November 2023 NARFE Magazine

A NARFE PUBLICATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES

NOVEMBER 2023 VOLUME 99 ★ NUMBER 9

P. 28

Advancements in Cybersecurity P. 38 Open Season Report

P. 54 Making Sense of Medicare

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Contents NOVEMBER 2023 COVER STORY PAGE 28

FEATURE PAGE 54

ADVANCEMENTS IN CYBERSECURITY Amid increasing risks and challenges, what can federal employees and annuitants do to help protect themselves, their current and former agencies, and the public?

MAKING SENSE OF MEDICARE NARFE federal benefits expert Tammy Flanagan outlines what you need to know, especially after you retire

Special Feature

Columns

38 Open Season Report

4 From the President

Washington Watch

26 Benefits Brief

8 New WEP Reform Bill

62 Managing Money

9 President Biden Sets 5.2

Departments

10 Breaking Barriers: Navigating

22 Questions & Answers

Introduced

Percent Average Pay Raise Challenges in Grassroots Advocacy

12 NARFE-PAC Prepares for 2024 Congressional Elections

14 Bill Tracker

A NARFE PUBLICATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES

NOVEMBER 2023 VOLUME 99 ★ NUMBER 9

P. 28

Advancements in Cybersecurity P. 38 Open Season Report

P. 54 Making Sense of Medicare

6 NARFE Online ON THE COVER Illustration by TGD

23 Countdown to COLA 64 NARFE News 70 NARFE Perks 72 The Way We Worked

Connect with us!

Visit us online at www.narfe.org Like us on Facebook NARFE National Headquarters Follow us on Twitter @narfehq

Follow us on LinkedIn NARFE

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

1

NOVEMBER 2023 VOLUME 99 ★ NUMBER 9

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jenn Rafael

REGION I Jeff Anliker

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Beth Bedard CONTENT MANAGER Matt Sanderson ADDITIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN TGD EDITORIAL BOARD William Shackelford, Kathryn E. Hensley, Johann De Castro CONTACT US NARFE Magazine 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7781 Editorial: communications@narfe.org Advertising Sales: Francine Garner advertising@narfe.org

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 NFBNEWSLINE® service at 866-504-7300 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 OFFICERS WILLIAM SHACKELFORD President; natpres@narfe.org KATHRYN E. HENSLEY Secretary/Treasurer; natsectreas@narfe.org

CHIEF OF STAFF JOHANN DE CASTRO jdecastro@narfe.org

(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) Tel: 413-813-8136 Email: jeff.anliker@outlook.com

REGION II Larry Walton (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) Tel: 443-831-1791 Email: rvp2@narfe.org

REGION III Lynn Harper (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Puerto Rico) Tel: 478-951-3260 Email: lynn_harper@msn.com

REGION IV Robert L. Helfrich (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) Tel: 317-501-1700 Email: rlhelfrich@yahoo.com

REGION V Cindy Reneé Blythe

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 “My Account”

TO REACH A FEDERAL BENEFITS SPECIALIST:

(Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) Tel: 785-256-1450 Email: mrsdocbusyb@yahoo.com

REGION VI Marshall L. Richards (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Republic of Panama and Texas) Tel: 903-660-2784 Email: pappysdad@cobridge.tv

REGION VII Sharon Reese (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) Tel: 575-649-6035 Email: rvp7@narfe.org

REGION VIII Robert H. Ruskamp (California, Hawaii, Nevada and Republic of Philippines) Tel: 703-628-3234 Email: ruskampr@gmail.com

EMAIL fedbenefits@narfe.org

REGION IX Steven Roy

NARFE HEADQUARTERS

(Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) Tel: 425-344-3926 Email: stevenroy1@yahoo.com

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

REGION X Robert Allen (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) Tel: 757-404-3880 Email: rvp10@narfe.org

NARFE Magazine (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly except in February and July 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 $48. 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 © 2023, 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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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Keeping Keeping federal federal employees employees healthy healthy at at every every stage stage of of life life We’re proud to stand with the National Active and Retired Federal We’re proud to stand with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) in supporting federal employees.

Employees Association (NARFE) in supporting federal employees.

Through our quality coverage, nationwide network and helpful tools Through our quality coverage, nationwide network and helpful tools and resources, we’re dedicated to empowering active and retired and resources, we’re dedicated to empowering active and retired federal employees to stay healthy. federal employees to stay healthy.

That’s the Benefit of Blue.

That’s the Benefit of Blue.

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Learn Learn more more at at fepblue.org fepblue.org This is a summary of the features of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan. Before making a final decision, please read the Plan’s Federal brochure (RI All benefits are subjectoftothe theBlue definitions, limitations andService exclusions set forth the Federal This71-005). is a summary of the features Cross and Blue Shield Benefit Plan. in Before makingbrochure. a final decision, please read the Plan’s Federal brochure (RI 71-005). All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the Federal brochure.

Open Season is November 13 – December 11 Open Season is November 13 – December 11

From the President NARFE’S MISSION STATEMENT To support legislation and regulations beneficial to federal civilian employees and annuitants and potential annuitants under any federal civilian retirement system and to oppose those detrimental to their interests.

To promote the general welfare of federal civilian employees and annuitants and potential annuitants, to advise and assist them with respect to their rights under retirement, health and other employee and retiree benefits laws and regulations, and to represent their interests before appropriate authorities.

To cooperate with other organizations and associations in furtherance of these general objectives.

Open Season, Reflection and Strategy

D

uring the upcoming annual Federal Benefits Open Season from November 13 to December 11, federal employees

and annuitants can change their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan.

Changes can also be made to their Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) coverage and flexible spending account (FSA) choices.

As the national oversight officer, it has been an absolute honor to guide NARFE’s partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. We will close the year very close to reaching our 2024 goal of $16 million toward Alzheimer’s research, thanks to the contributions by NARFE members. This month, the NARFE Alzheimer’s Committee will meet with representatives from the association to review grant applications and decide how 100% of the contributions received from members between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, will be allocated to research grants.

In the coming months, you will begin hearing the suggestions of the 2023-2024 Strategic Planning Committee, which Region V Vice President Cindy Blythe has chaired. Working with this committee and your National Executive Board, I am committed to doing everything within my authority to ensure NARFE evolves, survives and thrives.

As your national president, I am proud of what NARFE has accomplished. I promise we will remain staunch advocates of protecting your earned

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

benefits and oppose any legislative action that may harm your interests.

While Grassroots Advocacy Month is in the past, please remember that our advocacy efforts continue, and we need every member to ask congressional representatives to stand with us.

Telephone calls, personal letters or e-mails to your members of Congress and personal visits with your representatives are excellent ways to assist us in this effort. Your dedication and time are greatly appreciated. I am grateful to have been associated with our powerful grassroots advocates nationwide.

Together, we have successfully battled relentless attacks on the federal community.

REMEMBRANCE

Every November, we celebrate Veteran’s Day because it allows us to honor America’s veterans who have dedicated their lives to our country and to also give thanks to the men and women who serve in the military right now to protect our country and to ensure that we continue to enjoy our freedoms in wartime and peacetime. We must thank them on November 11 and throughout the year.

As the holiday season begins and 2023 draws to a close, all of us at NARFE National Headquarters are deeply thankful for all you do and extend our best wishes to you and your family for a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving Day. Stay healthy and stay safe!

WILLIAM SHACKELFORD NARFE NATIONAL PRESIDENT natpres@narfe.org

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NARFE Online READ NARFE MAGAZINE ONLINE NARFE’S website offers a digital flipbook of this and previous issues. You can read the magazine online on your computer, phone or tablet, or download it to peruse later. www.narfe.org/magazine-issues

NARFE Salutes Service Members This Month

V

eterans Day, November 11, is an opportunity to thank those who selflessly protected our great nation. NARFE not only is grateful for their service in uniform, but also appreciates the many who chose to transition into federal jobs as civilians.

Across the country, a significant percentage of NARFE’s members are veterans.

Executive agencies must give veterans preference over other applicants in the hiring process, which has helped the federal government remain the leading employer of vets, ahead of the manufacturing, professional, education and retail sectors. The

YOUR SERVICE Are you a NARFE member who served in the armed forces? Share why you chose to become a Fed. Visit fedhub.narfe. org and search “Veterans Day.” percentage of veterans in the federal workforce has steadily increased in the past decade, from 25.8 percent in fiscal year 2009 to some 32 percent today.

The federal government also is the leading employer of disabled veterans, with more than five

times the number of disabled veterans employed by the federal government than any other entity.

In addition to advocating on behalf of the many NARFE members who served in uniform, NARFE has long represented civilian federal employees who have had the honor of working alongside the military to support our nation’s defense and to provide care for our veterans in facilities around the country.

NARFE is grateful for their dedication.

To read about three wounded warriors who transitioned from military service to federal service, visit www.narfe.org/ honoring-veterans.

TSP UPDATE ONLINE Get the most

recent monthly and annual Thrift Savings Plan returns (G, F, C, S, I and L Funds) online at www.narfe.org/ tsp-funds.

TRACKING RETIREMENT CLAIMS

MISS A WEBINAR?

Catch up on past NARFE Federal Benefits Institute presentations in NARFE’s webinar archive, where you’ll find videos, slides and transcripts of question-and-answer sessions for webinars dating back to January 2019. View them at www.narfe. org/webinar-archive.

6

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Find out how many retirement claims OPM Retirement Services receives and processes each month, with average processing times and total inventory, at www.narfe.org/opm-processing.

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Washington Watch

New WEP Reform Bill Introduced

O

n September 5, Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-TX, who is the Chair of the House Budget Committee and member of the House Ways and Means Committee,

introduced a new bill to reform the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and bring relief to the 2 million people affected by the penalty. The Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, H.R 5342, is now the fourth bill introduced in the House this Congress that focuses on repealing or reforming the WEP. The bill entered the lower chamber with 18 original cosponsors. The introduction of Arrington’s bill places additional pressure on the Ways and Means Committee to act on WEP. H.R 5342 would increase Social Security benefits by $100 per month for individuals directly affected by the WEP and $50 per month for surviving children and spouses indirectly affected by the WEP. Future beneficiaries would have their WEP penalty calculated by a new, fairer formula. Those who are first eligible for Social Security benefits after 2024 and before 2068 would be subject to either a new formula created by the bill or the current formula, whichever is more beneficial.

8

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

This construct is remarkably similar to H.R. 4260, the

Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act, which would also provide an increased monthly benefit for current WEP-affected beneficiaries and a new formula going forward. The main difference is that H.R. 4260 maintains a provision to prevent any reduction of benefits for individuals aged 21 and younger today (in addition to those older).

While the difference may seem small, that provision changes the net cost to Social Security over the 75-year window in which its solvency is typically measured.

NARFE prefers fully repealing the WEP and the Government

NOVEMBER ACTION ALERT: TAKE ACTION: SUPPORT EQUAL COLA ACT, H.R. 866 FOR FAIR RETIREMENT SECURITY Visit NARFE’s Legislative Action Center at www.narfe.org to send a message to your lawmakers urging them to cosponsor The Equal COLA Act, H.R. 866. This vital bill seeks to rectify the unfair policy that limits cost-ofliving adjustments (COLAs) for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirees. Ensure retirees’ financial security by supporting a fair COLA system that preserves the value of their retirement annuities, aligning FERS COLAs with CSRS and Social Security beneficiary adjustments.

MYTH VS. REALITY MYTH: Failure in one congressional session means permanent defeat.

REALITY: Advocacy campaigns often face legislative setbacks, but this doesn’t mean the end of the road. Legislative issues can be revisited in subsequent sessions, allowing advocates to refine their strategies, gather additional support and address concerns.

Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 illustrates how persistence and strategic advocacy can lead to success even after initial legislative failures.

The act faced substantial opposition throughout the decades of being introduced in various forms. Despite the setback, advocates, including civil rights leaders and grassroots activists, continued mobilizing public support and engaging lawmakers until it was signed into law.

Pension Offset (GPO), which would be achieved via the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82/S. 597 and the Social Security 2100 Act, H.R. 4583/S. 2280. But the association also supports incremental progress toward that goal and, therefore, backs reform efforts, particularly if

they increase awareness of these unfair penalties and prompt additional congressional action.

Continuing to build congressional support for and managing the penalties is a top priority of NARFE, and we encourage NARFE members to continue to contact their

lawmakers. Momentum is building in the 118th Congress faster than in previous sessions, thanks to member advocacy and a tireless drive to correct decades of Social Security discrimination.

—BY ROSS APTER, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS

President Biden Sets 5.2 Percent Average Pay Raise

O

n August 31, President Biden issued his alternative pay plan for federal employees, setting an average 5.2% pay increase in motion beginning January 2024.

The pay increase comprises a 4.7% across-the-board raise plus a 0.5% average locality pay adjustment, averaging 5.2%. The figure is based on the annual change in private sector pay as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Cost Index before the president’s budget request was developed.

The raise would be the largest since 1980, when pay increased by 9.1%.

The pay increase will go into effect under a December executive order so long as Congress does not appropriate a different figure. Congress has

remained silent on a federal pay raise during the appropriations process, signaling that the

THE PAY INCREASE WILL GO INTO EFFECT UNDER A DECEMBER EXECUTIVE ORDER SO LONG AS CONGRESS DOES NOT APPROPRIATE A DIFFERENT FIGURE.

legislature defers the decision to the president.

In a statement, NARFE National President William

Shackelford said, “This 5.2% average pay increase demonstrates the Biden administration’s understanding of the value of these hard-working civil servants and the jobs they do, as well as displays the administration’s commitment to recruitment and retention of talented federal employees.”

NARFE has continually pushed for substantial pay raises for federal employees to help close the pay gap between the federal government and the private sector. In its most recent report, the Federal Salary Council found a substantial disparity between federal and private-sector pay rates, estimating that privatesector rates outpace federal rates for similar jobs by 24.09%.

—BY ROSS APTER, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

9

Washington Watch

NARFE GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY LEARN MORE about how you can take action to protect your earned pay and benefits by reviewing NARFE Grassroots materials at www.narfe.org/advocacy.

Breaking Barriers: Navigating Challenges in Grassroots Advocacy

G

rassroots advocacy is a powerful force, harnessing the energy of hardworking citizens to influence policies and decisions. However, like any endeavor, it is not without its challenges. Navigating these obstacles ensures that grassroots efforts deliver the desired impact.

One significant challenge in grassroots advocacy is sustaining momentum on legislative issues transcending a single congressional session.

Advocates often invest considerable time and effort in pushing for change, only to see their proposed bills not make it through the legislative process. When these issues are re-introduced in the following session, there’s a need to rebuild support from the ground up and reignite the passion necessary to drive change.

After an issue is reintroduced, advocates may need to re-educate lawmakers, constituents, and supporters on the importance and urgency of the matter. This requires creating a compelling narrative that explains why the issue persists and remains relevant, even after previous legislative attempts. With time and changing priorities, it can also be challenging to maintain a consistent level of engagement from advocates and lawmakers.

10

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

The issue may be among many competing for attention in a crowded legislative agenda.

Through consistent communication, maintaining

AFTER AN ISSUE IS REINTRODUCED, ADVOCATES MAY NEED TO RE-EDUCATE LAWMAKERS, CONSTITUENTS AND SUPPORTERS ON THE IMPORTANCE AND URGENCY OF THE MATTER. engagement and celebrating progress, advocates can address these challenges head-on.

Building support from the ground up in each session can reinforce the movement’s dedication, refine strategies and ultimately lead to the lasting change sought.

Resource limitations are yet another challenge grassroots advocates often face. Unlike well-funded corporate lobbying efforts, grassroots initiatives might have limited financial and human resources. This can hinder the ability to organize events, run campaigns, or provide necessary training for advocates. Balancing the

impact of grassroots actions with available resources is a constant struggle.

Grassroots advocacy is also often accompanied by resistance and opposition.

Opposition may come from individuals, interest groups, industries, or even lawmakers with differing perspectives or vested interests. In cases where the issue is highly polarized, it can be challenging to secure bipartisan support.

It sometimes may result in distorted narratives undermining the credibility of grassroots advocacy efforts.

In the face of misinformation or mere counterarguments, providing data and refuting opposing claims with clear language and logic is crucial. Identifying shared values and goals that resonate across the political spectrum and framing the issue accordingly can also bridge gaps and ensure accurate information reaches a broader audience.

Ultimately, acknowledging and addressing these challenges is essential for grassroots advocacy efforts to succeed. While the path might be challenging, the collective power of passionate individuals united under a common cause can create real change!

—BY IVANA SARA, GRASSROOTS PROGRAM MANAGER

ANNUITY WITHHOLDING Have the Biggest Impact NARFE-PAC ANNUITY WITHHOLDING enables members to contribute a small amount to the PAC each month directly from their federal annuity. It’s the most efficient way to contribute to NARFE-PAC and allows your contributions to go even farther.

Signing up is easy: 1. Log into your OPM Retirement Services Online account 2. Press “Organization Allotments” from the menu 3. Select NARFE-PAC You can also call OPM at 1-(888) 767-6738 and request an allotment for NARFE-PAC. Additional information is available at: www.narfe.org/pac-sustainer.

CONTRIBUTE TO

NARFE Member #: ____________________________________ Name:______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________

Contribute monthly through your annuity or by credit card. Get started at narfe.org/pac-sustainer.

