Action is Needed

The President's budget proposal calls for the Labor Department to adopt a "chained Consumer Price Index," which is expected to reduce annual COLA increases by 0.3 percentage points a year. The chained CPI assumes that as prices on household goods and services increase, people opt for lower-cost solutions — hamburger instead of steak, for example.

Unless You Speak, Congress Assumes Consent--information from NARFE

Every member of Congress has received at least one message delivered through NARFE’s Legislative Action Center. However, this is not enough to make an impact. Unless more NARFE members use our advocacy tools, including, but not limited to, our Legislative Action Center, the COLA formula may be changed and FEHBP (Federal Employees Health Benefits Program) dismantled. President Beaudoin urges each NARFE member who has not already sent both messages -- “Oppose a Change in the COLA Formula” and “Defend FEHBP” -- in defense of their earned benefits, to use the Legislative Action Center now to send these messages to both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Click here to see a menu of options or use http://capwiz.com/narfe/issues/.

If you follow this link it is pretty easy to get your message sent. It is up to us to speak out!

Member Update

Kathy Harrison and husband Joe have become faithful travelers on the IEAFCS bus trips. They enjoyed the Natchez tour last spring and were one of the first to sign up for Mackinac Island. Other couples are following their lead, and we have at least three spouses planning to go on the fall trip.

Kathy & Joe are also avid SIU basketball fans. They divide their time between southern Illinois in the winter--so they can go to basketball games and Kentucky Lake in the summer. Fishing is a favorite activity there.

The southern region IEAFCS group visited the Kentucky home, and we can vouch for the fact that the fish are plentiful and delicious!

Member Update

Lois Smith and her husband took a long trip to Germany last fall. Jimmy retired in the summer, and she is holding him to his promise that they will do some traveling. She is pictured here with a plate of chocolates she brought back to share at the Southern Region Christmas meeting.

Lois also spends quite a lot of time with the grand kids in Iowa. And she still helps take care of an elderly lady that she and Jim have befriended.

She enjoyed the Natchez trip, and is looking forward to the one in Michigan this fall.

Benefits Choice Information

If you have not read the Message to Plan Members that arrived in your mailbox recently, you may want to do that.

There is a list of changes in HMO and Quality Care plans. Information is also included concerning Quality Care coordination of benefits for those who have Medicare.

In 2014 Medicare primary retirees, annuitants and survivors will be required to enroll in a state-sponsored Medicare plan. Letters will be sent in the coming months to explain this in more detail.

All retirees, annuitants, and survivors will be charged a percentage of their combined annuity value to cover the costs of the basic program of group health benefits. Medicare eligible individuals will pay 1% of the value of their annual annuity from all five State retirement systems. Non-Medicare eligible individuals will pay 2% of the value of their annual annuity from all five State retirement systems.

You may want to check out the website or try to obtain more information about these changes and how they will affect you.