The Foreign Service Journal, October 2003

I went into the hospital for repair of a detached retina two days before taking office as your new vice president for retirees, and found that, like being hanged in the morn- ing, surgery concentrates the mind wonderfully. What it concentratedmymind onwas the tremendous value of our Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which insures nearly nine million Americans. My personal viewis thatAmericahasnohigherpriority than tomakehealth insurance available to everyone. And one of AFSA’s highest priorities has to be to protect the health benefits we already have. As I’m sure you know, bills to create a prescription drug benefit have passed both houses of Congress and are, at this writing, in conference. Final passage is uncertain; there are wide differences between the versions and major retiree organizations are opposed to the bills because they believe them inadequate. But themajor concern for AFSA and other employee unions was that it appeared likely that bothof thebills under con- sideration would reduce FEHBP reimburse- ment for prescription drugs to the level of the newMedicare benefit being proposed. AFSAalerted itsmembership to this threat on June 25. Rep. TomDavis, R-Va., and four other Washington-area congressmen intro- ducedH.R. 2631,whichwouldrequire that fed- eral retirees (including FS retirees), receive the same prescriptiondrugbenefits as current and future active duty personnel. The bill passed theHouse by voice vote on July 8. (The quick approval may have had something to do with the fact that members of Congress are federal employees, too.) Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the Republican major- ity was guilty of hypocrisy by passing legislation that guarantees federal retirees more generous coverage thanother seniorswill receive. Unfortunately, giving all seniors the same drug benefit we enjoywould greatly increase the estimated $400 billion cost over 10 years of the bills now in conference. Sen. DanAkaka, D-Hawaii, introduced a similar bill, S. 1369, in the Senate on June 27, co-sponsored by Senators Allen and Warner of Virginia, Mikulski and Sarbanes of Maryland and Corzine of New Jersey. Prospects for passage are encouraging. Be assured that AFSA will continue to keep you informed through AFSANet of the progress of this and other legislation affecting employees and retirees, and con- tinue to lobby for improvements in employee and retiree benefits. As your brand-newvice president, I have a lot of learning todo. There is also some- one new handling retiree issues on the AFSA staff. Bonnie Brown is a graduate of Whitman College and UC-Berkeley Law School. She is an FS spouse who received a State Department award for her volunteer work in Africa. Both Bonnie and I would welcome your messages telling us what’s of interest and concern to you. All messages will be answered, and we will do our utmost to assist anyAFSAretireemember. (Sokeepyourmembershipcurrent!) Bonnie canbe reached at brown@afsa.org an d I amat jones@afsa.org— whatever our other faults, your retiree specialists’ names are easy to remember and spell! ▫ Be assured that AFSA will continue to keep you informed and continue to lobby for improvements in employee and retiree benefits. V.P. VOICE: RETIREES ■ BY GEORGE JONES Keeping Tabs on Medical Benefits OCTOBER 2003 • AFSA NEWS 7 Memorial Plaque in the StateDepartment honoring Foreign Service employees who have died in the line of duty overseas. AFSA issued a press release asking all Americans to remember the victims of the bombings. LouiseCrane, thenactingAFSA president, notedduring amedia interview that “theWar onTerror began onAug. 7, 1998, threeyearsbefore9/11.” Onthat trag- icday, 11peopledied inDar es Salaamand over 200 people died in Nairobi, includ- ing twelveAmericanemployeesof Embassy Nairobi. Foreign Service personnel work every dayonbehalf ofAmericaaround theworld, and no place is immune from the threat of terrorism anymore. The memorial plaqueshonor thememoryof all thosewho have died while serving their country. AFSArecognizes that it is impossible topro- vide 100-percent protection for embassy personnel and families. However, theU.S. governmentmust aimtoprotect thesepub- lic servants as well as possible, beginning with dedicating sufficient resources to the effort. Since 1998, progress has beenmade inbringingouroverseas embassies andcon- sulates up to security standards. However, as embassies have become better protect- ed, so-called “soft targets” have become more vulnerable. AFSA is alsopushing for additional resources for providing better security for “soft targets” such as schools and residences. AFSA appreciates the increased fund- ing going to security upgrades, and regu- larly urges Congress to sustain increased funding. ▫ AFSA recognizes that it is impossible to provide 100 percent protection for embassy personnel and families. However, the U.S. government must aim to protect these public servants, beginning with dedicating sufficient resources to the effort. Memorial • Continued from page 1