OR

Monthly contributors of $10 or more receive a sustainer lapel pin

Make a one-time contribution:

City: _____________________________________________ State: _________________

ZIP:__________________

Occupation: _________________________________________ Employer: ___________________________________________

q Charge my credit card q MasterCard

q VISA

q Discover

q AMEX

q $25 – Basic lapel pin

Card #: ____________________________________________

q $50 – Bronze lapel pin

Exp. Date: _____ /_________

q $100 – Silver lapel pin q $250 – Gold lapel pin q $500 – Platinum lapel pin q Other: _________ Contribution totals are cumulative for the 2023-2024 election cycle

n No pin for me. I’d like 100 percent of my contribution to go to NARFE-PAC.

Mail coupon and/or check payable to NARFE-PAC to: NARFE-PAC Budget & Finance | 606 North Washington St. | Alexandria, VA 22314

mm

yyyy

Name on Card: ______________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _____________________

To comply with federal law, we must use our best efforts to obtain, maintain and submit the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 each calendar year. NARFE-PAC is for the benefit of political candidates and activities on a national level. NARFE members have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal, and NARFE will neither favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution or failure to make a voluntary contribution. The suggested amounts are only suggestions and not enforceable. Only members of NARFE may contribute to the PAC. Contributions from non-members will be returned. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

11

Washington Watch LEGISLATIVE RESOURCES NARFE NewsLine – A weekly newsletter that goes out to NARFE members on Tuesdays and includes weekly recaps of legislative news, compiled by NARFE’s advocacy and communications teams.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER – A one-stop site to send a letter to Congress and more, at www.narfe.org.

NARFE-PAC Prepares for 2024 Congressional Elections

T

he 2024 congressional elections are just a year away. Yes, you read that right. Soon enough, the airwaves will be filled with mentions of caucuses, debates, “jungle” primaries and Super Tuesday.

Election season is approaching, and NARFE members can help prepare with NARFE-PAC. NARFE-PAC is our association’s political action committee, and it’s your way to amplify NARFE’s mission to protect the earned pay and benefits of federal workers and retirees. The PAC raises and disburses funds to help the campaigns of candidates running for Congress who support the idea that your benefits were earned and should be honored. You can help by contributing today.

Doing so is easy, with options to donate online at www.narfe. org, through your annuity, or by filling out the quick form on Page 11 of this magazine. Take a stand today for what you earned right when needed most.

One year out from the election is critical for candidates running for Congress. Lawn signs, campaign literature and television advertisements must be earmarked well in advance.

The costs add up quickly.

Successful candidates need a sizable war chest to ensure they’re in good shape. This is where NARFE-PAC can help out.

NARFE-PAC carefully analyzes congressional races nationwide, gathering member input and recommendations from chapters and federations.

Factors like a candidate’s support of NARFE issues, influence and races’ heightened competitiveness are all considered before PAC funds are disbursed. The PAC seeks to support candidates who stand with NARFE and do so in a manner that boosts effectiveness.

The PAC isn’t only limited to supporting incumbents.

NARFE-PAC carefully reviews the campaigns of challengers and those running for open

congressional seats. NARFE members can assist in this process by distributing the NARFE-PAC candidate questionnaire to new candidates, which will be available on the NARFE-PAC website. This approach allows for more significant member input and enables the PAC to cast a wider net. Every election season has surprises; NARFE members can help identify new candidates who back our cause.

Are you interested in maximizing your support of NARFE-PAC this year?

Consider becoming a monthly NARFE-PAC sustainer. NARFE members now have the option to contribute each month from their federal annuity. Sign up today by calling the Office of Personnel Management or logging into your Retirement Services Online account.

Additional sign-up information is available on Page 11. Your support is greatly appreciated.

—BY ROSS APTER, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS

To comply with federal law, we must use our best efforts to obtain, maintain, and submit the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 each calendar year. NARFE-PAC is for the benefit of political candidates and activities on a national level. NARFE members have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. NARFE will neither favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the contribution amount or failure to make a voluntary contribution. The suggested amounts are only suggestions and not enforceable. Only members of NARFE may contribute to the PAC. Contributions from non-members will be returned. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

12

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

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NARFE BILL TRACKER

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

BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR H.R.159/S.59: Chance to Compete Act of 2023 / Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-NC / Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-AZ Cosponsors: H.R. 159: 3 (D) 2 (R) S. 59: 1 (D) 2 (R) 0 (I) H.R. 1002/S. 399: Saving the Civil Service Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA / Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA Cosponsors: H.R. 1002: 15 (D) 2 (R) S. 399: 14 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I)

FEDERAL PERSONNEL POLICY

H.R. 1487: The Strengthening the Office of Personnel Management Reform Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA Cosponsors: H.R. 1487: 1 (D) 0 (R)

H.R. 3115/S. 1496: Public Service Reform Act / Rep. Chip Roy, R-TX / Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL Cosponsors: H.R. 3115: 0 (D) 14 (R) S. 1496: 0 (D) 1 (R) 0 (I)

WHAT BILL WOULD DO Implements merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competencybased hiring.

Passed the House under suspension of the rules 1/24/2023

Prevents any position in the federal competitive service, created after September 30, 2020, from being reclassified into the excepted service, outside the protection of merit system rules without the express consent of Congress.

The bill also requires the consent of an employee to be reclassified, mandates reporting of conversions to the Office of Personnel Management, and places caps on the number of employees converted to the excepted service via Schedule C.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability 2/15/2023

Codifies several recommendations for OPM by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), such as clarifying that OPM stands at the center of federal civilian human resource management and ensuring the director of OPM possesses human capital and leadership expertise.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability 3/9/2023

Would make all federal employees at-will and enable workers to be removed for good cause, bad cause or no cause at all. The legislation would also abolish the Merit System Protections Board and limit removal appeals to claims of whistleblower retaliation and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints before the US Court of Appeals.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability 5/5/2023

NARFE’s Position:

14

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

LATEST ACTION(S)

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 1/24/2023

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 2/14/2023

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 5/9/2023

Support

Oppose

No position

NARFE BILL TRACKER

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

BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

WHAT BILL WOULD DO

LATEST ACTION(S)

H.R. 82/S. 597: The Social Security Fairness Act / Rep. Garret Graves, R-LA / Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH

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

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 1/9/2023

Reforms the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) by providing a monthly rebate of $150 to current beneficiaries (age 62 or older before 2025) and creating a new formula to calculate benefits for future WEP-affected individuals (turning 62 in or after 2025).

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means 6/21/2023

Expands and strengthens Social Security benefits, improves solvency of the Social Security trust funds, repeals the Windfall Elimination Provisions and Government Pension Offset, and provides numerous other Social Security related improvements.

Referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce 7/12/2023

Reforms the WEP by providing a monthly payment of $100 to current WEP-affected beneficiaries and $50 for an affected spouse or child. Creates a new formula to calculate benefits for future WEP-affected individuals (turning 62 in or after 2025).

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means 9/5/2023

Cosponsors: H.R. 82: 199 (D) 93 (R) S. 597: 36 (D) 6 (R) 3 (I)

H.R. 4260: The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act / Rep. Richard Neal, D-MA Cosponsors: H.R. 4260: 101 (D) 0 (R)

SOCIAL SECURITY

H.R. 4583/S. 2280: Social Security 2100 Act / Rep. John Larson, D-CT / Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT Cosponsors: H.R. 4583: 178 (D) 0 (R) S. 2280: 4 (D) 0 (R) 0 (I)

H.R. 5342: Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2023 / Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-TX Cosponsors: 1 (D) 20 (R)

NARFE’s Position:

16

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance 3/1/2023

Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance 7/12/2023

Support

Oppose

No position

Don’t Miss NARFE’s Open Season Webinar Series ON-DEMAND

To B or Not to B (Whether or not to Take Medicare Part B)

ON-DEMAND

Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans

NOVEMBER 2

Choosing the Best FEHB Plan: Medicare Edition

NOVEMBER 9

Big Changes to How Federal Annuitants Receive Prescription Drug Benefits in 2024 and Beyond

NOVEMBER 15

Choosing the Best FEHB Plan: Without Medicare Edition

Online Q&A sessions follow each webinar. For details and to register, visit NARFE.org/Institute.

ALL WEBINARS FREE FOR NARFE MEMBERS REGISTER TODAY! Call: 800-456-8410 x1 Email: memberrecords@narfe.org Online: www.narfe.org/webinars NOT A MEMBER? Join NARFE today at NARFE.org/Join.

NARFE FEDERAL BENEFITS INSTITUTE

Provides federal employees H.R. 536/ S. 124: The Federal with an 8.7% average pay raise Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, in 2024.

D-VA / Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI Cosponsors: H.R. 536: 74 (D) 1(R) S. 124: 19 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I) H.R. 856/ S. 274: Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act / Rep. Don Beyer, D-VA / Sen Brian Schatz, D-HI FEDERAL COMPENSATION

Cosponsors: H.R. 1301: 2 (D) 0 (R) S. 640 15 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I)

H.R. 716: The Fair COLA for Seniors Act / Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Veteran’s Affairs and House Administration 2/7/2023

Protects federal workers and contractors from a variety of civil financial penalties during a lapse in appropriations or a breach of the debt ceiling.

Referred to the House Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Financial Services, Ways and Means, Judiciary, Education and Workforce, and House Administration. 3/1/2023 Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance 3/2/2023

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

Referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Accountability, and Armed Services 2/1/2023

H.R. 866: The Equal COLA Provides Federal Employees Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA Retirement System (FERS) retirees with the same annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) as Civil Serve Retirement System Cosponsors: (CSRS) retirees.

H.R. 866: 35 (D) 3 (R)

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability 2/8/2023

Cosponsors: H.R. 716: 28 (D) 0 (R)

NARFE’s Position:

18

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 1/26/2023

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 2/7/2023

Cosponsors: H.R. 856: 33 (D) 3 (R) S.274: 10 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I)

H.R. 1301/ S. 640: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act / Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA / Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI

FEDERAL ANNUITIES

Extends paid leave to federal and postal employees for all conditions covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability 1/26/2023

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Support

Oppose

No position

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Find this and other great deals on fepblue.org/blue365

TruHearing offers discounted pricing on the latest hearing aids with all styles and models from the leading manufacturers.

Example savings (per pair) Allowance

2 You Youpay pay2

Average retail price

TruHearing price

(up to $2,500)1

TruHearing Advanced

$5,440

$2,500

$2,500

$0

Widex Moment® Sheer™ 220

$4,536

$2,500

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The Service Benefit Plan will pay a hearing aid benefit for Basic and Standard Option members up to $2,500 total every 5 calendar years for adults age 22 and over, and up to $2,500 total per calendar year for members up to age 22. FEP Blue Focus does not have a hearing aid benefit. Do not rely on this communication piece alone for complete benefit information. All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield 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 benefit first before accessing the savings of the Blue365® Discount Program.

To find out what is covered under your policy, contact the customer service number on the back of your member ID card. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under any local Blue company’s

1

Cynthia is wearing the TruHearing Premium RIC hearing aid

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 Disputed Claims process. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) may receive payments from Blue365 vendors. Neither the Service Benefit Plan, 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.

2 Price shown does not include cost of comprehensive hearing exam. Examination and testing for prescribing of hearing aids is covered under the Service Benefit Plan. The member should confirm that the provider rendering the hearing exam is a Preferred provider. If the provider is Non-preferred, the member may be charged a

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1-877-360-2432 | For TTY, dial 711 maximum fee of $75 for the exam, and the member may need to submit a claim for reimbursement. Must be a Service Benefit Plan member to access TruHearing discounted pricing. TruHearing is offered 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. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® words and symbols, Federal Employee Program®, FEP® and Blue365® are all trademarks owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

3 Smartphone compatible hearing aids connect directly to Android, iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® Touch devices.

Connectivity also available to many Android® phones with use of an accessory.

All content ©2023 TruHearing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TruHearing® is a registered trademark of TruHearing,

Inc. All other trademarks, product names, and company names are the property of their respective owners. Listed retail prices based on a survey of national average retail hearing aid prices compared to average TruHearing pricing. Savings may vary. Retail pricing of TruHearing-branded aids based on prices for comparable aids. Follow-up provider visits included for one year following hearing aid purchase. Free battery offer is not applicable to the purchase of rechargeable hearing aid models. Three-year warranty includes repairs and one-time loss and damage replacement. Hearing aid repairs and replacements are subject to provider and manufacturer fees. For questions regarding fees, contact a TruHearing Hearing Consultant. FEP_NARFE_AD_399653

TruHearing is an independent company that provides discounts on hearing aids.

Questions & Answers

Q&A

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS were compiled by NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute experts. NARFE does not provide legal, financial planning or tax advice or assistance.

VETERANS ISSUES MILITARY BUYBACK

Q

I need to pay something to receive retirement credit for my three years of active-duty military service. However, I don’t know where to begin to find out what to do. Please help!

A

Thank you for your service! You are correct that you must deposit a military service credit into the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to receive retirement credit for your honorable active-duty military service. Some refer to this as “military buyback.” Once the deposit is paid in full, your service becomes creditable for eligibility and computation of your FERS retirement.

Before the deposit can be computed, your military base pay must be documented. A copy of your DD214 or another official active-duty record is needed to begin the process. You may request documentation at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) by visiting https:// www.archives.gov/veterans/ military-service-records if 22

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

documents are missing. Be prepared for a long wait. To obtain an estimate of your base pay during active duty, you may submit form RI 20-97, Estimated Earnings During Military Service, by visiting to find the appropriate branch of service.

After you have your estimated earnings documented, you will complete form SF 3108, Application to Make Service Credit Payment pages 1 and 5, which you can find by visiting https://www. opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf3108. pdf. Provide this form, your DD 214 or equivalent and your estimated earnings document to your Human Resources Office or Shared Service Center. They will determine the amount that you owe, including interest if due. You will receive instructions for submitting your payment or establishing a payroll allotment.

After the deposit is paid in full, you should receive a notice from your payroll provider. Keep this for your records and submit a copy to your HR retirement specialist to include in your eOPF (electronic Official Personnel Folder) as a payment record.

The amount required to pay this deposit equals 3% of your military base pay while serving on active duty (there was a slightly higher percentage for 1999 and 2000). When a federal employee leaves their civilian position to perform active-duty military service, the agency must calculate the version of the deposit based on the civil service retirement contributions for the civilian employment rates of pay that would be applicable if the employee had not been on active duty. The agency also calculates the deposit in the usual way using military earnings for the period.

Interest is added if applicable. The results of the two methods are compared, and the lower of the two is the amount used for the deposit.

Example: Military service from August 10, 1996, to September 16, 1998, is two years, one month and seven days.

Basic earnings are $25,695.00 x 3%, which equals $771.

For employees first employed on or after October 1, 1983, interest starts two years from the date the individual was first hired, subject to Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or FERS. The first interest accrual date (IAD) is one year later, three years from when the individual was first employed.

The deposit process must be completed before you separate from federal employment; however, the earlier the payment is made, the less interest you will owe. Interest is computed on the unpaid balance as of the IAD each year after that until the deposit is paid in full.

Suppose the deposit is paid in the example above. In that case, the employee will receive service credit for meeting the requirements for retirement eligibility if they have a minimum of five years of civilian service.

In addition, military service is credited in the computation of retirement benefits. In the example above, with a highthree average salary of $65,000, adding two years and one month of service, the retirement benefit would increase by approximately: • $1,354/year if FERS covers the employee and retiree under age 62 or at age 62 or later with less than 20 years of creditable service • $1,490/year if the employee is covered by FERS and retirees at age 62 or later with at least 20 years of creditable service • $2,708/year if the employee receives credit under CSRS or the CSRS component of a FERS retirement Detailed instructions for paying the military service deposit

are available at https://www. dfas.mil/CivilianEmployees/ militaryservice/ militaryservicedeposits/.

Individuals with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service as their payroll office can complete the process on this website. Others with different payroll offices (IBC, NFC, GSA, etc.) should contact their HR office for instructions.

Completed military deposits are reported to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) when you transfer, resign, or retire from your agency.

Q

I am one of the few still covered under CSRS and just learned I can have military time count towards my retirement. Is it possible?

A

Yes, it is. If it was performed after 1956, you need to deposit the honorable service to count.

Remember that the process listed in the answer above must be completed before you leave the

agency’s rolls.

The CSRS deposit is 7% of your military basic pay if you: • Were first employed in a civilian position before October 1, 1982, you do not pay the deposit and you are eligible for a Social Security benefit at age 62; the CSRS part of your annuity will be recomputed at age 62 to delete credit for the post-1956 military service.

• Were first hired on or after October 1, 1982, you will not receive any credit for post-1956 military service if you do not deposit it.

Q

I am receiving military retirement and wondering whether I need to pay a military service credit deposit. How would it benefit me if I deposit to receive credit under FERS?

A

If you have retired from military service, you would need to determine if the military service is more valuable to keep the credit in

COUNTDOWN TO COLA The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 0.55% in August 2023. To calculate the 2024 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the 2023 third-quarter indices Monthly % % Change MONTH CPI-W Change from 291.901 will be averaged and OCTOBER 2022 293.003 0.40 0.38 compared with the 2022 third-quarter NOVEMBER 292.495 -0.17 0.20 average of 291.901.

