what alternatives exist? “FLTCIP is an important part of the (employee) benefits package,” says Edward Deharde, assistant director of Federal Employee Insurance Operations for OPM. “We encourage eligible individuals to learn about long-term care and consider FLTCIP as part of their financial plan.” James Marshall, Deputy Director of NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute, concurs. “Every federal employee, especially when they get into their late 40s and early 50s, should start developing a longterm care strategy, so they’re not playing catch-up. The younger you are when you sign up for a plan, the cheaper it will be.”

HOW TO GET STARTED

Marshall suggests the first step is to do your homework. Try to figure out where you want to live in retirement. “In Charlotte, North Carolina,” he says, “I can get a private room in a nice assisted-living facility for $6,000 a month. In Washington, D.C. that same room might cost $12,000!” The next step is to decide what kind of care you’d want if you become incapacitated. Don’t count on your children to be your caregivers, says Tammy Flanagan, who provides personalized federal employee retirement and counseling through her firm, Tammy Flanagan LLC (www.retirefederal.com). “The toll is significant—physically, emotionally and financially. You have to think about what you would want your family to do—and how you would want to be taken care of.”

Marshall and Flanagan agree: the “sweet spot” for purchasing insurance for employees and retirees is when they are in their mid-50s. “Get it before you get diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or anything that might disqualify you from coverage,” says Flanagan. “In your late 50s and early 60s, your need for life insurance goes down, and you no longer need to raise children who have already been raised. You were used to spending the money anyway, so why not spend it on long-term care insurance instead?” Buying long-term care insurance for yourself, Flanagan believes, is a gift for your children. It helps protect assets that would go to them—if the assets don’t go somewhere else for your care. However, Mark Keen, financial adviser and columnist for NARFE Magazine, believes many federal employees with long-term care plans are overinsured. “The reality is a federal employee may not need to fully insure the risk. That’s because they’ve got great pension benefits, other assets and the Thrift Savings Plan. “When you look at that,” he continues, “you can say when I’m in a nursing home or assisted-living facility, I’ll have assets coming in. To me, it’s about running the numbers, and looking at a scenario about what the cost of care will look like when you’re in your 80s, and what your income is going to look like. If there’s a gap, insure the difference. You don’t need to insure the full cost of care.” To Keen, long-term care insurance is there to protect the healthy spouse. It offers options to ensure he or she isn’t financially impoverished from paying for care for the spouse requiring it. He also suggests those without many assets may not be good candidates for long-term care insurance. “In those circumstances, it may be better to save your money and create liquidity for life’s other curve balls, and fall back on Medicaid when you have no other assets to protect.”

APPLYING FOR FLTCIP

Long Term Care Partners was formed in 2002 to build and administer FLTCIP. The company is a subsidiary of John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Company, which provides insurance coverage for FLTCIP. Joan Melanson, the company’s director of education and outreach, says, “What we find is that W W W. N A R F E . O R G

no one wants to think about being in a situation where they cannot perform activities of daily living for themselves, such as eating, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, transferring and continence.” Melanson suggests sitting down with family members when you’re doing your retirement planning and talking about what your wishes would be if you need long-term care. “Make sure your will is in order, you have financial and medical powers of attorney, and consider long-term care insurance. It’s not the right solution for everybody.” She cites a major difference between life insurance and long-term care insurance. “I can predict with 100 percent certainty you’re going to die: I just can’t say when. With long-term care insurance, I have no idea if you’re ever going to need it. And if you need it, I don’t know at what age, for how long, and what kind of care you’ll need. It’s not medical care, it’s chronic care.” “I tell people to think about this as protecting your nest egg,” Melanson continued. “If you’re looking at the money you’ll need to live in retirement, but you haven’t included the cost of paying for care, then you’ve miscalculated your entire nest egg. I find that many people who purchase this insurance have experienced caregiving for others themselves, and understand not only the financial aspects of care, but also the amount of work that’s involved.”

WHY FLTCIP MAKES SENSE

“I always encourage federal employees to start their search for long-term care insurance with FLTCIP,” Keen tells us. “Get pricing there first, and use it as a starting and comparison point.” “They’re not there to sell you something,” Marshall agrees. “Others don’t make money unless they sell you a policy—and they may oversell you as a result.” Melanson cites a number of advantages FLTCIP offers. For example, the program encourages participants to receive care in their homes whenever possible. “Most people want to age in place,” she says. “They don’t want to go to a nursing home. Fewer than 10 percent of our claims are paid out to people in nursing homes.” To help keep people in their homes, FLTCIP pays up to 30 days of benefits to make modifications like putting up chair lifts or widening doorways. The program also pays “customary and reasonable rates” for family or friends (although not spouses) to become caregivers—and teaches them caregiving skills. The FLTCIP “experience fund” walls off premiums federal employees and annuitants provide, along with any investment gains earned on these funds, from John Hancock’s other assets. Outside of administrative costs, every dollar provided to the program goes to benefits, such as reimburse-

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ment for long-term care services received. Actuaries review the fund every six months to make sure there’s enough money available, and if the contract is ever transferred to a different insurance company, the funds will still be safe and available. Flanagan highlighted two additional benefits. The program will pay up to 80 percent of the daily benefit you are entitled to if you choose to retire abroad, as many federal retirees do. “Private plans don’t do that, because they can’t check on those they’ve insured,” she says.

“I always encourage federal employees to start their search for long-term care insurance with FLTCIP.” And FLTCIP has no “war exclusion” for benefits, meaning benefits will be paid even if they are the result of war or an act of war. Veterans who become injured or ill during wartime may find this useful, because the long-term effects of wounds such as traumatic brain injuries are just now becoming known—and private insurers can disqualify claims on that basis.

HOW MUCH INSURANCE SHOULD YOU GET?

On FLTCIP’s website (www.ltcfeds.com), there’s a tool to calculate premiums for coverage. You can select a prepackaged plan or customize your own. Premiums are based on age and the rates in effect at the time your application is received. There’s also an “inflation protection” option, which, if elected, will raise the cost of your premium, but will automatically increase your maximum lifetime benefit by 4 or 5 percent every year depending on the option you choose. There’s also a future-purchase option, which allows policyholders to increase their coverage annually as their income increases in exchange

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for paying a higher premium. “FLTCIP has several prepackaged plans,” Flanagan explains. “They make it easy to choose a plan and are pretty basic plans. I encourage people to use them. I always start with plan C, which pays for both a moderate amount of coverage in-home and facility care.” (For a chart showing what’s included in the coverage, visit www. bitly.com/FLTCIPTools) “For older people, I like the future purchase option,” she says. “Even if you never increase the amount of coverage you have, you still have something. But if you’re in your 40s, I wouldn’t do that.” “Even if the cost of insurance goes up,” she continues, “FLTCIP always offers you options. Instead of paying a higher price, you can go with a lower inflation option. Reduce the benefit if you need to.”

