The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

Retiree Newsletter , AFSANET mes- sages, the AFSA News section of the monthly Foreign Service Journal , and on the Retiree Web page (http://www.afsa.org/rtvppage.cfm ). Her FSJ columns, for example, have discussed long-term care insurance, the Windfall Elimination Provision and the pension and survivor bene- fits of former spouses. More recent- ly, AFSA mailed out a newsletter supplement on Medicare D. Third, Brown works with the AFSA president and retiree vice president to ask for improved State Department retiree services. Two years ago AFSA asked State to develop a retiree Web site, so we were gratified to witness the inauguration of RNet (www.RNet.state.gov/ ). In responding to mem- bers’ individual problems, AFSA also asks the depart- ment to improve specific Retirement Office and Retirement Accounts Division procedures to keep other retirees from experiencing similar problems. For instance, several members recently reported significant miscalculations in the year-to-date column of their annuity statements. After AFSA informed State of this ongoing problem, it ran a system check and corrected the glitch. While AFSA is pleased with the improvements recently made in retirement services (as shown by the Special Achievement Award it gave to Retirement Office Chief David Dlouhy in June 2005), we remain a strong and committed advocate for continued improve- ment in services and staff training and development. For example, AFSA recently asked the Retirement Office not to leave retirees who do not use the Internet behind, urging it to communicate with them in other ways. Keeping Retirees Informed Finally, AFSA monitors con- gressional legislation that could affect retirement benefits, such as premium conversion, the Wind- fall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, and Social Security reform. Along with David Reuther, AFSA’s retiree vice president, Brown keeps members informed about these develop- ments via the publications listed above. Some of these reports go into considerable depth, as in a recent series on Social Security reform. Working with Legislative Affairs Director Ken Nakamura, the retiree staff ask members to write their representatives and senators in Congress when appropri- ate and to participate in the annual “Day on the Hill.” Federal retiree benefits appear to have dodged the bullet this past session. However, in an era of severe congres- sional cost-cutting, AFSA will remain vigilant to protect retirees’ hard-earned benefits and ready to respond quick- ly if the need arises. AFSA is committed to providing caring, one-on-one assistance to our retiree members and to giving them the information they need to make sound decisions about retirement. Toward that end, we are expanding our out- reach to them. Retiree members with e-mail receive reg- ular AFSANET communications from Reuther; they also have access to an expanded, up-to-date RetireeWeb page. For example, AFSA is offering a link to the Consumer Checkbook Guide to FEHB Plans during the 2006 health benefits open season this year. We live in a time when most government informa- tion (including that about the FEHBP and Medicare D) is provided online. This leaves many retirees and surviving spouses who do not use the Internet without access to much-needed information. As one response to this problem, AFSA has begun mailing additional written information to its retiree members in expanded newsletters and other mailings, and has asked State to do the same. Expanding AFSA’s Membership Base Retiree Coordinator Norma Reyes actually called on AFSA for assistance both while on active duty and as a F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 21 Bonnie Brown and Norma Reyes are AFSA’s Retiree Coordinators. While serving abroad with her Foreign Service officer husband Ken Brown, Brown worked in human rights, development and consular affairs. As a narcotics affairs officer, Reyes served long tours in Brazil and Colombia and covered several Latin American countries, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia during Washington tours. She retired after 35 years in the federal government before joining AFSA. AFSA is pleased with the recent progress in State’s retirement services, but we remain a strong and committed advocate for further improvement.