DECEMBER 291.051 -0.49 -0.29 The percentage JANUARY 2023 293.565 0.90 0.57 increase determines FEBRUARY 295.057 0.50 1.10 the COLA. August’s MARCH 296.021 0.33 1.40 index, 301.551, is up 3.3% from the base.

APRIL 297.730 0.58 2.00 The CPI represents purchases of food and beverages, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education and communication, and other goods and services.

MAY

298.382

0.22

2.20

JUNE

299.394

0.34

2.60

JULY

299.899

0.17

2.70

AUGUST

301.551

0.55

3.30

SEPTEMBER

For FECA COLA updates, visit narfe.org and search for FECA.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

23

Questions & Answers your military retirement or used toward your FERS civilian retirement. Remember that you would generally be required to waive your military retirement pay when you retire under FERS unless you have military service that was not used in the computation of your retired income or if you are receiving retired payment awarded for a service-connected disability. This disability was incurred in combat or caused by an instrumentality of war or under the provisions of 10 U.S.C 1223, which grants pay to members of reserved Armed Forces components based on age and service (active reserve). VA benefits are not retired income and must not be waived when combining your military and federal assistance.

You may request that you prepare two retirement estimates to help determine if you should pay the military service deposit required to use the service toward your civilian retirement. The first estimate should be for retirement based only on your civilian federal employment and the second estimate includes credit for your civilian and military active-duty service. Before deciding, consider differences in survivor benefits, cost-of-living adjustments and taxes.

Q A

Is my time spent at the U.S. Military Academy creditable under FERS?

Service in the capacity shown at the academies listed below is considered military service for retirement purposes: • Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy • Cadet at the U.S. Military Academy

24

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

• Cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy • Cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy You would be required to pay a military deposit based on your base pay while attending the academy, and you would need a transcript of your service.

Contact a retirement specialist in your human resources offices for assistance in documenting this service and paying the military deposit.

RETIREMENT COLA

Q

I am covered under the FERS retirement plan and will retire November 30, 2023. Will I receive a COLA in January?

A

Your first cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) under FERS will be included with your retirement on January 1, 2025, if you are 62 before December 1, 2024. To receive a COLA on January 1, 2024, you must be eligible for a retirement benefit for at least one month before December 1, 2023. Retirees receive a prorated COLA equal to one-twelfth of the applicable cost-of-living increase each month that they receive an annuity before December 1.

Annual COLAs for both CSRS and FERS retirements are effective each year in the December benefit payment (payable on January 1).

In addition, remember that FERS COLAs do not apply to annuitants who are under the age of 62 as of December 1 except for disability annuitants, law enforcement officers, firefighters, or air traffic controllers, and spouses, former spouses and insurable interest survivor annuitants. The FERS retirement

annuity supplement is never adjusted for cost-of-living. Under CSRS rules, retirees may receive a COLA at any age. The amount of the annual COLA is released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each year around mid-October.

The COLA is the percent increase between the third-quarter average of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for a given year and the previous peak third-quarter average of the CPI-W. Under FERS, if the rate of increase is between two and three percent, eligible FERS annuitants will receive a two percent COLA increase. If the increase is three percent or higher, the FERS COLA will be one percent less than the adjustment.

SURVIVOR BENEFITS

Q

My spouse recently passed away, and I changed our FEHB plan to self only. I didn’t realize there was an option to cancel the survivor benefit reduction to my retirement annuity until a friend mentioned it. What is the procedure for canceling this reduction? Will I receive a refund for the past reduction?

A

We are very sorry for your loss. Call or write to OPM to request form RI 20-120, Request for Change to Unreduced Annuity. The form can also be obtained at https://www.opm.gov/forms/ pdf_fill/ri20-120.pdf. It will also allow you to change your health enrollment to self only if you don’t have any other eligible family members.

You may electronically submit the form or mail it to OPM. • OPM can be reached at 888-767-6738 for retirement inquiries. It may be best to call early (lines open at 7:40

a.m. EST). Be prepared to be on hold at other times.

• If you write OPM, send a copy of your spouse’s death certificate and include your full name and CSA number in the letter along with your signature. Mail request to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, Post Office Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017.

In addition to the survivor benefit reduction, there may be some additional benefits to consider: • Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI): If you are enrolled in Option C, Family coverage, you will need to complete the Statement of Claim - Option C Family Life Insurance found here, https:// www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/ fe6dep.pdf • Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP): Contact BENEFEDS at 1-877888-3337 or https://www. benefeds.com/contact • Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP): Call 1-800-582-3337 or https://www.ltcfeds.com/ contact • Remember to maintain the updated designation of beneficiary forms for the following benefits: ◊ FEGLI: SF 2823, https:// www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_ fill/sf2823.pdf ◊ Thrift Savings Plan: To change your beneficiary designation, contact the ThriftLine at 1-877-9683778 or log into your account at www.tsp.gov ◊ CSRS or FERS Retirement: Complete form SF 3102 found at https://www. opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/ sf3102.pdf (your designated

beneficiary will receive the final retirement payment prorated as of the date of death and any remaining retirement contributions you have not received (generally, after a few years of retirement, the retirement contributions have been paid as retirement benefits) Additional resources, including a survivor benefits guide, can be found at the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute at www.narfe.org.

DENTAL INSURANCE

Q A

How do I cancel my dental insurance? My dentist no longer accepts the insurance.

You can cancel your Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) during the annual Open Season (November 13 to December 11, 2023). You must have a qualified life event (QLE) to cancel outside open season. Unfortunately, your dentist no longer accepting the insurance is not considered a QLE. To learn more about QLEs and other changes you can make to FEDVIP coverage, visit https://www. benefeds.com/learn/fedvip/ fedvip-qualifying-life-events.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Q

My birthday is on the 15th of the month. When should I apply to receive my Social Security retirement?

When would my Social Security benefits begin?

A

The easiest and most convenient way to apply for retirement benefits is by creating or signing in to your personal “my Social Security” account. If Social Security cannot

process your request, you will receive specific information about how to contact them by phone or schedule an appointment. You can also apply by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, or visiting your Social Security Office. (Call first to make an appointment.)

If you live outside of the United States, you can find the office that serves your country of residence on the Social Security Office of Earnings & International Operations webpage.

You can apply for your Social Security retirement benefits up to four months before you want the benefit to begin. Benefits may also be paid up to six months retroactively. If your birthday is December 15, your retirement benefit will start in January.

Social Security benefits are paid on the following schedule based on your birthdate: • If your birth date is on the first through the 10th of the month, your benefit will be paid on the second Wednesday.

• If your birth date is on the 11th through the 20th of the month, your benefit will be paid on the third Wednesday.

• If your birthdate is on the 21st through the 31st of the month, your benefit will be paid on the fourth Wednesday.

You will find more information on when to apply here: https://www.ssa.gov/ prepare/plan-retirement.

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.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

25

Benefits Brief

High-Deductible Health Plans with Health Savings Accounts

W

ould you like a benefit that allows some of your earned income to have a triple tax advantage?

This means the money you contribute is tax-free, and you will enjoy tax-free growth on the investment. When you withdraw the money for qualified health care expenses, it is, you guessed it, tax-free! The name of this benefit is a health savings account (HSA). You may think that an HSA is like a flexible spending account (FSA). However, there are several significant differences.

To meet HSA requirements, you: • Must be enrolled in a high deductible health plan (HDHP) • Have no other health coverage (supplemental dental or vision coverage and long-term care insurance is OK) • Are not enrolled in Medicare • Cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return The IRS requires that to be considered an HDHP in 2023, the minimum deductible must be $1,500 for self-only plans and $3,000 for self-plus one and family coverage. If you meet these requirements, you are eligible even if your spouse has non-HDHP family coverage, provided your spouse’s plan doesn’t cover you.

You may also be eligible even if you receive hospital care or medical services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability.

Federal employees may fund a limited expense FSA (LEXFSA), used only for dental and vision expenses. For more information, 26

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

WHEN YOU WITHDRAW THE MONEY FOR QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE EXPENSES, IT IS, YOU GUESSED IT, TAX-FREE! visit https://www.fsafeds.com/ explore/lex-hcfsa.

Once enrolled in an HDHP, you may establish the HSA. Aetna HealthFund® (Plan Code 22), GEHA (Plan Code 34) and Mail Handlers Consumer Option (Plan Code 48) are nationwide FEHB plans offering an HDHP with both in-network and outof-network benefits. You can find all programs available in your area at https://www.opm.gov/ healthcare-insurance/healthcare/ plan-information/plans/.

Once enrolled in an HDHP under the FEHB program, your plan establishes an HSA. Federal institutions such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration typically insure the money market account portion of your HSA. Other types of investments, for instance, stocks, bonds and mutual funds, are subject to average investment risk. You will receive a contribution from the FEHB HDHP called a “premium pass-through” in addition to the contributions you make up to the IRS limits listed next.

CONTRIBUTION LIMITS TO AN HSA

• Self-only: $3,850 in 2023; $4,150 in 2024 • Plus-one or family: $7,750 in 2023; $8,300 in 2024 • Individuals 55 and over may contribute an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution.

When you need preventive care and use in-network providers, your plan will provide it without cost. If you reach your plan’s catastrophic limit, your HDHP will provide needed care at no charge, assuming you use in-network providers. It is important to remember once that limit is met, you will not incur additional out-of-pocket medical expenses for in-network care, including doctor visits, co-payments and prescriptions, which are excluded from some traditional plan’s catastrophic limit. According to IRS rules, HDHP plans must have a catastrophic limit of no more than $7,500 for self-only and $15,000 for plus-one and family coverage (2023).

You may allow the contributions in your HSA to grow; the money is in your account and does not have a deadline for spending. The HSA is portable—you may take it with you if you leave the federal government or switch to another health plan. More details can be found at https://www.opm.gov/ healthcare-insurance/healthcare/ health-savings-accounts/.

—MICHELE BOLLIER IS A RETIREMENT AND BENEFITS SPECIALIST WITH RETIRE FEDERAL.

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These individuals, and their loved ones, know how decreased mobility can result in loss of independence, pain and falling hazards. They are often stuck at home, missing out on a variety of activities, in a vicious cycle that diminishes their quality of life. In the past, mobility devices like scooters and power chairs were too heavy and bulky to transport easily. Now, carbon fiber material invented for the aerospace program has been used to create the ultimate mobility device.

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• Foldable for easy storage and transport *26 lbs is chair weight without the easily removable battery. Journey Air Elite is a personal electric vehicle and is not a medical device nor wheelchair. It is not intended for medical purposes to provide mobility to persons restricted to a sitting position. Journey Air Elite is not covered by Medicare nor Medicaid. *DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LIFT OVERHEAD. Lifting overhead poses risk of injury or death. © 2023 Journey Health & Lifestyle®

87001

®

A D VA N C E M E N T S I N

BY DAVID TOBENKIN

28

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Federal agencies have been fighting the scourge of cyberattacks for more than two decades. Amid increasing risks and challenges, what can federal employees and annuitants do to help protect themselves, their current and former agencies, and the public?

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

29

T

hreats to cybersecurity are on the rise. Employees in both the public and private sectors increasingly are

working from home, where security measures are often weaker. Many job functions and tools have migrated from paper to websites and applications, creating tempting targets for bad actors.

30

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Diffusion of spyware and other sophisticated cyberattack tools available for purchase has leveled the playing field, allowing less technologically advanced states to engage in espionage.

Additionally, chilling relations among superpowers like the U.S., China and Russia have emboldened attackers.

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an operational unit within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), computers in one in three U.S. homes are infected with malicious software. CISA’s findings show that 47% of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cybercriminals, and 65% of Americans engaging online received at least one online scam offer.

The FBI noted an increase across the four most common types of cybersecurity incidents over a five-year period, from 19,060 in 2016 to 26,074 in 2021. The cost of these attacks is increasing as well: ransomware attacks, data breaches, compromised business email and denial of service attacks cost businesses and government $470 million in 2016, climbing to $2.6 billion in 2021.

But a more proactive role by federal and state agencies, and better coordination on cybersecurity over the past two years seems to have resulted in considerable progress.

“In general, what we saw in the months leading up to the [2022] Ukraine invasion [by Russia] was amazing coordination by state, private sector and federal actors to harden the nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Jeff Greene, a former senior cyber official at the National Security Council and current senior director of the Aspen Institute’s cybersecurity programs.

“That included doing things that companies and the government had been saying for 10 to 15 years that they would not be able to do. And then all of a sudden, we were all doing them because there was a real, true threat out there.

As a nation, we were in a much better place by February of 2022 than we were previously in terms of our critical infrastructure security.”

The Federal Government’s Cybersecurity Role In March 2023, President Biden issued a 39-page National Cybersecurity Strategy

37% Increase

2016

2021

The FBI noted an increase across the four most common types of cybersecurity incidents over a five-year period, from 19,060 incidents in 2016 to 26,074 in 2021.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

31

“On the criminal side, I think that the way to get at the criminals and where the administration is starting to have a decent amount of success is going after the financial side of it, which now is largely virtual currency and cryptocurrency.”

Jeff Greene, Senior Director for Cybersecurity Programs, Aspen Institute

document that outlines the administration’s approach to enhancing the nation’s cybersecurity posture.

“Fundamentally, what the strategy document does is rethink how we’re approaching cybersecurity, particularly critical infrastructure,” said Greene. “For a variety of reasons, over the past 15 years we had allowed purely voluntary security measures for critical infrastructure rather than establishing a baseline, which has been a failed approach. The government needs to, and what this strategy is attempting to do is, use the levers that it can [to increase cybersecurity].”

As an example of the new approach now being broadly implemented through the strategy, Greene points to an executive order that the president issued in May 2021, EO 14028, which uses the government’s purchasing power to require federal contractors to employ stronger cybersecurity practices.

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

CISA was created in 2018 to serve as America’s cyberdefense agency. A significant focus at the agency is detecting and responding to threat activity earlier in the cyberattack lifecycle to contain the damage caused by successful hacks, according to Shelly Hartsook, deputy associate director within CISA’s cybersecurity division.

“Threat actors seek to gain additional access once they have [hacked into an organization],” he said. “They are looking to move around within it to eventually get to whatever their actual aim is. CISA aims to find the activity sooner in that cycle before the impact that the criminals want has been achieved and limit the scope and scale of that impact.”

Going After the Bad Guys Another focus of the strategy is going on the offense and disrupting hackers and

cybercriminals. There have already been some successful results, Greene says.

“On the criminal side, I think the way to get at the criminals, and where the administration is starting to have a decent amount of success, is going after the financial side of it, which now is largely virtual currency and cryptocurrency,” he said. “That is why you saw [the U.S.] Treasury sanctioning different pieces of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, what are called mixers, exchanges, wallets, all of that. The criminal ecosystem is a business. So if you can drive up the cost of doing business through that ecosystem, you’re making things harder for them. They’ve had good success going after that financial side.”

Even if imprisonment is not possible for foreign-based or protected actors, Greene adds that being identified, shamed or sanctioned can sometimes be effective.

“When you sanction someone or indict someone like that, you make their world smaller, and a lot of these people, the criminals, are in it for money and the lifestyle it brings,” Greene said. “And the idea that if they are identified, the fact they can never take their kids to Western Europe or Disney World actually has an impact and may dissuade some people.”

Special Challenges for Agencies Unfortunately, major breaches continue to afflict federal agencies, sometimes through deliberate targeting. In late spring, for example, several U.S. agencies, including the State and Commerce Departments, were hacked as part of a broader cyberattack that hit dozens of companies and organizations through a previously unknown vulnerability in popular file-sharing software.

Other recent breaches involving federal agencies include: • A 2021 Chinese intelligence attack that penetrated at least five agencies through a remote work virtual private network (VPN) program called Pulse Secure.

• A 2020 attack in which hackers, later identified as working for Russian intelligence, broke into multiple agencies through software they used that was developed by a federal contractor in Texas, SolarWinds.

• Most feds probably remember the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hacks in 2014 and 2015. The cybersecurity incidents involved personnel records and background investigation records that compromised the data of approximately 22.1 million federal government employees and contractors, and their relatives and associates.

Many sources ascribed the [OPM] attacks to Chinese-state-sponsored actors. The true harm from that and other similar breaches is not known, but the risks may linger.

“All that data gives them a capacity to understand and exploit an individual more effectively, whether for spear phishing via emails with dangerous links or through social engineering, where a foreign agent or criminal uses that knowledge to ingratiate themselves and manipulate you,” Greene said.

Yet despite these setbacks, he sees some overall progress.

“That the State Department detected the intrusion this year relatively quickly is a testament to how far State Department has come, as they, and maybe DoD, are really [the No. 1 targets] among federal agencies,” Greene NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

33

“Since 2010, we have made more than 4,000 recommendations to agencies aimed at addressing cybersecurity challenges facing the government.”

Jennifer Franks, director of information technology and cybersecurity, Government Accountability Office

22.1

million Number of federal employees or contractors and people associated with them whose data was compromised by cybersecurity incidents in 2014 and 2015.

said. “I was really impressed and pleased that the State Department was at a point where they could detect it.”

Still, much remains to be done to improve cybersecurity at federal agencies. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) pays close attention to federal efforts combating cyber threats and has highlighted shortcomings at many agencies.