ALTERNATIVES TO FLTCIP

There are types of policies FLTCIP doesn’t offer that may be of interest to employees and retirees considering purchasing insurance. Hybrid long-term care policies are generally more expensive than regular long-term care policies. They involve purchasing a long-term care insurance policy bundled with a whole life insurance policy. They generally provide a death benefit for a fixed amount, less any claims that have been made for long-term care. If you never use long-term care, your heirs collect more. Unlike FLTCIP, it’s not a “use it or lose it” policy— but because these policies do different things, they aren’t the best at either form of insurance. There are also shared benefit long-term care plans, which allow you and your spouse to pool your long-term care policies together for an additional cost. If one of you uses up all your share of benefits, you can start using your partner’s share, and if one spouse dies suddenly the entire benefit is automatically transferred to the surviving spouse.

“You’re probably going to see rate hikes in the future, as baby boomers reach the age they’re going to need care.” Another issue to consider is premium increases. In 2016, FLTCIP enrollees received an average rate increase of 83 percent, and many saw even higher increases. This increase, although unexpected, mirrored increases throughout the insurance industry. “Are the rate increases done?” asked Keen. “I don’t think they are. You’re probably going to see 46

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rate hikes in the future, as baby boomers reach the age they’re going to need care.” One cause is that the retention rate for long-term care insurance is very high. “People don’t let these policies lapse,” he said. Many insurers have received more claims than they forecast, and premiums have doubled and even tripled in some cases. “You are never guaranteed a locked-in rate,” warns Marshall. “It shouldn’t have changed as dramatically as it did in 2016—but no one promises the rate won’t ever change.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Is long-term care insurance worth it? “The cost of care is very expensive,” Keen says. “Do the right analysis to make sure you’re not overinsured. Do cost comparisons for various plans, review their history of rate increases and their willingness to pay out claims. Also, check out the insurance company’s financial strength, but understand there are backstops in place if the company goes bankrupt.”

“The cost of care is very expensive. Do the right analysis to make sure you’re not overinsured.”

Melanson touts FLTCIP’s customer service. “Our mission is to provide the information for people to make informed decisions. We don’t get compensated based on how many policies we sell,” says Melanson. “We’re happy to talk about the pros and cons of our program versus others. “We offer a great 800 number (1-800-LTC-FEDS; TTY 1-800-843-3557),” she continues. “The people who pick up the phone are trained and certified in long-term care planning. They can answer your questions and generate quotes. They can even fill out the whole application for you and have you sign it. Or, if you’ve done all the research, you can call and say I have a question or two.” She estimates that 50 percent of people who apply call the company at some point in the process. “It’s not an uncomplicated decision,” she concludes. “We want to help!” —EVERETT A. (EV) CHASEN IS A WRITER AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA. HE RETIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER 35 YEARS OF SERVICE.

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FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS FOR FEDS BY DAVID TOBENKIN 48

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The 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season is nearly here. Most federal employees probably know that means it is time to check whether their Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program health insurance plan is the best for their needs and to also check whether enrolling in a second federal benefits program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), makes sense. But there is a third benefit federal employees should be evaluating each Open Season and may not be: the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), a federal benefits program that can reduce tax bills by using pretax dollars to pay for health and dependent care out-of-pocket expenses.

FSAFEDS accounts, all of which are available only to active federal employees to cover expenses for themselves and their dependents, can provide as much as $10,300 of extra cash (assuming both you and your spouse elect the maximum coverage) for health and dependent care expenses. However, these programs require careful planning and affirmative actions each year by federal employees to participate, reap the savings, and avoid potentially losing money through overestimating health or dependent care costs or by failing to timely file claims under the program.

FSAFEDS 101

FSAFEDS accounts reimburse employees for eligible health care and dependent care expenses using taxfree money set aside from their federal salaries. “For someone in the 22 percent tax bracket who contributes $1,000 to a flexible spending account, it works out to $295 in tax savings,” says Shawn Steel, CFP, JD, a financial planner and attorney at Reston, VA-based financial advising firm ClearLogic Financial, Inc. How does it work? Let’s say you make, and pay taxes on, $1,000 per pay period. If you put $50 per pay date in an flexible spending account (FSA), then you would only pay taxes on $950. Over one year, that would add up to $1,300 (26 pay periods x $50) in accumulated FSAFEDS funds that you could spend on eligible expenses that, but for the program, would instead have been taxed and that also would have increased your overall amount of taxable income. An example provided by FSAFEDS Administrator WageWorks, Inc. shows that a federal employee earning $60,000 with a 30 percent estimated tax rate contributing the maximum $2,650 to a Health Care FSA would end up with take-home pay that was $795 higher. There are three types of FSAFEDS accounts: the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA),

the Limited Expense Health Care FSA, and the Dependent Care FSA. These accounts cover eligible expenses incurred by the employee and anyone the employee can claim as a dependent on a tax return. Each is discussed below. Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts Health Care FSAs reimburse eligible health care expenses incurred by you, your spouse and your children through the calendar year they turn 26. It reimburses the part of the expense not covered or reimbursed by FEHB, FEDVIP, or any other insurance coverage. Individual employees can save up to $2,650 per year (with possible incremental increases year to year as determined by the IRS) with a household limit of $5,300 per year. Eligibility for the program includes federal employees who are eligible for the FEHB, whether you’re enrolled in FEHB or not. Types of covered expenses include those for prescriptions and doctor’s office visit co-pays, as well as: • Hospital • Dental exams coinsurance and cleanings • Ambulance services  • Orthodontia and • Physical therapy  braces  • Eye exams  • Fertility treatments  • Prescription glasses  • Massage therapy  • Prescription • Sunscreen  sunglasses • First aid supplies  • Contact lenses • Hand sanitizer • Vision correction • Mileage to/from surgery  provider What expenses are not covered or reimbursed by FEHB but would be by a Health Care FSA? Those could include the $20 or $30 co-pay you may pay for each routine office visit, your overall deductible costs before FEHB coverage kicks in, and the 20 or 30 percent co-pay you may pay under your plan even when it does cover the procedure. There are W W W. N A R F E . O R G

some limits: cosmetic surgery is generally not covered unless associated with a related medical issue, like illness or trauma; experimental medical treatments are evaluated on a case-by-case basis; and alternative treatments abroad may not be covered. An FSAFEDS list provides exact benefits: www.fsafeds.com/support/eligibleexpenses. Looking at the partial list of eligible expenses above, it is easy to see that even a family with only moderate health issues and strong insurance coverage could rack up significant covered costs. Health Care FSAs cannot be combined with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), another tax advantaged insurance benefit discussed below. Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts Limited Expense Health Care FSAs, which can only be used by those enrolled in or covered by a High Deductible Health Plan with an HSA, reimburse only eligible dental and vision expenses incurred by you, your spouse and your children through the calendar year they turn 26. Like the Health Care FSAs, Limited Expense Health Care FSA accounts reimburse the part of the expense not covered or reimbursed by FEHB, FEDVIP or any other insurance coverage. Again, money is withdrawn from salaries and can be used for dental and vision expenses. Examples of eligible expenses include: • Contact lenses, solutions, cleaners and cases • Eyeglasses, refractions and vision correction procedures • Crowns, fillings, dental cleanings and orthodontics The same $2,650 individual and $5,300 household cap as for Health Care FSA applies to this type of account.

DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS

The Dependent Care FSA account reimburses eligible nonmedical day care and elder care for your children under age 13 and any dependents on your federal tax return who are incapable of self-care and live with you for at least half of the year. Examples of eligible expenses include day care, summer day camp, baby sitters, before- and after-school care, and adult day-care expenses. This program allows use of pretax withdrawals from savings of $2,500 per individual or $5,000 per household. These accounts may be used in conjunction with an HSA. You may contribute a minimum annual election of $100 per individual or household for any of the three types of FSA accounts. Notably, individuals or households can max out both Dependent Care FSAs 50

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and Limited Expense Health Care or Health Care FSAs in the same year. Thus, a pair of married Feds filing jointly maxing out the programs could allocate $5,300 to fund a Health Care FSA and $5,000 in a Dependent Care FSA, for a total of $10,300.

EMPLOYEE ACTION AND PLANNING REQUIRED!

Beyond simply knowing to consider them as an Open Season option, all three FSAFEDS accounts share some key aspects that employees need to consider. They all require affirmative efforts by federal employees to enroll in the program each year, to incur expenses and submit claims by a deadline, and to have enough in claims to recover payments into the program. Federal employees’ existing FEHB insurance coverage defaults to their coverage in the next year if they take no action during Open Season. Not so for FSAFEDS: if you fail to register for one or more FSAFEDS accounts for the following year during Open Season, even if you participated in the year that is ending, you will not be able to participate in the new year’s program. And if you register for FSAFEDS and fail to submit claims by the deadline, or have eligible expenses less than the amount you contributed, you will lose all unclaimed Dependent Care FSA contributions and all but $500 of Limited Expense Health Care and Health Care FSA contributions (with up to $500 rolled over to the next year, contingent upon reenrollment in the following year’s plan). Health Care and Limited Expense Health Care FSA expenses must be incurred within the calendar year of coverage (January 1 – December 31 of any year). For Dependent Care FSAs, participants have an additional 2½ months past the end of the calendar year (March 15) to incur expenses toward their balance. You must submit claims and receipts for all eligible expenses by April 30th of the following plan year. In addition to enrolling during Open Season, newly hired and newly eligible employees, including those who experience an FSAFEDS qualifying life event (QLE), can enroll within 60 days of becoming eligible, but no later than October 1.

NOT FULLY USED

Having been first launched in 2003, total FSAFEDS enrollment in 2018 was 444,000 unique participants with more than 500,000 accounts (the account total is due to some participants having a health care account as well as a dependent care account), according to WageWorks, the organization that administers the program. Still, that represents less than a quarter of the 2 million federal civilian

employees, suggesting that many who would likely benefit from the program are not participating. (A few federal agencies, such as the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Reserve System, do not participate in FSAFEDS.) “We’ve seen growth in the use of the program year to year, but we would love to see more growth,” says Dale Miller, Senior Vice President, Service & Operations, at WageWorks. “The responsibility is on us to make sure we promote the features and benefits and help employees make informed decisions based upon their individual situations. I think there is a misconception that FSAFEDS is difficult to use, but we have ensured that they can use their channel of choice to enroll in the program and file claims, including a mobile app, paperless reimbursement, fax and mail. We try to make it as user-friendly as possible and help them know the time frames and actions they need to take to participate in the program.”

FSAFEDS 202

The program continues to evolve. Last year, 2017, was the first year the United States Postal Service participated in the FSAFEDS program, according to WageWorks. There could be more interest in FSAs after the passage of last year’s landmark tax legislation,

the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as the tax benefits of FSAFEDS accounts are available even if, as will be the case for many individuals under the new tax law, they elect to take the standard deduction rather than itemize. Individuals can also take advantage of the FSAFEDS accounts if their expenses are not high enough to itemize, notes Steel. Health Care FSAs and Limited Expense Health Care FSAs can also help some individuals with cash flow issues by essentially financing medical expenses without interest, notes Wan McCormick, CFP, a financial planner at Fairfax, VA-based Reliable Alliance Financial. Thus, an individual commit to contributing $1,000 for the 2019 season, can withdraw full $1,000 immediately if there is a big medical bill at the start of the year, and provide repayment through subsequent automatic reimbursement from payroll deductions. As concerns the Dependent Care FSA, Steel says that there are some trade-offs with a federal tax credit for a non-FSAFEDS dependent-care tax credit for dependents, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, that may determine whether using the Dependent Care FSA is advisable. “A dependent care flexible spending account reduces the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, but the FSA is generally the better option for people in the 22 percent and (Continued on p. 54)

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W W W. N A R F E . O R G

HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (HSA) In considering Health Care FSAs, it is worth keeping in mind the rival benefits and limitations of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), given Health Care FSAs cannot be used with HSAs.

Like Health Care FSAs, HSAs also allow use of pretax dollars to set up accounts to pay for medical expenses. HSA holders may contribute up to $3,450 for an individual and $6,900 for a family per year. Employees taking advantage of HSAs are also eligible for catch-up contributions at or after age 55 of an additional $1,000 more per year, until enrolled in Medicare. Perhaps most notably, accrued amounts in these accounts can be rolled over from year to year, be carried into retirement, and be used as investment vehicles. (The ability to contribute more money into them, however, ends when one is entitled to receive Medicare, turns age 65, or begins taking Social Security, unless they delay Medicare enrollment.) Under federal rules, a portion of high-deductible premiums are passed through to HSA accounts, thereby helping to fund the accounts. After age 65, amounts in HSAs can be used for nonmedical expenses without payments, just payment of applicable taxes, notes Wan McCormick, CFP, a financial planner at Fairfax, VA-based Reliable Alliance Financial. Funds in HSAs can be invested in mutual funds, just as you would a standard retirement plan like the Thrift Savings Plan. Be aware that you take the risk of such investments, just as you would with a fund in a 401(k) plan. In retirement, you can use the money in your health savings account even if you switch from a highdeductible plan to Medicare. They can also be used to cover expenses Health Care FSAs cannot, such as Medicare premiums and long-term care insurance premiums and expenses, notes Jody L. Dietel, ACFCI, CAS, chief compliance officer at WageWorks, which also administers HSA programs for some clients. Using HSAs, you can reimburse yourself for qualified medical expenses from a previous year as long as they were incurred after your health 52

