The Foreign Service Journal, November 2012

74 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS ments to health care pro- vided by the ACA are already provided for in the FEHB, including no lifetime limits, no prescreening, mandatory essential benefits and estab- lished preventive care. Overall, he hoped that the ACA would bring about better health care, at lower costs, for most Americans. State’s deputy medi- cal director, Dr. Charles H. Rosenfarb, took the podium to address healthy living through preventive care. He stressed the need for indi- viduals to become involved in their own health and sug- gested a health diary as one way to do so. Keeping up with inoculations is also impor- tant, particularly as we enter flu season. For more informa- tion about preventive care, Dr. Rosenfarb suggested visiting www.healthinaging. com. To discuss progress in the development of new drug therapies, Dr. Robert S. Epstein, president of EF Associates LLC, said, “There is exciting new research on medications for conditions affecting seniors, and there is a lot of hope here. Thirty- five new drugs have hit the market this year, the most ever, and they are treating diseases that were once thought to be incurable.” Epstein reported that new drugs are debunking previ- ously held scientific beliefs, leaving the door open for some amazing research and new discoveries in the com- ing years. Dr. Epstein told attendees, “Never believe there is no hope.” Jeffrey Mounts, managing director of global compensa- tion for State’s Global Finan- cial Services, spoke about the upcoming changes to the State retirement systems. He reported that the department has successfully imple- mented a new payment sys- tem for both the old and new retirement plans. Attendees were advised to file copies of Senior Living Foundation Seminar: Planning for Change BY MATTHEW SUMRAK, ASSOCIATE RETIREE COORDINATOR On Sept. 20, the Senior Living Foundation held a seminar on planning for change, which covered a variety of topics pertinent to retirees: the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan; ways to prevent illness through- out the year; advances in drug therapies for seniors; upcoming changes to State’s retirement systems; and information about wills and trusts. Ambassador Marc Gross- man welcomed attendees and praised the work of the Senior Living Foundation. Daniel Green, deputy director for health care and insurance for the Office of Personnel Management, opened the session. He noted that the biggest improve- annuity forms they receive from the department in their personal records. For ques- tions regarding your govern- ment annuity, customer support may be contacted at payhelp@state.gov or by call- ing (877) 865-0760 or (800) 521-2553. Ending the seminar, Jonathan Kinney, a partner at Bean, Kinney and Kor- man, PC, discussed the importance of estate plan- ning, which protects assets for future generations and distributes them accord- ing to your wishes at the time of death. He cautioned that estate plans should be reviewed after any major life event, including receiving an inheritance, an out-of-state move, a career change or a birth of a child, whenever changes in the tax laws occur or every five years, at a minimum. The Senior Living Founda- tion is an organization that assists retired members of the Foreign Service and their spouses who, in their later years, have become physi- cally or mentally in need of support. The foundation provides information and assistance in obtaining community, state, federal and private resources and, when more help is needed, some financial support. For more information on the foundation and upcom- ing events, please see www.SLFoundation.org. ■ Left to Right: Paula S. Jakub, executive director of the Senior Living Foundation, joins Amb. Thomas Boyatt and Amb. Marc Grossman, chairman of the SLF board of directors, at the seminar. Below: An attendee looks through the foundation’s brochure. PHOTOSBYDONNAAYERST PHOTOSBYDONNAAYERST