“Federal agencies have taken many steps to implement cybersecurity, but the level of preparedness is uneven,” says Jennifer Franks, director of information technology and cybersecurity at GAO. “For example, during annual evaluations, agencies’ inspectors general have consistently rated the majority of federal cybersecurity programs as ineffective. Because of agencies’ cybersecurity challenges, GAO has designated this as a high-risk area for the federal government since 1997. Since 2010, we have made more than 4,000 recommendations to agencies to address the government’s cybersecurity challenges. As of February 2023, more than 850 recommendations had not been fully implemented.”

What Federal Employees and Annuitants Can Do A February 2018 NARFE Magazine story listed a variety of steps federal employees can take to increase cybersecurity. Many of the steps remain the same, says Josephine Wolff,

34

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Federal retirees, you’ve earned this

A Medicare plan that helps you enjoy more of every moment Plan for Federal Open Season this November 13 through December 11 by enrolling in the UnitedHealthcare® Group Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan, exclusively for federal retirees within the FEHB program. This is an opportunity to enhance your coverage with extra benefits, including:

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Call 1-866-482-1174, TTY 711 to get started or visit uhcfederalretiree.com to learn more.

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a Medicare approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in these plans depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. Limitations, exclusions and restrictions may apply.

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Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/area. Limitations, exclusions and/or network restrictions may apply.

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an associate professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University interviewed for this and the previous articles.

Among such steps are: • Immediately change passwords used for services from organizations compromised by a breach • Swiftly report credit card abuse to credit card companies and freeze lines of credit • Back up key files • Prioritize security efforts for the most important websites • Use long passwords with different types of characters • Do not click links in emails; instead, go directly to reputable websites to transact business and share important information

36

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

• Keep software updated • Use encrypted websites with “https” at the beginning of the address • Use multifactor authentication “Many of the old security tips are still relevant because the criminals still take advantage of them daily,” said Wolff. “If we do the simple things—multifactor authentication, patching and updating, and exercising general awareness such as not responding to suspicious emails—that will keep us safe from 99% of the attacks.”

Federal annuitants may think their only exposure is as citizens, but that is often untrue. They can be targeted as former federal employees, making it important not to serve as weak links for their former federal employers.

It is critical, for example, to not ask for confidential information in exchanges with employees still at an agency.

—DAVID TOBENKIN IS A FREELANCE WRITER BASED IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA..

Enjoy the journey.

We’ll make sure you’re covered.

GEHA offers federal retirees, like you, a variety of plans that work with Medicare Parts A and B to ensure maximized protection and coverage.

HEALTH BENEFITS for Federal Retirees

© 2023 Government Employees Health Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

See what we have to offer at geha.com/Medicare

PEN SEASON REPORT

OPEN SEASON: NOVEMBER 13 – DECEMBER 11 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS

O

n September 27, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the premium rates for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program’s 2024 plan year.

The enrollee share of premiums for employees and annuitants will increase an average of 7.7% in 2024. The average increase in the government share of premiums will be 5.0%.

The overall average total premium will be 5.8% more in 2024, which is in line with premium increases projected for or reported by other large privateand public-sector employers.

Annual average premium increases for previous years were 7.2% in 2023, 2.4% in 2022, 3.6% in 2021, 4% in 2020, 1.3% in 2019, 4.0% in 2018, 4.4% in 2017 and 6.4% in 2016.

FEHB carriers may offer up to three plan options of any plan type: Self Only, Self Plus One or Self and Family. Overall, the FEHB program will offer 158 health plan choices in 2024; in 2023, there were 271. The drop in the number of health plan choices is

38

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

attributed mainly to the exit of one carrier, Humana, from the FEHB Program. The actual number of choices available to any given enrollee will be lower and will vary by geographic location.

Changes in FEHB coverage may be made during Federal Benefits Open Season, November 13 to December 11. Also included

EVEN MORE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT NARFE.ORG/ OPEN-SEASON. in Open Season are the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS).

There is no need for enrollees to re-enroll in FEHB and FEDVIP unless they want to change plans or their current plan ceases participation. However, employees

must re-enroll in FSAFEDS every year to continue to participate.

ENROLLEE PREMIUMS

The tables on pages 39, 40 and 42 list: the 17 open-to-all fee-for-service (FFS) plans, the five restricted FFS plans and the largest participating HMOs; the 2024 cost of each plan for both employees and retirees; and the increase or decrease from 2023.

Employees pay premiums on a biweekly basis; retirees pay premiums on a monthly basis. Changes in FEHB enrollee premiums vary from plan to plan. For a listing of all premiums, go to www. opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/ open-season/.

CHANGES FOR 2024

Reimbursement for Medicare Part B Premiums: There are 30 FEHB plans in 2024 that will reimburse some or all of the Part B premium for members enrolled in the plan’s SEE FEHB PREMIUMS ON P. 42

KEY: Employees pay biweekly Annuitants pay monthly

2024 PREMIUMS — FEE FOR SERVICE Plan Option

Code

Govt Pays biweekly monthly

Enrollee Pays biweekly monthly

Enrollee Increase/Decrease biweekly monthly

$857.89 $2,058.83 $1,801.48 $665.45 $1,577.81 $1,446.32

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $230.35 $546.17 $500.65

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $499.09 $1,183.36 $1,084.74

$124.52 $269.79 $304.05 $658.77 $244.95 $530.73 $76.78 $166.36 $182.05 $394.45 $166.88 $361.58

$3.52 $7.63 $1.79 $3.87 $6.00 $13.00 $2.95 $6.40 $7.00 $15.17 $6.42 $13.91

$914.81 $2,203.20 $2,000.57 $795.54 $1,969.02 $1,787.78 $479.31 $1,133.30 $1,030.34

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $165.92 $392.30 $356.66

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $359.48 $849.98 $772.76

$150.79 $370.68 $336.84 $95.74 $262.60 $238.63 $55.30 $130.76 $118.88

$326.71 $803.14 $729.82 $207.44 $568.96 $517.03 $119.83 $283.32 $257.58

$8.39 $22.79 $17.99 $9.07 $24.69 $20.73 $1.09 $2.57 $2.34

$18.18 $49.37 $38.98 $19.66 $53.48 $44.91 $2.37 $5.57 $5.07

$823.51 $2,063.62 $1,811.70 $607.97 $1,615.03 $1,307.17 $619.26 $1,636.07 $1,331.37

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $210.45 $559.05 $452.48 $214.36 $566.33 $460.86

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $455.98 $1,211.27 $980.38 $464.45 $1,227.05 $998.53

$108.65 $306.26 $249.67 $70.15 $186.35 $150.83 $71.45 $188.78 $153.62

$235.41 $663.56 $540.95 $151.99 $403.76 $326.79 $154.81 $409.02 $332.84

$2.91 $1.87 $6.18 $1.38 $5.43 $2.96 $2.08 $5.50 $4.47

$6.31 $4.04 $13.39 $2.98 $11.76 $6.40 $4.51 $11.91 $9.69

$810.29 $1,948.40 $1,775.00 $452.51 $1,329.03 $1,091.72

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $156.64 $460.05 $377.90

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $339.38 $996.77 $818.79

$102.55 $253.08 $232.73 $52.21 $153.35 $125.97

$222.19 $548.34 $504.25 $113.13 $332.26 $272.93

$16.78 $43.25 $45.09 $1.52 $8.68 $7.14

$36.35 $93.70 $97.70 $3.30 $18.80 $15.46

$504.44 $1,219.10 $1,195.24 $698.60 $1,623.51 $1,608.06 $682.00 $1,584.68 $1,509.24

$174.62 $422.00 $413.74 $241.82 $561.98 $556.64 $236.08 $548.54 $522.43

$378.33 $914.33 $896.43 $523.95 $1,217.63 $1,206.05 $511.50 $1,188.51 $1,131.93

$58.20 $140.66 $137.91 $80.61 $187.33 $185.54 $78.69 $182.85 $174.14

$126.11 $304.77 $298.81 $174.65 $405.88 $402.01 $170.50 $396.17 $377.31

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$825.15 $1,880.60 $1,825.11 $478.90 $1,162.96 $1,074.36

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $165.77 $402.56 $371.90

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $359.18 $872.22 $805.77

$109.41 $221.79 $255.86 $55.26 $134.19 $123.96

$237.05 $480.54 $554.36 $119.72 $290.74 $268.59

$6.43 $10.49 $14.13 -$0.47 $2.16 $1.01

$13.93 $22.72 $30.61 -$1.02 $4.68 $2.19

$864.87 $2,075.73 $1,902.77 $740.11 $1,688.51 $1,592.96

$271.43 $646.18 $586.50 $256.19 $584.48 $551.41

$588.10 $1,400.06 $1,270.75 $555.08 $1,266.38 $1,194.72

$127.74 $276.77 $311.85 $675.67 $291.70 $632.02 $85.40 $185.03 $194.83 $422.13 $183.80 $398.24

-$28.35 -$74.67 -$62.56 $1.27 $2.88 $2.72

-$61.42 -$161.79 -$135.54 $2.74 $6.24 $5.89

Total Premium biweekly monthly

APWU HEALTH PLAN High Self 471 $395.95 High Self & Family 472 $950.23 High Self Plus One 473 $831.45 CDHP Self 474 $307.13 CDHP Self & Family 475 $728.22 CDHP Self Plus One 476 $667.53 BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD SERVICE BENEFIT PLAN Standard Self 104 $422.22 Standard Self & Family 105 $1,016.86 Standard Self Plus One 106 $923.34 Basic Self 111 $367.17 Basic Self & Family 112 $908.78 Basic Self Plus One 113 $825.13 FEP Blue Focus Self 131 $221.22 FEP Blue Focus Self & Family 132 $523.06 FEP Blue Focus Self Plus One 133 $475.54 GEHA BENEFIT PLAN High Self 311 $380.08 High Self & Family 312 $952.44 High Self Plus one 313 $836.17 Standard Self 314 $280.60 Standard Self & Family 315 $745.40 Standard Self Plus One 316 $603.31 HDHP Self 341 $285.81 HDHP Self & Family 342 $755.11 HDHP Self Plus One 343 $614.48 GEHA INDEMNITY BENEFIT PLAN Elevate Plus Self 251 $373.98 Elevate Plus Self & Family 252 $899.26 Elevate Plus Self Plus One 253 $819.23 Elevate Self 254 $208.85 Elevate Self & Family 255 $613.40 Elevate Self Plus One 256 $503.87 MHBP Value Self 414 $232.82 Value Self & Family 415 $562.66 Value Self Plus One 416 $551.65 Standard Self 454 $322.43 Standard Self & Family 455 $749.31 Standard Self Plus One 456 $742.18 HDHP Self 481 $314.77 HDHP Self & Family 482 $731.39 HDHP Self Plus One 483 $696.57 NALC High Self 321 $380.84 High Self & Family 322 $867.97 High Self Plus One 323 $842.36 CDHP Self 324 $221.03 CDHP Self & Family 325 $536.75 CDHP Self Plus One 326 $495.86 SAMBA High Self 441 $399.17 High Self & Family 442 $958.03 High Self Plus One 443 $878.20 Standard Self 444 $341.59 Standard Self & Family 445 $779.31 Standard Self Plus One 446 $735.21

For restricted fee-for-service plans, see page 42.

OPEN SEASON CHANGES for employees are effective at the beginning of the first pay period after January 1, 2024. Changes for retirees and survivor annuitants are effective January 1, 2024, and premium changes will

be reflected in February 1, 2024, annuity payments. If verified enrollment is required, the change notice from OPM should suffice for annuitants; the notification from their agency will suffice for employees.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

39

OPEN SEASON REPORT

KEY: Employees pay biweekly Annuitants pay monthly

2024 PREMIUMS — LARGEST HMOS* State(s) Plan Option

Total Premium Govt Pays Code biweekly monthly biweekly monthly DC, MD, VA AETNA OPEN ACCESS - CAPITOL REGION High Self JN1 $629.57 $1,364.07 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family JN2 $1,415.38 $3,066.66 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One JN3 $1,401.35 $3,036.26 $586.50 $1,270.75 Basic Self JN4 $371.46 $804.83 $271.43 $588.10 Basic Self & Family JN5 $850.06 $1,841.80 $637.55 $1,381.35 Basic Self Plus One JN6 $780.59 $1,691.28 $585.44 $1,268.46 DC, MD, VA AETNA DIRECT - CAPITOL REGION CDHP Self N61 $296.86 $643.20 $222.65 $482.40 CDHP Self & Family N62 $748.64 $1,622.05 $561.48 $1,216.54 CDHP Self Plus One N63 $651.03 $1,410.57 $488.27 $1,057.93 DC, MD, VA CAREFIRST BLUECHOICE Standard Self 2G4 $514.79 $1,115.38 $271.43 $588.10 Standard Self & Family 2G5 $1,223.13 $2,650.12 $646.18 $1,400.06 Standard Self Plus One 2G6 $1,029.58 $2,230.76 $586.50 $1,270.75 HDHP Self B61 $335.32 $726.53 $251.49 $544.90 HDHP Self & Family B62 $796.69 $1,726.16 $597.52 $1,294.62 HDHP Self Plus One B63 $670.62 $1,453.01 $502.97 $1,089.76 ID, WA KAISER PERMANENTE—WASHINGTON High Self 541 $442.30 $958.32 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family 542 $973.07 $2,108.32 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One 543 $973.07 $2,108.32 $586.50 $1,270.75 Standard Self 544 $328.40 $711.53 $246.30 $533.65 Standard Self & Family 545 $755.33 $1,636.55 $566.50 $1,227.41 Standard Self Plus One 546 $755.33 $1,636.55 $566.50 $1,227.41 DC, MD, VA M.D. INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE ASSOCIATION (MDIPA) High Self JP1 $532.29 $1,153.30 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family JP2 $1,492.55 $3,233.86 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One JP3 $1,039.58 $2,252.42 $586.50 $1,270.75 CA KAISER PERMANENTE—NORTHERN CALIFORNIA High Self 591 $476.36 $1,032.11 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family 592 $1,137.15 $2,463.83 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One 593 $1,137.15 $2,463.83 $586.50 $1,270.75 Standard Self 594 $390.88 $846.91 $271.43 $588.10 Standard Self & Family 595 $914.67 $1,981.79 $646.18 $1,400.06 Standard Self Plus One 596 $914.67 $1,981.79 $586.50 $1,270.75 Prosper Self KC1 $317.08 $687.01 $237.81 $515.26 Prosper Self & Family KC2 $741.95 $1,607.56 $556.46 $1,205.67 Prosper Self Plus One KC3 $741.95 $1,607.56 $556.46 $1,205.67 CA KAISER PERMANENTE—SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA High Self 621 $399.84 $866.32 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family 622 $924.12 $2,002.26 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One 623 $924.12 $2,002.26 $586.50 $1,270.75 Standard Self 624 $273.68 $592.97 $205.26 $444.73 Standard Self & Family 625 $632.54 $1,370.50 $474.41 $1,027.88 Standard Self Plus One 626 $632.54 $1,370.50 $474.41 $1,027.88 DC, MD, VA KAISER PERMANENTE—MID-ATLANTIC STATES High Self E31 $410.71 $889.87 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family E32 $944.63 $2,046.70 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One E33 $944.63 $2,046.70 $586.50 $1,270.75 Standard Self E34 $326.55 $707.53 $244.91 $530.65 Standard Self & Family E35 $751.06 $1,627.30 $563.30 $1,220.48 Standard Self Plus One E36 $751.06 $1,627.30 $563.30 $1,220.48 Prosper Self T71 $196.16 $425.01 $147.12 $318.76 Prosper Self & Family T72 $551.91 $1,195.81 $413.93 $896.86 Prosper Self Plus One T73 $468.67 $1,015.45 $351.50 $761.59 CO KAISER PERMANENTE— COLORADO High Self 651 $403.06 $873.30 $271.43 $588.10 High Self & Family 652 $910.94 $1,973.70 $646.18 $1,400.06 High Self Plus One 653 $910.94 $1,973.70 $586.50 $1,270.75 Standard Self 654 $341.83 $740.63 $256.37 $555.47 Standard Self & Family 655 $772.53 $1,673.82 $579.40 $1,255.37 Standard Self Plus One 656 $772.53 $1,673.82 $579.40 $1,255.37 Prosper Self N41 $207.96 $450.58 $155.97 $337.94 Prosper Self & Family N42 $511.59 $1,108.45 $383.69 $831.34 Prosper Self Plus One N43 $470.00 $1,018.33 $352.50 $763.75

Enrollee Pays biweekly monthly

Enrollee Increase/Decrease biweekly monthly

$358.14 $769.20 $814.85 $100.03 $212.51 $195.15

$4.55 $1.82 $10.23 $4.03 $8.99 $8.13

$775.97 $1,666.60 $1,765.51 $216.73 $460.45 $422.82

$9.86 $3.94 $22.17 $8.73 $19.50 $17.61

$74.21 $160.80 $187.16 $405.51 $162.76 $352.64

$0.20 $0.45 $0.52 $1.12 $0.45 $0.97

$243.36 $576.95 $443.08 $83.83 $199.17 $167.65

$527.28 $1,250.06 $960.01 $181.63 $431.54 $363.25

$30.80 $66.23 $59.03 $4.00 $9.48 $7.98

$66.74 $143.50 $127.90 $8.66 $20.55 $17.29

$170.87 $326.89 $386.57 $82.10 $188.83 $188.83

$370.22 $708.26 $837.57 $177.88 $409.14 $409.14

$13.92 $21.64 $30.42 $8.16 $18.76 $18.76

$30.16 $46.88 $65.91 $17.67 $40.66 $40.66

$260.86 $565.20 $846.37 $1,833.80 $453.08 $981.67

$28.68 $62.15 $78.51 $170.10 $52.93 $114.68

$204.93 $490.97 $550.65 $119.45 $268.49 $328.17 $79.27 $185.49 $185.49

$444.01 $1,063.77 $1,193.08 $258.81 $581.73 $711.04 $171.75 $401.89 $401.89

$6.43 $8.57 $17.35 $7.10 $9.25 $18.03 $4.24 $9.91 $9.91

$13.93 $18.57 $37.60 $15.39 $20.04 $39.07 $9.18 $21.47 $21.47

$128.41 $277.94 $337.62 $68.42 $158.13 $158.13

$278.22 $602.20 $731.51 $148.24 $342.62 $342.62

$28.48 $58.14 $66.92 $7.50 $17.32 $17.32

$61.71 $125.96 $144.99 $16.24 $37.54 $37.54

$139.28 $298.45 $358.13 $81.64 $187.76 $187.76 $49.04 $137.98 $117.17

$301.77 $646.64 $775.95 $176.88 $406.82 $406.82 $106.25 $298.95 $253.86

$33.97 $70.32 $79.10 $8.34 $19.17 $19.17 $5.23 $14.71 $12.50

$73.60 $152.35 $171.38 $18.06 $41.55 $41.55 $11.32 $31.87 $27.07

$131.63 $285.20 $28.40 $61.54 $264.76 $573.64 $55.90 $121.11 $324.44 $702.95 $64.68 $140.14 $85.46 $185.16 $7.73 $16.74 $193.13 $418.45 $17.46 $37.83 $193.13 $418.45 $17.46 $37.83 $51.99 $112.64 $3.68 $7.96 $127.90 $277.11 $9.04 $19.58 $117.50 $254.58 $8.30 $17.99 *Based on information provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). If your plan is not listed, it simply means that your plan is not one of the largest.