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savings account was established. Stated another way, if your expenses in the prior year exceeded your contributions, you can use contributions in the following year to reimburse yourself for the prior year’s expenses. This could actually provide a source of income that can be tapped at an opportune time, notes Shawn Steel, CFP, JD, a financial planner and attorney at Reston, VA-based financial advising firm ClearLogic Financial, Inc. The major limitation is one must be enrolled in one of a small number of high-deductible health plans. Details of the 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season plans for have not been stated yet, but a description of high-deductible plans available in the current year that is ending is posted here: www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/ health-savings-accounts/hdhp_benefitshsanetamounts.pdf A key consideration is whether the highdeductible plan covers the doctors and medical expenses that you are likely to need and/or whether the HSA can make up any additional costs. There is also a risk comfort level, notes Steel. “With high deductibles, you may have to pay for substantial medical expenses before health care coverage kicks in,” Steel notes. “There is also likely more paperwork, including a requirement to file a form with the IRS each year.” Steel notes HSAs can be particularly beneficial for those who commence them early, as there are more years to accumulate benefits. The table on p. 53 compares some of the different attributes of the HSAs and Health Care FSAs for federal employees and retirees.

ATTRIBUTE

HSA

HEALTH CARE FSA

ELIGIBILITY

Available to federal to employees and retirees

Available to federal employees to cover eligible expenses for themselves and eligible dependents, not retirees

RELATIONSHIP TO HEALTH INSURANCE

Can only be used with FEHB high-deductible health plan, of which there are only a limited number. Plan does not pay out benefits until you reach the higher deductible, however you can use HSA funds to pay those expenses

Can be used with any non-high-deductible FEHB health plan.

CONTRIBUTION MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM

No minimum contribution. Maximum contribution of $3,450 for an individual and $6,900 for a family. Additional $1,000 catchup contributions are available for individuals aged 55 or older.

$100 minimum. Individual employees can save up to $2,650 per year (with possible incremental increases year to year as determined by the IRS) with a household limit of $5,300 per year

CHANGES TO CONTRIBUTION

Can change contribution level throughout the year.

One-time election each Open Season, save for certain extraordinary events

DURATION

Account rolls over year to year. Can keep unlimited accumulated amount in account.

Account only lasts one year, except for $500 that can be rolled over if covered employee reenrolls.

TAX BENEFITS

Pretax contribution, withdrawals not taxed, earnings on money invested not taxed

Pretax contribution, withdrawals not taxed

INVESTMENT BENEFITS

Can be invested into other funds just like 401k. Earnings are not taxed if used for eligible medical expenses.

Cannot be invested

RETIREMENT OR CHANGE JOBS

Can be rolled into retirement and is not affected by federal service separation.

Cannot be carried into retirement or to a new, non-federal job.

FEES

Some HSAs have fees, depending upon the plan.

No fees.

PENALTIES

20 percent penalty if withdraw money for nonmedical expenses before age 65. After age 65, can withdraw for any purpose without penalty, but must pay taxes upon it.

N/A

USE OR LOSE?

No, money automatically rolls over

Up to $500 rolls over if you reenroll; any additional, unused amounts are forfeited.

OBLIGATIONS TO THE IRS?

Yes, you must file IRS Form 8889 with your tax return each year. Must keep documentation for medical expenses, in case there is an audit.

No.

W W W. N A R F E . O R G

(Continued from p. 51) over tax bracket,” Steel says. “However, for people in the 12 percent or less tax bracket, forgoing the FSA may produce more tax savings and avoid the cash-flow strain from paying for day care and FSA contributions at the same time.” Steel recommends asking a CPA or tax preparer which option is best for you. However, there are also income requirements that apply to the Dependent Care FSA, including, notably, that if you are married, your contributions are limited to the lesser of your salary or your spouse’s salary. For example, if you earn $60,000/year and your spouse earns $2,000, your dependent care contribution is limited to $2,000.

NAVIGATING PROGRAM CAPS

Knowing how much to allocate to FSA programs is critical. Usually, dependent care costs are fairly easy to estimate and, in many cases, will lead employees to want to contribute the maximum to the programs. Families where both spouses work 40 or 50 hours per week and need full-time nanny, day care or preschool coverage for the work week will, for example, easily reach up to $5,000 in eligible costs in regions with significant labor costs over a few months. In addition, there is an increasing number of federal employees who must help cover the costs of caring for aging parents, according to a recent Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Work-Life Survey report. Contributing the right amount to Health Care and Limited Expense Health Care FSAs present a more challenging consideration. Steel recommends analyzing both recurring health care costs and one-time events that are likely to fall within the coverage year. With some planning, the almost-certain need for some such coverage can be worked out. This is likely the case in particular for procedures that are very expensive, have relatively less insurance coverage, or are under high deductibles, and for individuals holding less generous healthinsurance plans where participant costs will be higher. Prescriptions and physical therapy following a planned major operation are other areas where the needs and non-insurance-covered expenses are often foreseeable. In addition, determining out-of-pocket costs for a surgical procedure to be performed the following year can help determine out-of-pocket expenses. Also, significantly, Health Care FSAs cover fertility treatments, an area with limited or no coverage under many health plans. Calculators on the FSAFEDS website can help estimate costs. 54

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MAKING YOUR CLAIM AND REIMBURSEMENT

You must submit claims and receipts for all FSA eligible expenses by April 30 of the following plan year. There are numerous options for submitting your claims to FSAFEDS, such as a mobile app, online, fax/mail or paperless reimbursement, through which claims are automatically sent to FSAFEDS from your FEHB and/or FEDVIP carrier. Reimbursements are made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to a designated checking or savings account. • For Health Care FSA and Limited Expense Health Care FSA, if you are enrolled in a FEHB and/or FEDVIP plan that automatically sends eligible medical, dental and vision expenses to FSAFEDS, you have the option of choosing how to be reimbursed for these claims: • Auto Reimbursement – Automatically reimbursed for eligible out-of-pocket HCFSA expenses based on the claim information received from your plan. • Pick and Process – Claims received from participating FEHB or FEDVIP plans are loaded into your account. You select which expenses you want processed for reimbursement and when to process them. • You can upload your claim information online through the secure web site. • The mobile app provides a convenient option for submitting claims. You simply upload the receipt and enter key data and submit. • There is also the option to fax or mail using a claim form with the appropriate documentation. And just what happens to any forfeited dollars for FSAFEDS participants who do not make timely claims or who make insufficient claims? Since 2013, OPM has been leveraging forfeited dollars to offset the administrative costs to participating agencies. By using those funds to cover a portion of the administrative fee, agencies have realized significant annual savings related to the FSAFEDS program, according to WageWorks. This year’s Open Season window is Nov. 12 – Dec. 10, 2018. To enroll or get more information, go to www.FSAFEDS.com or call 1-877- FSAFEDS (372-3337), TTY: 1-866-353- 8058 Benefits Counselors are available Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET, excluding holidays, to answer any questions. —DAVID TOBENKIN IS A FREELANCE WRITER BASED IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA

Save the date! March 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;13, 2019 Alexandria, VA Alexandria Mark Center Hotel Registration opens November 1

NARFE Members!