For additional plan information, visit www.narfe.org/open-season.

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Thank you for your service NARFE has been supporting federal employees for more than 100 years. As a proud NARFE sponsor, that makes us smile because we’re committed to federal employees, too. BCBS FEP Dental offers benefits to help ensure healthy smiles, including a large nationwide network, no deductible for in-network services and up to three dental cleanings a year. The best part? Your benefits start right away.

That’s the Benefit of Blue.®

bcbsfepdental.com This is a summary of the many features and benefits of BCBS FEP Dental®. For a complete description, please view the benefit brochure.

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

The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® words and symbols and BCBS FEP Dental® are all trademarks owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Open Season is November 13 to midnight ET, December 11, 2023

OPEN SEASON REPORT FEHB PREMIUMS FROM P. 38

Medicare Advantage Plan and Medicare Part B. Six FEHB plans will continue to provide Part B reimbursement if you are enrolled in Parts A and B. Medicare Drug Coverage: In 2024, 39 FEHB plans will offer Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plans that automatically coordinate with FEHB through an Employer Group Waiver Plan (EGWP). EGWPs are offered either as a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan. FEHB Carriers offering PDP EGWPs will auto-enroll eligible FEHB members. Members can then opt out of the PDP EGWP if they choose and continue to have prescription drug coverage only through their FEHB plan. For plans that are offering MAPDs, the FEHB member must contact the plan to enroll.

By enrolling in an EGWP, members will be able to take advantage of cost-savings such as a $35 per month cap on insulin.

Plan Terminations: Enrollees in terminating plans

must make a positive election into another FEHB plan choice during Open Season or be automatically enrolled in the lowest-cost nationwide plan option with no membership fees as determined

by OPM. For Plan Year 2024, this will be the GEHA Indemnity Benefit Plan, Elevate Option (Plan Code 254). In addition to Humana plans, the following plans will no longer be offered in the FEHB Program: • Aetna Open Access, Kansas City Metropolitan Area (Kansas and Missouri)

• UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company Inc., Miami, Orlando and Tampa, FL and Atlanta, GA

PSHB STARTS IN 2025

During Open Season this year, postal workers, retirees and their families will choose their 2024 coverage from among plans offered by the FEHB program.

Starting in 2025, the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, a new, separate SEE FEHB PREMIUMS ON P. 44

2024 PREMIUMS — RESTRICTED FEE FOR SERVICE Enrollee Increase/ Total Premium Govt Pays Enrollee Pays Decrease biweekly monthly biweekly monthly biweekly monthly biweekly monthly COMPASS ROSE HEALTH PLAN (members of the intelligence community, employees of the Departments of Defense and State High Self 421 $375.95 $814.56 $271.43 $588.10 $104.52 $226.46 $6.20 $13.44 High Self & Family 422 $902.29 $1,954.96 $646.18 $1,400.06 $256.11 $554.90 $8.21 $17.78 High Self Plus One 423 $827.09 $1,792.03 $586.50 $1,270.75 $240.59 $521.28 $13.40 $29.03 Standard Self $211.46 $458.16 $158.60 $343.62 $52.86 $114.54 New New 424 $507.52 $1,099.63 $380.64 $824.72 $126.88 $274.91 New New Standard Self & Family 425 $465.23 $1,008.00 $348.92 $756.00 $116.31 $252.00 New New Standard Self Plus One 426 FOREIGN SERVICE BENEFIT PLAN (American Foreign Service personnel, Departments of State and Defense, USAID, Foreign Agricultural and Commercial services, other executive branch employees assigned overseas; Foreign Service retirees) High Self 401 $330.48 $716.04 $247.86 $537.03 $82.62 $179.01 $4.31 $9.33 High Self & Family 402 $817.53 $1,771.32 $613.15 $1,328.49 $204.38 $442.83 $10.65 $23.09 High Self Plus One 403 $797.80 $1,728.57 $586.50 $1,270.75 $211.30 $457.82 $12.01 $26.02 PANAMA CANAL AREA BENEFIT PLAN High Self 431 $387.19 $838.91 $271.43 $588.10 $115.76 $250.81 $23.49 $50.89 High Self & Family 432 $815.78 $1,767.52 $611.84 $1,325.64 $203.94 $441.88 $18.54 $40.18 High Self Plus One 433 $780.01 $1,690.02 $585.01 $1,267.52 $195.00 $422.50 $17.73 $38.41 RURAL CARRIER BENEFIT PLAN (active and retired rural letter carriers) High Self 381 $402.42 $871.91 $271.43 $588.10 $130.99 $283.81 $0.01 $0.02 High Self & Family 382 $880.29 $1,907.30 $646.18 $1,400.06 $234.11 $507.24 -$9.12 -$19.76 High Self Plus One 383 $838.07 $1,815.82 $586.50 $1,270.75 $251.57 $545.07 -$1.57 -$3.40 Plan Option

42

Code

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Serving those who serve For over 100 years, NARFE has been supporting federal employees. As a proud NARFE sponsor, BCBS FEP Vision offers the quality benefits you need and plans that fit your family’s budget. Plus, your family also gets access to over 144,000 independent providers, national retailers and online retailers, including MyEyeDr., Walmart, 1800contacts.com, warbyparker.com—and starting in 2024, targetoptical.com and lenscrafters.com.

That’s the Benefit of Blue.®

bcbsfepvision.com This is a summary of the many features and benefits of BCBS FEP Vision®. For a complete description, please view the benefit brochure.

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

The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® words and symbols and BCBS FEP Vision® are all trademarks owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Open Season is November 13 to midnight ET, December 11, 2023

OPEN SEASON REPORT from the Part B enrollment requirement.

Furthermore, Medicareeligible postal annuitants and family members who are not already enrolled in Medicare Part B will have a six-month special enrollment period, beginning April 1, 2024, to enroll in Part B penalty-free.

Learn more at www.opm.gov/ healthcare-insurance/pshb/.

INFORMATION SOURCES

FEHB PREMIUMS FROM P. 42

program within FEHB, will insure eligible Postal Service employees, annuitants and their eligible family members.

It is important to note that postal annuitants will not be required to enroll in Medicare Part B if they have not already done so. Anyone who is a postal annuitant as of January 1, 2025, and not already enrolled in Medicare Part B, will not be required to enroll in Part B as a condition of receiving health

benefits through the PSHB program.

Any family members of such a postal annuitant are also exempt from the Part B enrollment requirement.

Further, postal employees who are at least age 64 as of January 1, 2025, will not be required to enroll in Medicare Part B when they retire (as a postal annuitant) as a condition of receiving health benefits through the PSHB program.

Any family members of such a postal employee are also exempt

Employees will receive Open Season information from their agencies, and most eligible annuitants, survivor annuitants and former spouse annuitants will receive information from OPM. Additional information will be added to OPM’s website as it becomes available before Open Season begins on November 13.

Plan carriers will not automatically send enrollees their 2024 brochures. You must request a plan brochure or download it from www.opm.gov/ insure.

—FEDERAL BENEFITS INSTITUTE

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR ALL FEHB PARTICIPANTS • Research Preferred Providers. Fee-for-service (FFS) plans use preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and doctors to help contain program costs and keep premiums at a reasonable rate.

Usually, you will save a lot on out-of-pocket costs if you use your plan’s preferred hospitals or doctors. However, PPO arrangements are business contracts that are not always renewed.

PPO arrangements can be made and also can be discontinued from one year to the next. In addition, there may not be PPO arrangements in all parts of the country. If you are enrolled in an FFS plan or thinking of enrolling in one, you should check with the hospitals and doctors you use and ask them if they are PPO providers in your plan. You also can review your plan’s PPO

44

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

directory to see if your doctor or hospital is a PPO provider for your plan.

• Ask Questions. Make sure to confirm information in your plan’s brochure by speaking with a plan representative. Do not assume anything. For example, plans may describe benefits in terms of “annual” or “annually.” This would seem to mean “each year,” when, in fact, it may mean that a year must have elapsed before it will cover you again.

• ID Cards. New plan identification cards showing your enrollment are issued by the health plan. If you do not change to another plan or option during Open Season, you don’t necessarily get a new ID card from the plan.

There are great savings options for federal retirees Can you switch and save?

If you didn’t change your health plan when you became eligible for Medicare, now could be the time to switch and save. Contact us to learn more about Aetna® plans designed for federal retirees.

They’re offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

Highlights of Aetna Advantage when you opt in to the Aetna MedicareSM plan or the Aetna DirectSM plan: Aetna Medicare Advantage

Aetna Direct

• $0 deductibles and copays • Prescriptions for as little as $2 from our preferred pharmacies • Low premiums • $1,200 annual credit toward your Medicare Part B premium for each eligible member • SilverSneakers® fitness membership at no extra cost

• A fund ($900 for Self, $1,800 for Self plus one) to help pay prescription costs or your Medicare Part B premium • $0 deductibles and copays • $1 generic prescriptions from our preferred pharmacies

Connect with our team at AetnaFedsLive.com and you can: Chat online

Schedule a one-on-one consultation

Attend live webinars

Ready to enroll? If you’re eligible: Enroll online at RetireeFEHB.OPM.gov. Or call the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Retirement Information Center at 1-888-767-6738 (TTY: 711).

Aetna Medicare is a PPO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal. See Evidence of Coverage for a complete description of plan benefits, exclusions, limitations and conditions of coverage. SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. © 2021 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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/retireeplans. ©2023 Aetna Inc. Y0001_GRP_5995_2024_M 19.22.323.1 (9/23)

Your vision options

never looked better Choose from two different plan options that offer more savings, coverage and choice.

More Savings

• NEW! Reduced rates in both plan options • NEW! Higher in-network frame allowances up to $360 • 100% coverage for in-network exams1 • Discounts up to 60% on routine services and eyewear2 • Addditional savings on laser vision correction including LASIK3

More Choice

• One of the nation’s largest networks • Over 147,000 participating provider locations including Costco, Walmart, America’s Best, Eyeconic.com and thousands more4 • Two plan options

More Coverage

• Comprehensive coverage including eye exams, contact lenses and frames • LightCare for protection from UV and blue light exposure • KidsCareSM for additional eye care needs of children • Diabetic Eyecare Plus for additional eye care needs of members with diabetes

NEW! MetLife + Aura5 Identity & Fraud Protection An all-in-one digital solution that helps safeguard your personal information, finances and devices from online threats and scams.

Included for all FEDVIP vision members starting January 1, 2024.

Get more from your Federal Vision plan.

Open Season goes through December 11, midnight EST Visit fedvip.metlife.com/vision to learn more.

SCAN NOW 1. Subject to frequency limitations.

2. Based on MetLife analysis. Your actual savings from enrolling in the MetLife Vision Plan will depend on various factors, including plan premiums, number of visits to an eye care professional by your family per year, and the cost of services and materials received. Be sure to review the Schedule of Benefits for your plan’s specific benefits and other important details. Comparison is based on national averages and most commonly purchased brands. Annual premium used is based on employee-only rate for M130-10/25 standard plan design with employees nationwide.

3. Custom LASIK coverage only available using wavefront technology with the microkeratome surgical device. Other LASIK procedures may be performed at an additional cost to the member.

Additional savings on laser vision care is only available at participating locations.

4. As of June 2022.

5. No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively. Aura is a product of Aura Sub, LLC. Aura Sub, LLC. is not affiliated with MetLife, and the services and benefits they provide are separate and apart from any MetLife product.

MetLife Vision insurance is provided by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY. Certain claims and network administration services are provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP), Rancho Cordova, CA. VSP is not affiliated with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company or its affiliates. Like most group benefits programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife contain certain exclusions, exceptions, waiting periods, reductions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. For more information please view the Federal Vision Plan Brochure, which will govern these plan options and can be viewed by visiting MetLife.com/FEDVIP-Vision.

L0923035047[exp1224][All States][DC,GU,MP,PR,VI] Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY © 2023 MetLife Services and Solutions, LLC

OPEN SEASON REPORT

FEHB FAQS FOR OPEN SEASON

W

I

Each year, Open Season runs from the Monday of the second full workweek in November through the Monday of the second full workweek in December. This year’s Open Season begins Monday, November 13, and ends Monday, December 11.

This is the time of year to ensure that you have the right health, dental and vision insurance coverage for you and your family.

It is also the time for current employees to consider how much money to put aside in flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care expenses for the upcoming year.

Most Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plans will see benefit and rate changes for the upcoming year. Some plans might drop out of the program, and others may change their service areas or coverage options. There are many different types of plans available in just about any ZIP code. It is wise to review your coverage during this period each year to decide what coverage and premium best suits your needs for the upcoming year.

Another program to consider during Open Season is the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). Through this program, you have the option to supplement your health insurance plan with separate

hat are the parameters used to determine the dates for the annual Open Seasons for health, dental and vision insurances as well as for flexible spending accounts?

48

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

have had the same health insurance plan since the day I first joined the federal government years ago. Why is it important to have a federal Open Season every year?

dental and/or vision insurance coverage that could potentially reduce your out-of-pocket costs for these types of care. You may also cancel your participation in these programs during this period.

A flexible spending account through FSAFEDS can save employees money through lower tax withholding. You can fund your account through pretax contributions from your salary and use the account to pay for health care out-of-pocket or dependent care costs.

Typically, you cannot enroll, change your enrollment or cancel your coverage in these programs outside of an Open Season unless you experience a qualifying life event.

W

hy are the enrollee shares for some Self Plus One enrollments the same or higher than Self and Family enrollee shares for the same plan?

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided the following answer to that question: “For most enrollees, the enrollee share for Self Plus One will be lower than the enrollee share for Self and Family.

However, it is possible that some plans will have higher enrollee shares for self-plus-one enrollments than for self-andfamily enrollments.

The statutory formula that is used to calculate the government contribution is based on the average of all plan premiums and requires that OPM calculate a maximum contribution for each enrollment type.

In other words, there is a limit to how much the government will contribute toward the cost of a Self Only, Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment. The

government contributes the lesser of the maximum contribution or 75% of the total premium. The remaining amount is the enrollee share (how much the enrollee must pay).

In some cases, such as plans with a premium cost that is above the program average, this calculation may result in a higher enrollee share for a Self Plus One enrollment than a Self and Family enrollment.”

W

hich benefit is the most important to consider?

The answer to that question can vary depending upon your medical needs in the upcoming year.

For those not enrolled in Medicare Part B, the catastrophic protection benefit is very important. It puts a dollar limit on what you must pay out of pocket in terms of co-payments and coinsurance for the expenses that the plan covers.

If a federal employee is married to another federal employee and they don’t have any eligible children under their FEHB plan, then it’s usually less expensive to maintain a separate Self Only FEHB plan versus a shared Self Plus One plan.

However, you should consider using OPM’s online plan comparison tools and/ or the Consumers’ Checkbook Guide to Federal Health Plans to

carefully compare your options, including physician networks and prescription drug coverage (NARFE members receive a 20% discount).

I

f I make an Open Season enrollment change and I have to go to the doctor after January 1, which plan do I contact to provide the insurance coverage based on my visit?

If you are an annuitant, you should contact your new plan.

Your Open Season enrollment is effective January 1.

However, if you are an active employee, your new plan is not responsible for providing coverage until the effective date of your enrollment change, which

Make the switch and get enhanced benefits.

MHBP Standard Option offers an Aetna MedicareSM Advantage Plan (PPO) for members who have Medicare Parts A and B as their primary coverage.

(TTY:711)

• Prescription coverage as low as $0 • $0 deductible, copayments and coinsurance for medical care • $900 Medicare Part B premium reduction for eligible members • Added programs such as SilverSneakers® and Healthy Home Visits

Visit: MHBP.com Live chat 1:1 consultations Webinars

Call us at: 1-800-410-7778

Plans offered by First Health Life & Health Insurance Company.

This is a brief description of the features of this MHBP plan. Before making a final decision, please read the Official Plan Brochure (RI-71-007). All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the Federal brochure.

A single annual $52 associate membership fee makes all MHBP plans available to you. For more information about MHBP plans, refer to MHBP.com Aetna Medicare is a PPO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal. Plan features and availability may vary by service area. SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. © 2021 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Y0001_GRP_4111_2022_M 19.22.320.1-OCT

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

49

OPEN SEASON REPORT

for most active employees is the first day of the first full pay period in January.

As an active employee, if you need medical services before the effective date of your Open Season enrollment or change, you should contact your old plan.

Your old plan will provide coverage according to its new 2024 contract for care received in January before the effective date of your new plan. These expenses will count toward your prior year’s deductible.

C

an I enroll online in the FEDVIP without contacting the OPM?

BENEFEDS is an enrollment and premium processing system sponsored by OPM that you must use to enroll in the FEDVIP. BENEFEDS includes a secure website and a call center.

BENEFEDS also handles billing and premium administration.

It’s the only place to enroll in a FEDVIP plan. You can enroll securely online at www.benefeds. com or by telephone at 1-877888-3337, TTY 1-877-889-5680.

I

s it possible to make a serious mistake in choosing an FEHB plan?

There really aren’t any bad plans in the FEHB. It’s just that there may be a plan that is better suited for you based on how and where you want to obtain your health care in the upcoming year.

Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country. You can choose

from among consumer-driven and high-deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums; fee-forservice (FFS) plans and their Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO); or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan.

2024 FSAFEDS

Eligible federal employees can enroll in FSAFEDS, the federal government’s flexible spending program, each year during the Federal Benefits Open Season. Under the program, employees contribute money from their salary into a FSAFEDS account before taxes are withheld and use it to get reimbursed for out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses.

The federal government offers three types of FSAFEDS accounts: • Health care flexible spending account (HCFSA), used to pay for qualified medical costs and health care expenses that are not paid by an employee’s Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program plan or any other insurance.

• Limited expense health care flexible spending account (LEX HCFSA), only available to employees who enroll in an FEHB high

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA), and limited to dental and vision care services/products.

• Dependent care (day care) flexible spending account (DCFSA), used to pay for eligible dependent care expenses such as child care.

Open Season FSAFEDS enrollments are effective January 1, 2024. Current enrollees must enroll each year to continue participating in FSAFEDS. Federal retirees are not eligible for FSAFEDS.

Common mistakes include: enrolling in a costly plan or option when you don’t need one; a plan that doesn’t cover a specific benefit that you need; Self Only coverage when you need additional coverage or vice versa; or you enroll in a plan that requires you to use preferred providers and there are none in your area.

You might also make a mistake if you live outside the United States and Puerto Rico, and neglect to enroll in a plan that offers “overseas” benefits.

A

re there any useful tools online that can help me make decisions during this Open Season?

Several resources can help you understand the relationship between the three annual Open Season programs and aid you in choosing an FEHB plan and/or a FEDVIP plan.

If actively employed, you also have resources to assist you with setting up a health care or dependent care Flexible Spending Account.

To find all the information you need to make informed decisions during Open Season in one place, start with NARFE’s Federal Benefits Open Season portal at www.narfe.org/openseason. Of particular interest are the five NARFE Federal Benefits Institute webinars dedicated to Open Season topics, including

one on which FEHB Plans work best with Medicare Parts A & B, which will be streamed live on November 17.

You can use the following link to access the Office of Personnel Management’s FEHB plan comparison tools once 2024 rates are made public: www. opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/ healthcare/plan-information/ compare-plans/. You should also review the brochure for each plan that you consider.

Most of the FEHB plans offer tools on their individual websites that you might find useful. If you have questions about a specific plan, call the customer service phone number provided for the plan.

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NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

51

OPEN SEASON REPORT

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR ANNUITANTS AND SURVIVORS • Open Season Notification. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will send you notification by mail or by email if you have provided OPM with your email address. Both notices will provide details on Open Season and guidance on how to obtain information and materials.

• Plan Participation. Make sure your current plan will participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program for 2024. This is especially important if you are currently enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan.

• Staying Put. If, after reading your current plan’s brochure—particularly about changes and premiums for 2024—you decide to continue your current coverage, you do not have to do anything. Your enrollment in your current plan will continue into next year, and the new premiums will be deducted from your February 1, 2024, monthly annuity payment.

• Making a Change. For Open Season changes, call the Open Season Express number provided in your FEHB Open Season notice, log on to Open Season Online at the address provided in your Open Season notice, or contact the Open Season

For a more sophisticated set of online tools, consider using the Consumers’ Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees. Some agencies have purchased access to this program for their employees, so if you are actively employed, refer to the following web link to see if your agency has secured access for you: www.checkbook. org/newhig2/year22/more.cfm.

If you don’t currently work for an agency that provides such access, you can use the discount code 20NARFE to receive 20% off the regular cost of using the website.

The site also offers some “Open Season Tips” at www. checkbook.org/newhig2/year22/ advice/11-fehb-open-season-tips.

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Processing Center provided in your Open Season notice.

• Low Annuity. If your monthly annuity is not enough to cover your plan’s 2024 premiums, you have the option to change to a plan that you can afford. You also may pay your monthly premiums directly to OPM if you want to stay with your current plan but your monthly annuity is not sufficient to cover the premium amount.

• Medicare Enrollees. Make sure you read your plan brochure’s sections titled “When You Have Medicare” and “Coordinating Benefits With Other Coverage.” Section 9 of every FEHB brochure should provide these details.

Call a service representative from the plan to address any questions you might have about the coordination of your FEHB benefits with Medicare.

• Age 65 and Not Enrolled in Medicare. Feefor-service (FFS) plans include a section in their brochures titled “When You Are Age 65 or Over and Do Not Have Medicare.” This section details how, by law, the plan must use Medicare’s approved amounts on which to base its payments.

FSAFEDS has tools and calculators on its website to assist employees with determining the appropriate amount they might want to set up in a flexible spending account during the Open Season for any qualified expenses they anticipate incurring in the upcoming year.

These tools are available at the following link: https:// fsafeds.com/support/ savingscalculators.

W

ill my current health plan continue to participate in the FEHB program?

The FEHB program adds new plans and drops others

each year, and plans can change from year to year.

For instance, you may find that your premium stays the same, but certain medical procedures are not covered the way they have been in the past.

The best way to stay on top of upcoming changes is to read the information available from your health plan and from OPM. To ensure you do not miss any critical communication, make sure your current address is on file with both OPM and your FEHB plan.

H

ow do I get a plan brochure for Open Season? I didn’t get one in the mail.

Health insurance carriers are no longer required to send plan brochures through the mail. You can view the brochures online at OPM’s website (www.opm.gov/ healthcare-insurance/healthcare/ plan-information/plans/) or call your carrier using the contact information on your health plan ID card.

I

n my agency, who can I go to for assistance or answers to my Open Season questions?

For help with or questions about your Open Season options, contact your human resources office or your agency’s shared service center. Your agency should have provided you with its contact information.

If you still need assistance after speaking with those sources, try contacting your agency’s headquarters’ level agency Benefit Officer using the following link for contact details: https://apps.opm.gov/abo/index. cfm#list.

If you have remaining questions that your agency can’t address, contact NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute at fedbenefits@ narfe.org.

I

am a federal annuitant. Can I change my enrollment to Self Plus One during Open Season or was enrollment in Self Plus One required in the five years leading up to my retirement?

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I

f I make a change during Open Season, when will it be effective?

Open Season changes for annuitants are effective January 1.

Changes for most current employees are effective the first day of the first full pay period in January.

If you need medical services before the effective date of your Open Season enrollment, you should contact your old plan.

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NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

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Making Sense of

MEDICARE NARFE Federal Benefits Expert Tammy Flanagan Outlines What You Need To Know, Especially After You Retire

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

C

onfused about Medicare, especially Medicare Part B? You are not alone! The following are common questions you may have:

1. Do I need Medicare if I have Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage in retirement?

2. Should I suspend FEHB when I am eligible for Medicare?

3. Which FEHB plan works best with Medicare Parts A and B? Before we go any further, let’s be clear: Never lose your entitlement to lifetime FEHB coverage by canceling your enrollment.

A retiree might want to cancel their FEHB enrollment because they change their coverage to their spouse’s FEHB enrollment or a survivor annuity. But once an annuitant terminates enrollment, it is a one-way ticket out of the program. Retirees who have voluntarily canceled their coverage cannot re-enroll.

Remember, there are some things that your FEHB plan may cover that Medicare doesn’t, such as vision care, hearing aids, dental, overseas health care and fitness club memberships. FEHB plans also include coverage for prescription drug benefits

and do not require enrollment in a Medicare Part D drug benefit.

Beware, however, that some FEHB plans offering an enhanced benefit of Medicare Advantage (MA) coverage may automatically enroll you in a Part D drug plan. In addition, and most importantly, original Medicare, also known as Parts A and B, has limits along with substantial cost-sharing (deductible, copayments and coinsurance) on what is covered for skilled nursing care, inpatient hospitalization and outpatient care that could leave you with catastrophically high out-of-pocket costs. All FEHB plans offer limits for catastrophic out-of-pocket costs for covered in-network care. Not all plans cover outof-network care, but those that do generally offer a higher out-of-pocket catastrophic cap on costs.

Do I Need Medicare?

Question No. 1 examines whether a federal retiree should enroll in Medicare at all. After all, approximately 25% of current retirees who are eligible for Medicare did not enroll in Part B coverage.

However, most federal retirees enroll in Medicare Part A, hospital insurance, at age 65. Part A has no premium because you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working.

Enrollment in Part A is automatic if you receive Social Security retirement benefits at age 65. You may enroll by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting www.ssa. gov. If you’re eligible to get premium-free Part A, you can sign up anytime. Your Part A coverage will begin as early as six months before the month you filed, but no earlier than the month you reach 65. Part A covers inpatient hospitalization if you are admitted to a hospital or skilled care facility. Part B of Medicare and FEHB plans cover outpatient or observation care at a hospital. Many FEHB plans will waive their inpatient cost-sharing when Medicare pays first, generally after retirement.

For 2023, Medicare Part B has a premium of $164.90 per month/person; 2024 premiums were unavailable at the time of publication.

Since 2007, this monthly premium has been subject to an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) that affects roughly 7% of people with Part B. The 2023 Part B total premiums for high-income beneficiaries are $230.80/month for incomes above $97,000 to $123,000 for a single taxpayer and greater than $194,000 up to $296,000 for a couple filing jointly, while the rate is $560.50/ month for those with incomes at $500,000 and over (single filer) or $750,000 and over (joint filers), with three additional categories in between.

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Medicare Part B has a 2023 premium that is

$164.90

per month/person.

Since 2007, this monthly premium is subject to an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) that affects roughly

7%

of people with Medicare Part B.

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A. However, your FEHB plan does not require you to enroll in Medicare to maintain your coverage. Consider the following reasons to enroll in Medicare A and B: • You must be enrolled in Parts A and B to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.

• There is coordination of benefits between Medicare and your FEHB plan, reducing out-ofpocket costs.

• Your FEHB plan may waive its copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for services covered

by Parts A and B. • If you are enrolled in an FEHB HMO, you may go outside of the HMO network for Part B services and receive reimbursement by Medicare (when Medicare is the primary payer).

• Remember that Medicare covers some orthopedic and prosthetic devices, durable medical equipment, home health care, limited chiropractic services and some medical supplies, which some FEHB plans may not cover or only partially cover (check your plan brochure for details).

Should I Suspend FEHB?

The second question is about suspending FEHB, which is permitted when an annuitant enrolls in a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicaid, or similar state-

8 STEPS To Choosing the Best Plan If you are age 65 or older and retired, use this process to choose your next health plan: Step 1 Review your current health plan to see what is changing for 2024. The front cover of your plan brochure will reference the changes to your current health plan. If you do nothing else, do this!

Step 2 Compare how other plans and Medicare may cover any specific health care services you will require.

Step 3 See OPM health care plan information at https:// www.opm.gov/healthcareinsurance/healthcare/. Here you will find the plans grouped by those plans open to all, those for specific groups, as well as state-specific health maintenance organizations (HMO), high deductible health plans (HDHP) and consumer driven health plans (CDHP).

Step 4 Use the plan comparison program links available at the website in Step 3 to compare the plans for price, quality, Medicare coordination and specific coverage. Narrow your choices to three or four plans that meet your requirements.

Step 5 Visit the plan website, view online training opportunities, download and search the plan brochure (especially Section 9 that covers the coordination of benefits with Medicare), call the customer service number and explore the prescription drug formulary. Do what you can to “get to know” those final plan selections as best as you can.

Step 6 Annuitants can change plans or options, suspend their FEHB enrollment and request plan brochures and information by: a. Using OPM’s Open Season Online system at https://retireefehb.opm. gov b. Using Open Season Express by calling 1-800-332-9798. c. Sending regular mail (postmarked no later than final date of Open Season) to: Office of Personnel Management Open Season Processing Center P.O. Box 5000 Lawrence, KS 66046-0500 If you are making an enrollment change, be sure to state the plan you want, the type of coverage (Self Only, Self Plus One or Self and

Family) and the enrollment code. Remember to include your annuity claim number and Social Security number (including eligible family member’s information) in your request.

Step 7 Visit benefeds.com to shop for, enroll in and pay for supplemental dental and vision plans under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).

Annuitants eligible for FEHB are eligible for FEDVIP. There is no need to be enrolled in FEHB and you don’t need to have prior FEDVIP coverage.

Step 8 For those annuitants who wish to enroll in the enhanced Medicare Advantage option of their FEHB plan, there will be a second enrollment step that you must do once you have selected and enrolled in your FEHB plan. Coverage can begin as early as January 1, 2024, as long as you opt in by mid-December. If you are a little later in the month, your coverage will be effective January 1, 2024, but you may not receive all the information before January 1. You may also opt for the MA option throughout the year, not just during the open season.

—Tammy Flanagan

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

57

In 2023,

30.8 million Americans enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, accounting for more than half of the eligible Medicare population.

sponsored program or uses TRICARE (including Uniformed Services Family Health Plan or TRICARE for Life), Peace Corps, or CHAMPVA. Canceling the suspension may occur during an open season or after an involuntary loss of coverage.

TRICARE for Life (TFL) is a common reason for military retirees and spouses to suspend their FEHB coverage once retiring from federal employment. TFL is a Medicare-wraparound coverage for TRICARE beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. It provides comprehensive health care coverage leaving little out-of-pocket expense for inpatient and outpatient medical care.

Contact OPM to request suspension of your FEHB coverage and use Retirement and Insurance form RI 79-9 to confirm the suspension. Learn more about health benefits in retirement and find ways to contact OPM at https://www.opm.gov/support/.

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Another reason to “suspend” FEHB is to enroll in an MA plan. According to a recent article by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 created stronger financial incentives for health plans to participate in the MA program throughout the country and renamed private Medicare plans “Medicare Advantage” or Medicare Part C. In 2023, 30.8 million Americans are enrolled in an MA plan, accounting for more than half of the eligible Medicare population. In states that are sparsely populated, such as Alaska and Wyoming, enrollment is under 20%; however, in some states such as Michigan, Alabama and Hawaii, enrollment exceeds 60% of all Medicare enrollments. Of all MA enrollments, 18% are employer-based plans such as FEHB, while 64% of enrollments are individual plans open for general enrollment. The remainder are special needs plans that restrict enrollment to specific types of beneficiaries with significant or relatively specialized care needs, or who qualify because they are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

Federal employees have two options for enrolling in MA plans: • Option 1: Receive MA coverage by suspending FEHB and enroll in a plan through the “Plan Finder” at www.medicare.gov.

• Option 2: Enroll through the enhanced MA benefit available through many FEHB plans.

With this option, FEHB coverage continues, along with the normal monthly premiums; a second enrollment step is required at no additional cost to add the MA enhancement.

For existing members of an FEHB who opt into the plan’s MA benefit, you will receive a new ID card after you provide your Medicare information. This is the only card you will use for health care rather than your original ID card, and you can put away your red, white and blue Medicare card.

For new members to the FEHB plan offering the MA enhancement, you will initially receive an FEHB ID card for your new plan. After you take the second enrollment step to provide your Medicare information, you will receive a second ID card that indicates you are in the plan’s Medicare Advantage option. To return to your original FEHB plan, you need to contact the plan to cancel the MA enrollment.