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W W W. N A R F E . O R G 55 8/21/18 12:19 PM

Managing Money

THE BACKDOOR ROTH MAY BE YOUR ANSWER

he so-called backdoor Roth has been used as a way for high-income earners to circumvent the income limits that would otherwise prohibit them from

making a Roth IRA contribution.

Although many have used the backdoor Roth effectively, some folks have questioned the legality of this workaround. Recently, however, the IRS put the kibosh on any naysayers when it officially announced the backdoor Roth strategy is A-OK. There are two ways to get money into a Roth IRA. The first is by making a regular contribution and the second is by converting money from a tax-deferred retirement plan, such as a Traditional IRA, to a Roth IRA. Today, anyone may execute a Roth IRA conversion; however, it wasn’t always that way. Prior to 2010, there was an income limit, which prohibited anyone with income exceeding $100,000 from doing a Roth IRA conversion. There have always been, and still are, income limits for making a Roth IRA contribution. In 2018, the income phase-out limits for single tax filers are $120,000 to $135,000, and $189,000 to $199,000 for married couples filing jointly. If an individual’s or couple’s income is below the lower limit, the maximum Roth IRA contribution is allowed, which for 2018, is $5,500 ($6,500 for those over 56

| O C T

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50). When income is between the lower and upper limits, the maximum allowable contribution is reduced, and when income exceeds the upper limit, no contribution is allowed. While income limits prevent high-income earners from making a Roth IRA contribution, there are no income limits preventing high-income earners from making a Traditional IRA contribution. There are income limits with respect to a Traditional IRA contribution, but they are used to determine whether the contribution is deductible, not whether you are permitted to contribute. Enter the workaround. The backdoor Roth strategy is a twostep process. First, you make a non-deductible Traditional IRA contribution, and second, you convert the Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Since the Traditional IRA contribution was made using after-tax dollars, you won’t owe tax a second time when you convert it to the Roth IRA. However, not everyone is eligible to make a Traditional IRA contribution. Just like with a Roth IRA contribution, you must have eligible income to make a Traditional IRA contribution.

BY MARK A. KEEN,

CFP®

This typically means having earned income from employment or self-employment. Also, unlike Roth IRA’s, you may not make a Traditional IRA contribution once you have reached the year you turn 70½. For more information on eligibility, take a look at IRS Publication 590-A. Although simple in process, there are circumstances that may lead to undesirable results, primarily owing taxes on the Roth IRA conversion. This may happen if you had an existing Traditional IRA holding pretax money. Unfortunately, the IRS doesn’t allow you to selectively convert only the after-tax funds sitting in your Traditional IRA, even if the after-tax money was in an entirely separate IRA. Instead, the IRS pro-rata rule requires you to aggregate all your traditional IRAs (including SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs) to determine how much of each conversion or distribution will considered to come from after-tax funds and how much from pretax funds. You must pay tax on the pretax portion of a conversion. For example, suppose you had an existing Traditional IRA worth $100,000 and funded entirely with deductible contributions. Now let’s assume you made a $5,500 non-deductible contribution to a second Traditional IRA and subsequently convert it to a Roth IRA.

BENEFITS RESOURCES NARFE offers members a wide range of information on federal benefits. Visit www. narfe.org/federalbenefits and www.narfe.org/ FederalBenefitsInstitute.

When you file your tax return, the IRS pro-rata rule forces you to divide your after-tax contributions by the total value of all your IRA accounts. In this case, you would divide $5,500 by $105,500 and determine that 5.2 percent of the conversion will come from after-tax funds while 94.8 percent will be considered to come from pretax funds. In other words, only $286 of the $5,500 Roth conversion will be non-taxable.

As I pointed out in my November 2014 NARFE Magazine column, although the prorata rule typically applies to all distributions and conversions, there is a special rule that permits you to transfer only the pretax money to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as the TSP. This effectively allows you to isolate the after-tax funds in your Traditional IRA so that you may then convert the remaining after-tax money to a Roth IRA without having to pay tax on any of the conversion. If your income prohibits your from making a Roth IRA contribution, the backdoor Roth may be your answer. MARK A. KEEN, CFPÂ®, IS PARTNER, KEEN & POCOCK, AND AN INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVE AND REGISTERED PRINCIPAL OF THE STRATEGIC FINANCIAL ALLIANCE, INC. (SFA). SECURITIES AND ADVISORY SERVICES ARE OFFERED THROUGH SFA.

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NARFE News

OPEN SEASON 2018 INFORMATION

LINKEDIN BENEFIT FOR MEMBERS

ocial media and employment go hand in hand. Recruiters and hiring managers can search for online profiles to learn more about potential candidates. LinkedIn is a social media site for your professional presence. There, you can search for jobs, keep up with trends in your field and connect with colleagues. LinkedIn can serve as a networking platform and a place to learn new skills. For active federal employees, a LinkedIn profile can act as an online resume and help you get a jump start in a new career through networking and job-search capabilities. And if you’re looking to make a hire, LinkedIn is the perfect place to discover new talent to fill vacancies in your company. Retired federal employees can benefit from the service as well. Many retirees use LinkedIn for keeping up with their professional relationships, networking with their nonprofit and volunteer

connections and keeping up with the careers of family members and friends. If you’re a retiree, your profile may highlight your current interests and focus less on your previous employment. Connections on LinkedIn can lead to consulting offers or volunteer opportunities if you’d like to continue working in your field parttime or find ways to give back to your community. Retirees can join groups and participate in forums about their field or interests. Participation in these groups can help advance your reputation as an expert or a career mentor. If you’re new to LinkedIn, creating a profile may seem overwhelming, but it’s not unlike navigating Facebook. Your profile includes a photo, headline, summary, employment history and education. Your profile photo should be a recent picture of yourself. The headline describes your current work or interests and lists your location. Your summary should be

Open Season begins November 12. In November and December, be sure to keep a lookout for NARFE Magazine’s issues with Open Season information. Cover stories and features will coincide with information on FEHB premiums, specific plan changes, prescription drug guide, information on dental and vision premiums and more.

a brief bio that’s professional but personal. Don’t be afraid to show your personality in this section. In the employment section, you can list your work history and/or your NARFE leadership positions. Adding links to samples of your work in the employment section can help your profile stand out. LinkedIn is also a great place to seek out potential NARFE members based on where they work. Whether you’re a federal retiree or current employee, LinkedIn can help expand your professional circle and help you network with people to help with job transitioning or learning new skills. Creating a profile is free, so take a look at this professional resource and start connecting. If you’re already on LinkedIn, follow the NARFE page at www.linkedin. com/company/narfe to stay up-todate on NARFE News and to stay informed about your federal benefits and financial future. — BY PRECIOUS DORCH-ROBINSON, COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT

NARFE News on the Go

Keep the conversation going on social media and stay up to date on your federal benefits: On Facebook, NARFE shares recent news and information about upcoming events and webinars at NARFE National Headquarters - www.facebook.com/ NARFEHQ/

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NARFE’s Twitter handle is @narfehq. Don’t miss out on breaking news from NARFE Headquarters, as well as quick tidbits and links of note to NARFE members and supporters of the federal community.