Enhanced MA benefits within the FEHB may provide wraparound benefits by waiving plan deductibles, copayments and coinsurance when Medicare pays first, leaving little out-of-pocket expense for covered medical care. Most FEHB plans offering MA benefits offer a generous reimbursement

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PSHB FOR 2025

U.S. Postal Service annuitants will not need to select a Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) plan until open season in 2024.

If you are a retired employee or survivor annuitant as of January 1, 2025, and not currently participating in Medicare Part B, you WILL NOT be required to enroll in Medicare Part B. If you are already enrolled in Part B on January 1, 2025, then you ARE required to remain enrolled in Part B to continue coverage under PSHB. If you are an annuitant entitled to Medicare Part A prior to January 1, 2024, and have not enrolled in Medicare Part B, you and your covered, eligible family members may be able to participate in the special enrollment period for Medicare Part B that starts on April 1, 2024. Those who enroll during this period will not need to pay the late enrollment penalty.

Eligibility letters will be sent to annuitants and eligible family members in early 2024. of some of the Part B premium. You may also find additional “perks” such as free gym membership; telemedicine to meet online or by mobile app or phone with licensed providers around the country; hearing aid reimbursement; life coaches or consultants; nonemergency transportation to and from medical appointments; and a home meal delivery service after a hospital stay.

Check your plan brochure and website for prescription drug formularies and specific information about the FEHB MA plan associated with your FEHB plan. Although you may have the freedom to see any licensed doctor or hospital with an FEHB that has a fee-for-service MA benefit, the provider must accept Medicare payments and the FEHB Medicare Advantage plan, even if they are not in your plan network.

Note that what a person will pay in out-of-pocket costs will vary based on the coverage they select, which providers they visit (primary care providers versus specialists and in-network versus out-ofnetwork) and the services they receive. General enrollment Medicare Part C/MA plans sometimes have low, or no premiums. All MA plans are limited to an out-of-pocket maximum of $8,300 for in-network services and $12,450 for in-network and out-of-network services combined for 2023.

Individual MA plans, including those offered by FEHB plans, can set lower limits if they wish.

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

You are required to enroll in Medicare Part B, and some MA plans include Part D prescription benefits. You will pay premiums for Part B. However, there are no additional premiums under FEHB for Part D if the FEHB plan includes Part D enrollment. You may pay IRMAA surcharges for Part B and Part D (if your plan enrolls you in this benefit) if you are in a higher income tax bracket.

Best FEHB Plan With Medicare?

The final question is about which FEHB plan works best with Medicare Parts A and B. To determine this, you will first need to narrow down your options by looking at what’s available where you live and where you will receive care. Do you have a second home in another part of the country or another part of the world? Are you a snowbird who spends the winters where it is warmer rather than living all year round at your home in the north?

Are there other family members who aren’t eligible for Medicare-covered under your FEHB plan? If you wish to have a plan that allows both in-network and out-of-network coverage, eliminate the plans with restrictions. Try to focus on the plans that offer incentives to enroll in Medicare A and B, which may include: • Waiver of FEHB cost sharing, leaving you with little out-of-pocket costs.

• Part B reimbursement or health fund to cover some of the additional expense of adding Part B. Look for plans that offer services that you or your family may need, such as alternative medicine like acupuncture or massage therapy, generous hearing aid benefits, longer coverage for skilled nursing care, or perhaps less hassle when you have overseas claims so that you don’t need translation or currency exchange rates. For more information, visit www. narfe.org/open-season/.

—TAMMY FLANAGAN IS THE PRINCIPAL OF TAMMY FLANAGAN LLC (RETIREFEDERAL. COM). SHE IS A FEATURED PRESENTER ON NARFE’S FEDERAL BENEFITS INSTITUTE WEBINARS.

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1

Managing Money

Moving Money From the TSP to an IRA

Y

our Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account is a valuable asset, representing years of hard work and disciplined savings. As you navigate the complexities of retirement

planning, you may have a reason to transfer all or some of your TSP to a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) or Roth IRA. Understanding your options for moving money from the TSP to an IRA is essential for a smooth transfer.

Transferring money from the TSP to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA is called a rollover.

Rollovers are generally tax-free unless you roll over money from the Traditional TSP to a Roth IRA, which is taxable. There are two types of rollovers—direct and indirect—but the direct rollover is typically the better choice when transferring money from the TSP to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. A direct rollover occurs when a TSP participant requests a withdrawal and instructs the TSP to transfer the money to an IRA or Roth IRA. Given the technological advancements in banking and finance, it would be reasonable to think money transferred via a direct rollover would be sent electronically to the IRA custodian, but that’s not the case. Instead, when money is moved via a direct rollover from an employer-sponsored plan like the TSP, the standard method is by check, payable to the IRA custodian.

For example, let’s assume Janice Smith requests a $100,000 withdrawal from her traditional TSP and instructs the TSP to transfer the entire withdrawal to

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

her traditional IRA at Vanguard.

In this case, TSP will cut a check payable to Vanguard FBO Janice

ROLLOVERS ARE GENERALLY TAX-FREE UNLESS YOU ROLL OVER MONEY FROM THE TRADITIONAL TSP TO A ROTH IRA, WHICH IS TAXABLE.

Smith. FBO stands for “For Benefit Of,” and even though Janice Smith’s name appears on the check, the check is payable to Vanguard.

An indirect rollover, or a 60-day rollover, occurs when the TSP withdrawal is paid to the participant. The rollover occurs when the participant deposits some or all the money into an IRA within a 60-day window.

An indirect rollover offers more versatility than a direct rollover, allowing the TSP participant to utilize the funds for any intended

purpose as long as they ensure they are deposited into the IRA within 60 days.

If the indirect rollover provides greater flexibility, why is the direct rollover the preferred method?

For starters, the 60-day deadline introduces a risk not present when doing a direct rollover. Life happens, mistakes are made, and too often, people miss the 60-day deadline, creating a potential tax nightmare and loss of tax-advantaged growth in the future.

Furthermore, when a full or partial withdrawal is paid to a participant, the TSP must withhold 20% of the taxable portion (100% of any traditional TSP distribution and the earnings portion of any non-qualified Roth TSP distribution) for federal taxes. The good news is that the entire withdrawal, including any taxes withheld, may be rolled over, but the TSP participant must have additional funds to make up the money withheld for taxes. This may not be feasible depending on the withdrawal size and amount of tax withheld.

For example, if Ms. Smith fails to direct the TSP to transfer her $100,000 withdrawal to her traditional IRA, the TSP will withhold $20,000 for taxes and send the remaining $80,000 to her. Assuming Ms. Smith rolls over only the $80,000 she received, the $20,000 withheld for taxes will be considered a taxable distribution.

BENEFITS RESOURCES NARFE OFFERS MEMBERS a wide range of information on federal benefits. Visit www.narfe.org/federal-benefits-institute.

On the other hand, if Ms. Smith has $20,000 in additional funds, she can add that to the $80,000 she received and roll over the entire $100,000 to her traditional IRA. When Ms. Smith files her income tax return, she reports the whole $100,000 as a tax-free rollover, and the $20,000 withheld will be added to her refund or reduce the amount she owes.

Transferring money from the TSP to an IRA may better align your retirement investments with your financial goals and objectives. While both direct and indirect rollovers have their place, it’s essential to

understand the implications and requirements of each. Stay tuned next month for additional rollover rules, including IRA-to-IRA rollovers.

MARK A. KEEN, CFP®, PARTNER, KEEN & POCOCK. SECURITIES OFFERED THROUGH THE STRATEGIC FINANCIAL ALLIANCE, INC. (SFA), MEMBER FINRA/SIPC. ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT LLC AND SFA. MARK KEEN IS A REGISTERED PRINCIPAL OF SFA AND AN INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVE OF SFA AND STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT, LLC. SFA AND STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT ARE AFFILIATED THROUGH COMMON OWNERSHIP BUT OTHERWISE UNAFFILIATED WITH KEEN & POCOCK. NEITHER STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT NOR SFA PROVIDE TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE.

At the ARC, your epic story begins with YOU.

NARFE MAGAZINE www.NARFE.org

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NARFE News

2023 CONFERENCES NEW HAMPSHIRE: November 1, 172 N. Main St., Concord, NH, Holiday Inn Concord Downtown; email Patricia Grandmaison, patspoint2@gmail.com.

NARFE President Joins National WEP/GPO Repeal Task Force Advocacy Summit

N

ARFE President Bill Shackelford joined Reps. Garret Graves, R-LA, and Abigail Spanberger, D-VA, on Sept.

13 on the Capitol grounds for an Advocacy Summit

hosted by the National Social Security Fairness - Repeal the GPO/WEP Task Force as part of a day long program. We’re grateful to attend and hear from many retired federal employees grappling with the Windfall Elimination Provision [WEP] and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

As of this writing, according to www.congress.gov, there are officially 293 cosponsors for the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82/S. 597.

It was introduced Graves and Spanberger in the House, and Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, and Susan Collins, R-ME, in the Senate.

WISCONSIN: November 6; contact Melanie Miller, melanie.miller@wisc.edu.

“These lawmakers, and all those who have signed on in support of the Social Security Fairness Act, understand the direct harm that the WEP and GPO have on their constituents,” said Shackelford.

“NARFE hears the frustrating stories of those who are negatively affected each day.

For those lawmakers who have yet to sign on in support of the Social Security Fairness Act, listen to your constituents.”

—BY MATTHEW SANDERSON, CONTENT MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS

Manley Joins NARFE as Application Support Analyst

M

ichele Manley has joined NARFE as an application support analyst, where she oversees its Association Management Software (AMS) and works with staff, members and vendors to ensure database effectiveness and integrity.

NARFE’s AMS is an allin-one central platform that combines the association’s website, member database, communications, finance and

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payment system and more to house its critical online functions. It breaks down and organizes all of NARFE’s data in one place, and Michele’s necessary expertise will improve data management and maintenance.

“I want to make sure members know the data is correct,” she said. “I want them to trust what we’re giving them.”

SEE MANLEY ON P. 66

Donate

to NARFE programs

Donate to NARFE

Enclosed is my NARFE Contribution: $ __________________

MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: NARFE

Name: ___________________________________________________________

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

PLEASE MAIL COUPON AND CHECK TO: NARFE / 606 N. Washington St. / Alexandria, VA 22314 or donate online at www.narfe.org/ donate With NARFE’s thanks, you will receive a NARFE Photo Calendar

Address: _________________________________________________________

NARFE safeguards the earned pay and benefits of America’s five million federal workers, retirees, their spouses, and survivors. NARFE is YOUR legislative voice and tireless advocate.

Card Number: ____________________________________________________

NARFE contributions are NOT tax-deductible.

City:_____________________________________________________________ State:______________________________ ZIP: _________________________

Credit Card Information: q M/C q VISA q Discover q AMEX Expiration Date: ______ (mm)/ _____ (yy)

Security Code: ______________

Signature: ___________________________________ Date: ____ / ___/____ Name: (please print) _______________________________________________

Support Alzheimer’s Research NARFE members contributed for Alzheimer’s research: $16 Million Fund $15,883,811.51* *Total as of August 31, 2023. All contributions go directly to Alzheimer’s research, with the exception of funds given to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s or The Longest Day.

If you have any questions, write to: National Committee Chair Olivia Williams PO Box 2175 Columbia, SC 29202 OR EMAIL: oeashf3@gmail.com MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research (write your chapter number on memo line)

Enclosed is my NARFE-Alzheimer’s contribution: $ ________ Every cent that is contributed is used for research.

Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________________________________________ State:______________________________ ZIP: _________________________ Chapter number: __________________________________________________

PLEASE MAIL COUPON AND CHECK TO: Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-7633

Credit Card Information: q M/C q VISA q Discover q AMEX

Your charitable contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Signature: ___________________________________ Date: ____ / ___ / ______

Give to the

NARFE-FEEA Fund MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: NARFE-FEEA Fund PLEASE MAIL COUPON AND CHECK TO: FEEA 1641 Prince St. Alexandria, VA 22314

Your charitable contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Card Number: ____________________________________________________ Expiration Date: ______ (mm)/ ____(yy)

Security Code: _______________

Name: (please print) _______________________________________________

The NARFE-FEEA Fund supports NARFE members during disasters; provides scholarships to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and funds other programs to support NARFE members at the direction of NARFE and FEEA. Enclosed is my NARFE-FEEA Fund Contribution: $ ________ Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________________________________________ State:______________________________ ZIP: _________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________________

To make credit card or e-check contributions, visit www.feea.org/givenarfe.

NARFE News

Erin Nicole Brown Photography/www.erinnicolebrown.com NARFE’s National Executive Board met August 28-30 in Alexandria, VA, as part of the 2023 NARFE Annual Meeting. Top row, from left to right: Robert Allen, Region X RVP; Robert H. Ruskamp, Region VIII RVP; Marshall L. Richards, Region VI RVP; Steven Roy, Region IX RVP; Larry Walton, Region II RVP; Robert L. Helfrich, Region IV RVP; Jeff Anliker, Region I RVP; and William Shackelford, National President. Bottom row: Lynn Harper, Region III RVP; Kathryn Hensley, National Secretary-Treasurer; Cindy Reneé Blythe, Region V RVP; and Sharon Reese, Region VII RVP.

MANLEY FROM P.64

Michele has worked for almost 20 years in computer science and programming. She started as a programmer, which is something she always wanted to do. Michele began to learn in her high school’s vocational program, and from there, she went to Bowie State University, majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics.

“I analyze everything,” Michele said.

Starting out in her career, she worked in development managing user feedback, which can be summarized as quantitative and qualitative customer feedback, or data, capturing likes, dislikes, impressions, and requests about a product. Michele then returned to Bowie State to earn her master’s in management information systems. At that point, she realized she really liked working with users, mainly about their 66

NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

understanding of online systems and how she could make it work for them. She continued gaining skills and experience in querying, writing code and data mapping.

“I’m not just looking for data,” Michele said. “I’m helping you connect more with the system to make your life easier, and mine. I look through a user’s eye. Some folks don’t do that.”

She’s worked with large company databases, such as at the global investment firm T. Rowe Price, where she helped build their payroll system as a senior systems/business analyst. Developers could not connect reporting software to the software the users used, so Michele mapped the software to metadata-based tables. Using business intelligence software, it was a helpful project that broke down the tables into smaller tables, which helped educate the users when she presented her findings.

She also worked as a process manager/analyst at Capitol One and a business systems/analyst at Fannie Mae. With NARFE’s AMS, Michele sees a lot of room for improvement.

“At the same time, I do believe that with all the improvements coming from my side, and from other teams and departments, this will be a better system than everyone imagined,” she said.

“People will want to use the AMS system.”

Currently, there’s a lot of steps involves for members using NARFE’s AMS, and since starting her role, Michele has been retrieving as much data as possible with the overall goal of addressing user-friendly strategies for the future. She’s compiled documentation and standards to ensure future success throughout the AMS. “People ask me if I get bored with this, and I don’t,” she added.

Michele lives with her family in the DMV and loves drawing and playing piano.

NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program What is dues withholding?

It is a dues-payment method available to retired NARFE members, their spouses and annuitant survivors giving them the option to have their annual NARFE membership dues deducted from their annuities each month.

Advantages • Save more than 10% off your annual NARFE dues • Sign up your spouse and double your savings • You’ll never get another dues reminder from us • Your monthly payment is affordable and convenient • You may cancel your dues withholding at any time

How does it work?

One-twelfth of your total dues is automatically deducted from your monthly annuity. Your monthly deduction is determined by the following formula: ($42 NARFE dues ÷ 12) + (Chapter dues - if applicable ÷ 12) = total monthly deduction How do I sign up?

Complete the Dues Withholding Application below. Send no payment. It may take 60 to 90 days before auto-deduction starts.

Your membership starts as soon as your application is received.

To learn more about dues withholding, call 800-456-8410.

NARFE Dues Withholding Application for NARFE Members who are Retirees, Spouses of Retirees or Annuitant Survivors STOP! Complete this section ONLY if you are signing up for Dues Withholding. If so, DO NOT send payment

o YES. I want to enroll in NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program. NARFE dues of $42* and chapter dues, if applicable, to be withheld annually. (*Dues-withholding members save more than 10% off the regular NARFE dues rate.)

Civil Service Annuity Number

Social Security Number (9-digit number)

–

C S

–

–

–

–

(Include prefix, CSA or CSF) (Include any applicable suffix)

o Mr. o Mrs. o Miss o Ms.

NARFE MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Full Name ____________________________________

NARFE Membership ID _______________________________

Street Address ________________________________

NARFE Chapter Number ______________________________

Apt./Unit _____________________________________

o YES. I also authorize my (NARFE member) spouse’s dues to

City ________________________________________

be withheld from my annuity. (Additional annual dues of $42 and chapter dues, if applicable, to be withheld annually. If YES, enter spouse’s information below.)

State ___________ ZIP _________________________ Phone (__________) ___________________________ Email _______________________________________ Date of Birth _________ /_________ /__________________ mm

dd

yyyy

Spouse’s Name ____________________________________ _________________________________________________ Spouse’s Membership ID _____________________________ Spouse’s Email _____________________________________

AUTHORIZATION (Withholding will begin in 60-90 days). Send NO PAYMENT with Dues Withholding Application!

I authorize the United States Office of Personnel Management to make appropriate deductions from my annuity payments, not to exceed the amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as the amount of dues for which I am annually obligated, in accordance with elections I made above, and to pay the deducted sum to the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). This authorization shall also apply to any and all dues changes certified by NARFE membership in accordance with elections I made. Please allow 60-90 days for processing.

I understand that this authorization shall be valid until NARFE receives and processes my written notice of cancellation in accordance with its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management and that any disputes regarding this authorization shall be a matter between NARFE and myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allotment deduction made pursuant to this authorization. ___________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Annuitant or Survivor-Annuitant

______________________________

Date

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

MAIL THIS FORM TO: NARFE, ATTN: Member Services, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 800-456-8410

memberrecords@narfe.org

Do not send money with this form

(DW-2 01/21)

NARFE News

Charles Carter, Former NARFE National President, Dies

C

harles Walter Carter of Littleton, CO, a former NARFE national president, former Colorado NARFE Federation president and longtime advocate for senior citizens in Colorado, died August 13, 2023. He was 93.

Charles was born October 23, 1929, in Bryn Mawr, PA, to Fred and Nellie Sue Dawson Carter.

He was a Lower Merion High School graduate in Ardmore, PA, and a member of the National Honor Society. He was a student at Weber State College in Ogden, UT, majoring in electronics and industrial arts.

He married Patsy Rae Sherwood on October 3, 1953.

Charles served in the U.S. Air Force as part of the Air Police and as a draftsman from 1950 to 1959. He began his federal civil service in 1955. Charles was hired as a draftsman for the Bureau of Reclamation in Ogden to develop plans to design and construct roads, dams and reservoirs on government land throughout the state. His projects included a six-milelong dike near Brighton City to catch water from Willard Bay, an arm of the Great Salt Lake.

The result was 36 square miles of pure, fresh water that could be pumped to Salt Lake City instead of draining into the Great Salt Lake.

Charles also raised a dam 30 feet at the Pineview Reservoir above Ogden to provide irrigation water. He also worked in the field on the survey team for this project.

In 1959, he was hired by the Department of Defense at Hill Air Force Base in Utah,

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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

where his primary duty was electronic equipment specialist.

In this position, he calibrated equipment for jet fighter planes.

This led to a position on the Minuteman missile program.

One of his most notable achievements was suggesting an equipment change that ultimately saved the government $3 million. As a result of this contribution, he received a Civil Service Award.

Charles retired in 1976 with 25 years of federal service.

From 1974 to 1990, he was the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)/AFL-CIO National Vice President of District 13, serving 81 AFGE local chapters.

He represented five states— Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming—and served 83,000 employees under federal contracts. He retired from AFGE/AFL-CIO in 1990 after 16 years.

In retirement, he was selfemployed as a consultant and arbitrator. From 1990 to 1992, Charles was active with the NARFE Colorado Federation, serving as president, and Chapter 1085 as an officer.

Charles served as national president and chief executive officer of NARFE from 1992 to 1994. He remained active in NARFE Mory Lewis Chapter 1085 in Lakewood, where he shared his wide-ranging and varied experiences.

Charles continued to serve federal employees, annuitants and Colorado senior citizens through participation in the Colorado Senior Lobby. He considered his work on passing a

bill for mandatory reporting for abuse of at-risk adults a personal achievement. This legislation became law in Colorado on July 1, 2014, after 19 years of statewide lobbying.

Charles was also active in other groups, including AARP, HUD Seniors High-Rise Living (settling seniors’ complaints), St. Anthony Hospital volunteer surveyor of stroke victims, the Senior Resource Center, and the Colorado Boys and Girls Club.

He was a member of the Democrat Party, running twice as a candidate for Colorado State House District 22, and was a candidate for Jefferson County sheriff. He was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Charles was preceded in death by his beloved wife in 2012. He was also preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Harold B. and William L.; and a daughter-in-law, Virginia Carter.

He is survived by his children, Charles Jr., Jeffrey, Daniel, Philip and Jana (Danny) Knox; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held Wednesday, August 23, at Horan & McConaty in Lakewood, CO.

NARFE MEMBER BENEFITS • Access the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute for powerful resources to help you fully understand and manage your benefits.

Active and Retired Federal Employees ...

Join NARFE Today!

The only organization dedicated solely to protecting and preserving the benefits of all federal workers and retirees, NARFE informs you of any developments and proposals that affect your compensation, retirement and health benefits, AND provides clear answers to your questions.

Who Should Join NARFE?

If your future security is tied to federal retirement benefits—federal retirees, current employees, spouses and individual survivors—you should join NARFE.

• Access to FEDHub, NARFE’s online community, where members share ideas, information and solutions—it’s the go-to place where active and retired Feds connect • Visit the Legislative Action Center to contact your representatives about bills affecting federal benefits.

• Get NARFE Magazine and our weekly e-newsletter, NewsLine—your best sources for the latest news and information on issues impacting federal employees and retirees.

• NARFE Perks discounts on insurance, travel, health services and more!

• Nearly 800 local chapters unite federal employees, retirees, their spouses and survivors, and provide networking, advocacy and leadership opportunities.

1Q6

NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION YES. I want to join NARFE for the low annual dues of $48.

q

q Mr. q Mrs. q Miss q Ms.

q MasterCard

______________________________________________

Full Name

______________________________________________

Street Address Apt./Unit

______________________________________________

City

State

ZIP

______________________________________________

Phone

______________________________________________

Email

I am a (check all that apply) q Active Federal Employee

q Active Federal Employee Spouse

q Annuitant Spouse

q Survivor Annuitant

q Please enroll my spouse _________________________________________

Spouse’s Full Name

_________________________________________

Spouse’s Email

q VISA

q Discover

q AMEX

___________________________________________ Card No. Expiration Date _____ /________ mm

______________________________________________

q Annuitant

PAYMENT OPTIONS q Check, Money Order or Bill Pay (Payable to NARFE) q Bill me (NARFE membership will start when payment is received.) q Charge my:

yyyy

___________________________________________ Name on Card ___________________________________________ Signature ___________________________________________ Date

TOTAL DUES $48 Annual Dues X ___________ = ___________ Per Person # Enrolling Total Dues Dues payments are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

LOOKING TO MEET OTHERS in the federal community and participate in NARFE at a local level? Call 800-456-8410 to learn about a NARFE chapter in your area.

Would you like to receive a FREE one-year chapter membership? Choose one: q Chapter closest to home OR q Chapter #____________

THANK YOUR RECRUITER Did someone introduce

THREE EASY WAYS TO JOIN 1. Complete this application and mail with your payment to NARFE Member Services / 606 N Washington St / Alexandria, VA 22314-1914.

2. Join online at www.NARFE.org.

3. Call 800-456-8410, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

you to NARFE? Please provide their Name and Member ID. ___________________________________________ Recruiter’s Name ___________________________________________ Recruiter’s Membership ID NARFE respects the privacy of our members. Personal information is used to provide content and relevant communications to our members. Some NARFE member benefits are provided by third parties (NARFE Perks), and not NARFE. (03/23)

USE YOUR NARFE PERKS AND YOUR MEMBERSHIP WILL MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF!

SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE AT

www.NARFE.org/memberperks

PRODUCTS...........................................................................................................................................

GE Appliances Store | Use the link below to start shopping!

Save with NARFE members-only access to the GE Appliances Store! You will enjoy up to 25% off MSRP every day on the latest in high-quality appliances. *Orders can not be shipped to P.O. boxes, APOS, Canada, Puerto Rico, HI, AK or U.S. Territories. https://www.myapstore.com/GEStore/Appliances/ Registration?AuthCode=MONARFE21

LegalShield | 410-419-7130 | Shieldbenefits.com/narfe

Whether it’s big, small or somewhere in between, you have affordable legal help when you need it. Members receive the discounted rate of $18.95 for families of 10 (two adults and up to 8 children) when you sign up through the website above.

ODP Business Solutions | 1-800-650-1222 | www.officediscounts.org/narfe

(Previously Office Depot/Office Max)

Because you’re a member of NARFE, you now have access to exclusive members only discounts at ODP Business Solutions (previously Office Depot/Office Max). Members save up to 75% off on ODP Business Solutions Best Value list of preferred products and can take advantage of products discounted off the officedepot.com regular prices. Restrictions may apply so visit officediscounts.org/narfe for details.

Product and service discounts may no longer be available for in-store purchases.

Purchasing Power | www.PurchasingPower.com/NARFE

While not a discount program, Purchasing Power is an exclusive purchase program helps members buy brand-name computers, electronics, appliances and furniture via annuity allotment when cash is not an option. No credit check or down payments.

WELLNESS..............................................................................................................................................

Active&Fit Direct | https://www.narfe.org/narfe-perks-for-members/activefit-direct/

Stay active from anywhere for $28/mo. Active&Fit Direct includes 12,200+ Gyms, 9,300+ On-Demand Videos and 1:1 Well-Being Coaching. A fitness program with no annual fees and no long-term contracts. Switch gyms anytime. Membership options for your spouse.

No Enrollment Fee With Promo Code: SWEAT4SPRING1

NEW!

Brookdale Senior Living Communities | 877-713-2762 | www.brookdale.com/narfe

As the largest operator of senior living communities in the US, Brookdale has over 1,000 locations all across the country. Members are eligible for 7.5% discount at Brookdale Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care communities and 10% discounts on Brookdale Private Duty Home Care.

Discounts are for new move-ins/customers only.

R

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

Life Line Screening, America’s leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will conduct health screenings using state-of-the-art ultrasound technology in your neighborhood.

Operator code BKHN075.

PRE-PLANNING...................................................................................................................................

Neptune Society | 800-NEPTUNE (637-8863) | www.neptunesociety.com

Our prearranged plans cover all necessary expenses for one guaranteed price even if the services are not needed for 40 or 50 years. The Neptune Society offers a $100 discount to all NARFE members. *Discounted offer is not valid for residents of Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Void Where Prohibited.

ADDITIONAL PERKS........................................................................................................................

MOVING SERVICES............................................................................................................................

1-800-GOT-JUNK? | 800-468-5865 | www.narfe.org/1-800-got-junk

NEW! NARFE Members Save 10% with 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Do you have old furniture, appliances, electronics, construction debris, yard waste or other junk you need to make disappear?

1-800-GOT-JUNK? can take away almost any material we can fit in our trucks, without you ever lifting a finger—all you have to do is point! Use code NARFE10 when you book. To get started, give us a call or book online.

Coleman Allied | 850-375-0917 | jack.jacobs@colemanallied.com

With over 300 agency partners and an entire team dedicated to a quality move experience, Coleman Allied provides customized discount levels for all NARFE members for Interstate moves. *The NARFE pricing only applies to moves that leave the state you currently reside in.

Wheaton World Wide Moving | 800-248-7960 | narfe@wvlcorp.com

At Wheaton, we know interstate relocation is much more than trucks and boxes. With a network of topquality agents throughout the United States, Wheaton provides peace of mind with every relocation.

TRAVEL, TRANSPORT & ENTERTAINMENT............................................................................

Choice Hotels International | 800-258-2847 | www.choicehotels.com

With 6,400 hotels throughout the world, Choice Hotels offers something for everyone. As a member, receive 20% off your next stay at participating hotels when you use Special Rate ID 00801967.

Collette Travel | 844-311-6563 | www.narfe.org/gocollette

With over 160 tours to all 7 continents and travel styles varying from small group to river cruising, Collette offers something for everyone. As a NARFE member, you receive an additional $50-$100 off all tours including sales and offers! Just use your member benefit code NARFESAVE or let our reservation agent know you are a NARFE Member when booking.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car® | Book Now! | https://partners.rentalcar.com/narfe

When you’re ready to go, Enterprise Rent-A-Car makes it easy. We offer everyday low rates on a great selection of cars, trucks and vans and customers are picked up at no extra cost*. See website for exclusions.

Hotel Engine | https://members.hotelengine.com/join/narfe175

Hotel Engine, a private booking platform, connects organizations and their members to deeply discounted hotel rates.

Member Deals | https://memberdeals.com/narfe/?login=1

MemberDeals is your one stop for great discounts on nationwide travel and entertainment! Find exclusive discounts, special offers, preferred seating, and tickets to top attractions, theme parks, shows, sporting events, hotels, and much more. Visit MemberDeals and find savings such as up to 40% on top theme parks nationwide and preferred access tickets to your favorite concerts, sports & more!

National Car Rental® | 800-CAR-RENT | www.nationalcarrental.com

NARFE members receive great rates with National Car Rental! At National, we pride ourselves on always providing you with unsurpassed convenience and choice. https://partners.rentalcar.com/narfe

INSURANCE..........................................................................................................................................

AMBA

NARFE Insurance Services | 800-233-5764 | www.narfeinsurance.com

Designed exclusively for NARFE members, (plans administered by AMBA Administrators, Inc.) Senior Age Whole Life Insurance, Senior Term Life Insurance, Hospital Indemnity and Short Term Recovery Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, AssistPlus, Discount Prescription Plan and Pet Insurance.

Member Options | 833-378-8224 | https://www.member-options.com/narfe

Member Options Auto and Home Insurance Program - Save Money with Multiple Quotes! Get quotes from toprated insurance carriers on Auto, Home, Renters, Pet insurance and more in a matter of minutes. Answer a few simple questions online or over the phone with our licensed insurance experts to compare multiple options that meet your specific needs. To review and choose what’s best for you, go to the link above or call 833-378-8224.

The Way We Worked

Ensuring High-Quality Products This 1927 photograph shows U.S. Department of Agriculture graders examining Thanksgiving turkeys in Washington, DC. The USDA began addressing health concerns posed by poultry in 1926 by offering voluntary inspection and grading services to poultry processors.

Today, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service ensures high-quality products by giving its “USDA Grade A” shield only to turkeys of the highest quality. Staff are bustling around the holiday season when USDA graders work around the clock to ensure strict adherence to USDA’s quality standards.

PHOTO from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture, 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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NARFE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023

DID YOU KNOW? USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has approximately 9,000 employees working together to ensure that everyone’s food is safe.

Learn more at www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis

Centralized digital currency is a very real threat Can your portfolio withstand the incoming storm?

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Pre ‘64 90% Silver Washington Quarters

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DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for First 100 Callers!

Order online at www.TexasBullion.com or call (855) 344-2646 for additional discounts.

The Lone Star State’s Most Trusted Dealer!® Offer valid through 11/30/2023. Prices and availability subject to change due to market considera�on. Limit (3) of each coin listed at promo price. Texas Bullion Exchange, Inc. has a 10-15 day shipping policy. There is a 5-day inspec�on period upon arrival. Any returns a�er the 5-day period will be subject to a 20% restocking fee.

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Members, Pay $0 out-of-pocket!

*

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Call 1-855-252-0025 to discover more or visit www.blue365deals.com/fep.

EXPERIENCE - HearUSA has been changing lives through better hearing since 1987. Our experienced Hearing Care Professionals will recommend solutions that fit your lifestyle and unique needs.

CHOICE - All major hearing aid brands and styles available, including completely-in-the-canal, the smallest custom hearing aids on the market.

TECHNOLOGY - Smart technology helps you hear more clearly and eliminates annoying feedback “whistling.”

RECHARGABLE - Most models have rechargeable options; no need to ever replace batteries! Plus, many models connect with your cell phone!

TELEHEALTH - Take advantage of HearUSA Telehealth Services where you obtain quality care at home.

Book a Complimentary Hearing Evaluation Today. 855-252-0025

WHY HearUSA?

We’ve been offering custom-fit hearing aid devices for over 35 years. Here’s what makes us unique:

Experience the Sound.

Try on hearing aids during your appointment and begin the journey of reconnecting with friends, family, and the world around you.

Maximize the Benefits.

We accept most insurance plans and our licensed hearing care professionals will help you make the most of your valuable insurance benefits at every step.

Hear Better Today

Our Test, Advise, Fit and Go service means in one visit you can leave with new hearing aids.**

HearUSA.com

©2023 HearUSA. All Rights Reserved. *The Service Benefit Plan will pay a hearing aid benefit for Standard and Basic Option up to $2,500 total every 5 calendar years for adults age 22 and over, and up to $2,500 total per calendar year for members up to age 22. FEP Blue Focus does not have a hearing aid benefit. Do not rely on this communication piece alone for complete benefit information. All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan brochure. Blue365® offers access to savings on health and wellness products and services that members may purchase from independent vendors, which are not covered benefits under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program, Blue Cross Blue Shield FEP Dental and/or Blue Cross Blue Shield FEP Vision. These products and services will be offered to you through the entire benefit year. During the year, the independent vendors may offer additional discounts on these products and services. To find out what is covered under your policy, contact the customer service number on your member ID card. Any disputes regarding your health insurance products and services may be subject to your plan’s grievance process. BCBSA may receive payments from vendors providing products and services on or accessible through the Site. Neither BCBSA nor any Blue Company recommends, endorses, warrants, or guarantees any specific vendor, product or service available under or through the Blue365 Program or Site. **Depending on the level of hearing loss, many individuals can be fit with their hearing aids on the first appointment and leave with them that same day.