Use LinkedIn to help expand your professional reach and network with people within certain circles. And follow NARFE on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ narfe.

Meet the future of personal transportation.

It’s not a Wheelchair... It’s not a Power Chair... It’s a Zinger!

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Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted in a mobility device that’s truly unique. They created a battery that provides powerful energy at a fraction of the weight of most batteries. The Zinger features two steering levers, one on either side of the seat. The user pushes both levers down to go forward, pulls them both up to brake, and pushes one while pulling the other to turn to either side. This enables great mobility, the ability to turn on a dime and to pull right up to tables or desks. The controls are right on the steering

arm so it’s simple to operate, and its exclusive footrest swings out of the way when you stand up or sit down. With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, the Zinger is sturdy and durable yet lightweight and comfortable! What’s more, it easily folds up for storage in a car seat or trunk– you can even gate-check it at the airport like a stroller. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life. It folds in seconds without tools and is safe and reliable. It holds up to 250 pounds, and it can go up to 6 mph and operates for up to 8 hours on a single charge. Why spend another day letting mobility issues hamper your independence or quality of life?

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More and more Americans are reaching the age where mobility is an everyday issue. Whether from an injury or from the everyday aches and pains that come from getting older– getting around isn’t as easy as it used to be. You may have tried a power chair or a scooter. The Zinger is NOT a power chair or a scooter! The Zinger is quick and nimble, yet it is not prone to tipping like many scooters. Best of all, it weighs only 47.2 pounds and folds and unfolds with ease so you can take it almost anywhere, providing you with independence and freedom.

NARFE News

Join NARFE for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s UPCOMING ALZHEIMER’S WALKS

ARFE has an official National Team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Our 2018 goal is to raise $100,000 across all NARFE regions. These funds will support the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. As a NARFE member, you can help by encouraging your

friends and family to join your team. All walkers who raise $100 or more receive a 2018 t-shirt. Five easy steps to register: 1. Visit www.alz.org/narfewalks 2. Click on “Start a team” 3. Find the closest walk to you by typing in your zip code 4. Enter your NARFE chapter name in your team name 5. Complete the online registration form to gain access to the Participant Center where you can gain access great fundraising and team recruitment tools.

October • October 13 - Washington, DC at the National Mall www.bitly.com/ AlzheimersWalkDC November • November 3 - Tampa, Florida at Amalie Arena www.bitly.com/ AlzheimersWalkTampa • November 13 - Los Angeles, CA at the Los Angeles Zoo www.bitly.com/ AlzheimersWalkLA For more information or to find a walk close to your area, visit www.bitly.com/ WalktoEndAlzheimers2018

What Every Fed Should Know About Their Benefits Registration FREE for Members in the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute

Don’t miss out on these upcoming WEBINARS from the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute:

All New!

October 11

FEHB & Medicare: Understand Your Choices Sponsored by GEHA

November 8

Health Plans: What’s New and How to Choose Sponsored by GEHA

December 13

Estate Planning for Feds

Not a member? Join NARFE today to access all NARFE Federal Benefits Institute resources and events: www.NARFE.org/Join

NARFE Presenters

James Marshall, head of the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute, offers a depth of knowledge from his long career helping Feds make smart decisions.

Tammy Flanagan, expert on federal benefits, offers easy-to-understand answers to the most complex questions. Mark Keen, CFP, is a financial planner with years of experience helping feds prepare for retirement.

NARFE Federal Benefits Institute www.NARFE.org/Institute 62

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2018

G FUND

F FUND

C FUND

S FUND

I FUND

AUGUST

0.26%

0.67%

3.26%

4.57%

-1.91%

JULY

0.25%

0.04%

3.72%

1.64%

2.45%

JUNE

0.24%

-0.10%

0.61%

0.86%

-1.20%

YTD

1.88%

-0.86%

9.91%

12.84%

-1.95%

1 YEAR

2.66%

-0.90%

19.63%

23.34%

4.79%

3 YEAR*

2.25%

2.01%

16.13%

15.12%

7.44%

5 YEAR*

2.23%

2.87%

14.57%

13.31%

6.09%

10 YEAR*

2.32%

3.95%

10.90%

11.44%

4.03%

*ANNUALIZED

2018

L 2020

L 2030

L 2040

L 2050

AUGUST

0.61%

0.80%

1.28%

1.47%

1.65%

JULY

0.79%

1.12%

1.91%

2.21%

2.48%

JUNE

0.19%

0.17%

0.14%

0.13%

0.12%

YTD

2.74%

3.30%

4.71%

5.26%

5.77%

1 YEAR

4.99%

6.87%

10.30%

11.77%

13.14%

3 YEAR*

4.51%

6.60%

9.18%

10.36%

11.44%

5 YEAR*

4.30%

6.53%

8.49%

9.50%

10.38%

10 YEAR*

4.11%

5.96%

7.23%

7.88%

N/A

*ANNUALIZED

RETURNS are net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Source: TSP (For additional monthly returns, go to www.tsp.gov.) G Fund: Government securities (specially issued to the TSP) F Fund: Government, corporate and mortgage-backed bonds C Fund: Stocks of large- and medium-size U.S. companies S Fund: Stocks of small- to medium-size U.S. companies (not included in the C Fund) I Fund: International stocks of 21 developed countries L Fund: (Lifecycle) Invested in the G, F, C, S and I Funds (The proportion of L Fund balance invested in each of the individual TSP funds depends on the L Fund chosen.)

OPM RETIREMENT CLAIMS PROCESSING STATUS

2017

Claims Received

Inventory Monthly FYTD (Steady State Average Processing Average Processing is 13,000) Time in Days Time in Days

JULY 10,070 17,091 AUGUST 7,136 17,125 SEPTEMBER 8,810 16,828 OCTOBER 8,850 18,860 NOVEMBER 5,572 19,294 DECEMBER 5,568 14,515 JANUARY 14,590 20,467 FEBRUARY 13,290 24,225 MARCH 7,767 18,730 APRIL 8,390 17,489 MAY 7,625 18,024 JUNE 9,397 18,198 JULY 8,281 18,334

67 65 62 64 68 60 63 46 49 58 58 65 57

67 67 67 64 66 63 63 59 57 57 58 59 59

PLEASE NOTE that this report is new, with the addition of monthly/FYTD processing time in days, to be more in line with the OPM 60-day processing goal. l Source: OPM 64

Better corporate earnings growth and the strong economy helped drive positive investor sentiment for U.S. equities while higher interest rate fears seemed to have subsided. The C Fund and the S Fund achieved solid gains as a result, benefitting particularly as technology and consumer discretionary stocks led gainers. International markets may have borne the brunt of trade related concerns as the I Fund ended with a loss. Interest rates moved lower, propelling the F Fund’s gain. Returns for the L funds were positive.—BY SEAN MCCAFFREY, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN

L INCOME

2018

For the Record

POSITIVE INVESTORS, BETTER ECONOMY IN AUGUST

THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN FUND RETURNS

| OCT

2 018

COUNTDOWN TO COLA

he Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) decreased -0.02 percent in July 2018. To calculate the 2019 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the indices of July, August and September 2018 will be averaged and compared with the 2017 third-quarter average of 239.668. The percentage increase determines the COLA. July’s index, 246.155, is up 2.71 percent from the base. Benefits awarded under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to individuals suffering work-related injuries or illnesses are adjusted according to each calendar year’s percentage change in the CPI-W. July’s index is 2.34 percent higher than the December 2017 base index of 240.526. The CPI represents purchases of food and beverages, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education and communication, and other goods and services. Included are various government fees, such as water charges, auto registration fees, and sales and excise taxes.

MONTH

CPI-W

OCTOBER 2017

240.573

NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Monthly % Change

% Change from 239.668

-0.15

0.38

240.666

0.04

0.42

240.526

-0.06

0.36

JANUARY 2018

241.919

0.58

0.94

FEBRUARY

242.988

0.44

1.39

MARCH

243.463

0.20

1.58

APRIL

244.607

0.47

2.06

MAY

245.770

0.48

2.55

JUNE

246.196

0.17

2.72

JULY

246.155

-0.02

2.71

AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Donate to NARFE Programs Support Alzheimer’s Research

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

Enclosed is my NARFE-Alzheimer’s contribution: $ Every cent that is contributed is used for research. Please circle: Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms. AND MAIL TO: Name: Alzheimer’s Association Address: 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor City: State: ZIP: Chicago, IL 60601-7633 Chapter Number: Credit Card Information: MasterCard VISA NARFE MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED FOR If you have any questions, write to: Discover AMEX ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH: $13 Million Fund NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR Card Number: Olivia Williams, 22 Garden Springs Road Expiration Date: (mm)/ (yy) Columbia, SC 29209 *Total as of July 31 2018 3-Digit Security Code: 100% of all contributed funds go to Name: (please print) EMAIL: oeashf3@bellsouth.net

$12,802,582.31* Alzheimer’s research.

Signature

Join the Silver CIrcle CLIP THIS CONTRIBUTION FORM AND MAIL TO: NARFE Silver Circle 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314

•For a contribution of $25 or more, you will receive a Silver Circle pin, and your name will be listed in narfe magazine with other contributors. •For a contribution of $1,000 or more, your name will be placed on the “Wall of Fame” at NARFE Headquarters.

YOUR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.

Enclosed is my Silver Circle contribution: $ ID # (ID # may be found on your narfe magazine label or your NARFE membership card)

Name: Address: City: State: ZIP: Silver Circle contributions are NOT deductible for federal income tax purposes.

INSTALLMENT PLAN Wall of Fame 12-month installment plan

Give to the Scholarship and Disaster Funds

PLEASE MAIL COUPON AND CHECK TO: FEEA 1641 Prince St. Alexandria, VA 22314

All donations go to the NARFE General Fund to support NARFE programs and operations.

My check is enclosed

(Please make check payable to NARFE Silver Circle.)

Please charge my credit card Card type MasterCard VISA Discover AMEX Card Number: Expiration Date: (mm)/ (yy) Name: (please print)

Signature

MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund or NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund.

Date

YES!

Date

I would like to help with my contribution.

Scholarships are available to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of federal civilian retirees and current federal employees who are NARFE members. NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund

Amount: $ Amount: $

Name: Address: City: State: ZIP: To make credit card contributions, visit NARFE Scholarships at www.feea.org/givenarfeschol or NARFE Disaster Relief at www.feea.org/givenarferelief.

Member Perks

SAVE MONEY WITH NARFE PERKS NARFE appreciates your service, and so do businesses across the country. Whether you are planning your next vacation or planning for retirement, members can save money on everyday purchases, thanks to our Affinity Partners. It’s just one more way we’re able to say “thank you” for being a NARFE member.

INSURANCE

Nationwide 1-855-550-9216 For your love of discounts side. Discover how Nationwide’s suite of solutions can help protect your financial future. Protect what matters to you for less with a member-only discount when you enroll in an suto or power sports policy. Plus, receive an additional discount when you bundle home and auto policies. Protect all sides with Nationwide’s wide range of insurance and financial solutions. Benefit from guidance and support from a company that has been strong and stable for 90 years.

NARFE Insurance Services 800-233-5764 www.narfeinsurance.com Designed exclusively for NARFE members, plans administered by Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC: Group Term Life Insurance, Senior Age Whole Life Insurance, Senior Term Life Insurance, Group Hospital Income Insurance, Hospital Income and ShortTerm Recovery Insurance, and Pet Insurance.

MOVING SERVICES

Bekins Van Lines 800-456-6832 narfe@bekins.com All NARFE members will receive contracted pricing for all interstate shipments. This will apply to packing, transportation and full-value coverage against damages. Please mention you are a NARFE member 66

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MiniMoves 800-300-6683 MiniMoves is America’s only national mover exclusively focused on small shipments; a piece, a room or a full condo. Member discount - $25 off 500 pounds; $50 off larger moves. Use code 1292.

Wheaton World Wide Moving 800-248-7960 narfe@wvlcorp.com At Wheaton, we know interstate relocating is much more than trucks and boxes. Moving is not simply an address change. It’s a life change. Call today and mention you are a NARFE member to start the moving process.

PRODUCTS

Purchasing Power 866-670-3479 purchasingpower.com/NARFE With Purchasing Power, thousands of brand-name products are within reach. As members of NARFE, you can buy today and pay over time through payroll or annuity allotment. Choose from the latest computers, appliances, vacation packages and more. Never worry about hidden fees, credit checks or interest. Pay over 6 or 12 months, and you’re done. Save 5% with code NARFEVIP.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Verizon FiOS www.narfe.org/memberperks NARFE members can save up to $10 a month on a new qualifying Triple Play bundle with Verizon Fios Internet, TV and home phone service. This exclusive online-only savings is only available to new Verizon customers or those upgrading to the Triple Play Package.

TRAVEL

Office Depot and OfficeMax 855-337-6811, extension 12897 www.officediscounts.org/ narfe Office Depot and OfficeMax are one GFD company! NARFE Members can save up to 80% on over 93,000 products. Great for your printing, cleaning and office needs. Shop online or in any Office Depot or OfficeMax store. Enjoy FREE next-day delivery on online orders over $50! Visit www.officediscounts.org/narfe to shop online or print off a FREE Store Purchasing Card or call 855.337.6811 x 12897 to place your order over the phone.

Alamo 800-462-5266 www.alamo.com Drive Happy® with Alamo® where NARFE members receive year-round discounts. Call or visit our website today and reference Contract ID 262544.

Avis Car Rental 800-633-3469 www.avis.com Avis Car Rental is one of the world’s best-known car rental brands with approximately 5,500 locations in more than 165 countries. Call or book your reservation now at Avis.com using the NARFE AWD number A701900.

Budget Car Rental 800-218-7992 www.budget.com Budget Car rental was founded in 1958 for the “budget-minded” renter. Today, with approximately 3,500 locations around the world, Budget is a leading rental car supplier now offering discounts to members of NARFE. Call or book your reservation now at Budget. com using the NARFE BCD number D871500.

Choice Hotels International 800-258-2847 www.choicehotels.com With 6,400 hotels in the United States and throughout the world, Choice Hotels® offers something for everyone. As a NARFE member, receive 20% off your next stay at participating hotels when you use Special Rate ID 00801967. Choice Hotels brands are: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites and more.

National 800-CAR-RENT www.nationalcarrental.com You Drive A Hard Bargain. Receive up to 20% off rentals at National Car Rental. To make a reservation, call National Car Rental at 1-800-CARRENT® and reference Contract ID 5282909. For complete terms and conditions, visit www.narfe.org/ memberperks.

Wyndham Hotel Group 877-670-7088

HearUSA www.hearusa.com/narfe

NARFE members receive up to 20% off the “Best Available Rate” at participating Wyndham Hotel Group locations worldwide. To receive discount, book online or call our special benefits hotline at 1-800-364-6176 and give the agent your special discount ID number, 8000002694, at time of booking. For online bookings, your discount ID will be automatically entered and your discount displayed.

HearUSA: The Nation’s Most Trusted Name in Hearing Care. Choose from 250+ hearing aids with $0 Co-Pay for Many Plans. Wireless. Bluetooth. Smartphone Compatible. Nearly Invisible. Risk-Free 60-Day Trial. Free Follow-Up Care. Free 3-Year Warranty. Call 1-855845-2706 to see if you qualify for 2 FREE hearing aids.

Life Line Screening 800-324-9906 www.lifelinescreening.com/ NARFE

Wyndham Extra Holidays 800-428-1932 www.extraholidays.com Excellent service and the finest comforts are standards you can always rely on with Wyndham Extra Holidays. With more spacious floor plans than a regular hotel, you can enjoy a One-, Two- or Three-Bedroom suite with separate living areas and partial or fully equipped kitchens. Please use promo code 8000002694 when calling or booking online.

Life Line Screening, America’s leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will conduct health screenings using state-ofthe-art ultrasound technology in your neighborhood. To schedule an appointment, please call the number above and give the operator code number BKHN075 or visit the website.

WELLNESS NEW

Brookdale Senior Living 571-483-1265 www.Brookdale.com As the largest operator of senior living communities in the U.S., Brookdale has over 1,000 locations all across the country. NARFE Members are eligible for 7.5% discounts at Brookdale Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care communities and 10% discounts on Brookdale Private Duty Home Care. For new move-ins only.

Sunrise Senior Living www.SunriseSeniorLiving.com Sunrise Senior Living, a leading provider of high-quality, individualized, senior living services, offers NARFE members a special, discounted rate. Mention code: NARFE-discount during your visit and receive a one-time 5% off of suite/room rates at any of Sunrise’s U.S. communities for one year. For a complete list of Sunrise locations, visit www.SunriseSeniorLiving.com. For new move-ins only.

NARFE Member Perks are designed to provide NARFE members with a quality option in their search for commonly used products and services. NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter. Check out these additional Member Perks on the NARFE website for more details!

FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

W W W. N A R F E . O R G

The Way We Worked

BISON RESURGENCE

In this photo from 1937, a park ranger handles a bison calf. Bison once roamed North America in the tens of millions, but due to massive hunting and killing, by the end of the 19th century they were nearly extinct. The National Park Service (NPS) was an integral part of their resurgence during the 20th century, particularly at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, where NPS rangers and staff protected and expanded the bison population. Bison have lived continously in Yellowstone since prehistoric times. Today the NPS manages about 8,000 bison in its parks, with rangers on hand to monitor animal populations and educate the public on how to safely view our national mammal. PHOTO from the Records of the National Park Service, courtesy of the National Archives History Office; in collaboration with the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG), bringing together government professionals, academics, consultants, students and citizens interested in understanding federal history work and the historical development of the federal government. To join, visit www.shfg.org.

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DID YOU KNOW? Founded in 1916, the National Park Service (NPS) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior that secures the natural and cultural resurces of the National Park System. The NPS has more than 417 areas that cover 85 million acres in every state including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico American Samoa and Guam. Every year the NPS has more than 275 million visitors. The bureau was established by an act that President Woodrow Wilson signed on August 25, 1916. Visit www.nps.gov for more information.

Attn: Federal Employees and Retirees

BETTER HEARING BEGINS HERE

Take advantage of your $2,500 hearing benefit. Call Your Hearing Network at 877-696-5335 Federal Employees and Retirees may be eligible for a pair of Oticon OpnTM 3 hearing aids for $0 out-of-pocket.*

The first hearing device proven to make it easier on the brain. Your Hearing Network gives you easy access to a network of carefully screened hearing care professionals and a wide selection of digital hearing aids.

Your brain works at incredible speeds to process sound. Finally thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hearing device that can keep up. Only Oticon Opn uses BrainHearingTM technology to process all the sounds around you exceptionally fast. Oticon Opn takes the work out of hearing, so you can enjoy a more effortless, natural hearing experience.

* Disclaimer: Your out-of-pocket costs may vary depending on plan benefits, eligibility, deductible, co-insurance, and model of device chosen. This is not a guarantee of coverage or payment. Benefit is not available through all insurance plans. Please consult your plan for coverage details.

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Card # ______________________________Exp.:___/___ Mr. Mrs. Ms. ___________________________________ Address______________________________Apt. # _____ City & State __________________________ Zip________ Phone __________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________ I enclose $_______purchase price, & only $9.99 shipping & handling for my entire order. Please add applicable state & local sales tax for the following states: AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, ME, MN, MS, ND, NJ, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, WA, WI, WV, & WY. Please use blue or black ink.

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Satisfaction Guaranteed or Full Refund of merchandise purchase price up to 90 days after receipt. When you pay by check, you authorize us to use information from your check to clear it electronically. Funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution.

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PO Box 8, Warren, PA 16366-0008