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| November 22, 2016 |
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This issue of NewsWatch is provided by NARFE, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the earned pay, retirement and health care benefits of federal employees, retirees and their survivors. Please join today!
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NARFE
Cumulative NARFE-member donations to the Association’s NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research Fund have topped $12 million, NARFE National President Richard G. Thissen announced. “I appreciate the efforts of all NARFE members to help reach this goal,” Thissen said. “Our members’ continued generosity shows our dedication to help all Americans and the world fight this terrible disease.”
NARFE has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association since 1985 to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. The program is strictly voluntary, with 100 percent of all donations to the NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research Fund going to support Alzheimer’s research. The “$12 million in 2016” goal was set at NARFE’s 2014 National Convention. Confident that the goal would be reached this year, the NARFE National Convention last August in Reno, Nevada, set a new goal of $13 million in 2018.
Separately, NARFE members who formed teams to participate in local Alzheimer’s walks contributed another $41,000 to the Alzheimer’s Association this year, Thissen noted.
Click here to read NARFE’s press release.
NARFE
Federal annuitants: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is administering a web survey to gather information on how individuals enrolled in retiree health benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program rate their experience with their health plan. The Federal Annuitant Benefits Survey is designed to assess how well your FEHBP plan is meeting your needs.
OPM wants to hear about your experience in an effort to continually improve the FEHBP. In addition to questions about your health plan, the survey includes some questions on overall health and wellness to assist OPM in better understanding the needs of the annuitant population. Your feedback will help OPM to better serve annuitants in the future.
The survey closes Dec. 2. Click here to access.
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FEDERAL BENEFITS QUESTION OF THE WEEK
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NARFE
Question: I retired at my minimum retirement age of 56 after 20 years of service. I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). If I return to work outside of the federal government, will I lose my FERS special retirement supplement?
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Government Executive
We’re coming to the end of the first full week of the annual open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Flexible Spending Account Program and Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. That means you have three weeks (and four weekends) left to make your choices for 2017.
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The Washington Post
President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are drawing up plans to take on the government bureaucracy they have long railed against, by eroding job protections and grinding down benefits that federal workers have received for a generation. Hiring freezes, an end to automatic raises, a green light to fire poor performers, a ban on union business on the government’s dime and less generous pensions — these are the contours of the blueprint emerging under Republican control of Washington in January.
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Nextgov
The Office of Personnel Management, which suffered a devastating data breach last year, still suffers from extensive cyber weaknesses, including inadequate scanning for computer vulnerabilities and extremely high turnover among staffers responsible for information security, according to an audit released Nov. 18.
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Federal News Radio
For the first time in nearly 25 years, federal employees have new guidelines for accepting gifts from outside sources. The general rule of thumb still applies, but the Office of Government Ethics wants federal employees to reach for a higher standard.
The final rule, which OGE published Nov. 18, updates gift acceptance policies that haven’t been changed since 1992.
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StateTracker
You’ve crafted a comprehensive legislative agenda, plotted the law-making timeline, tracked committee appointments, identified lawmakers who will support and oppose your initiatives and solicited potential sponsors to carry them onto the floor. Now the emphasis is on coalition building, finding persuasive allies and key influencers to enhance your chances of success. And while there is an array of potential alignments within every state capitol’s advocacy and lobbying community to calculate and calibrate, why not start at the top? Have you contacted the governor’s office?
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Federal retirees: The Aetna DirectSM plan comes with lower premiums, waived deductibles and coinsurance, and a fund to help you pay for Medicare Part B. MORE
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U.S. News & World Report
Odds are high that someone in your family will need a nursing home sooner or later. More than two-thirds of people over age 65 will require some type of long-term care services during their lifetime, and over 45 percent of people will need a period of care in a nursing home, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The cost of that care can financially cripple a family. But there are steps you can take — whether a nursing home is needed now, next month or next decade — to minimize the strain.
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HealthDay News via UPI
Adding protein-rich or probiotic-laden foods to your diet may help control your blood sugar levels, according to a pair of new studies.
Both proteins and probiotics appear to slow down digestion of carbohydrates, preventing blood sugar spikes that can lead to type 2 diabetes or exacerbate damage done by the disease, researchers found.
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Are your health insurance costs too high? They could go down with Aetna Direct. This is the year to compare. With Aetna Direct, federal retirees with Medicare Parts A & B get a whole new level of value. Choose Aetna Direct this Open Season at aetnafeds.com/aetnadirect.
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Travel+Leisure
Many people will be traveling over the river and through the air to grandmother’s house this holiday season, packing their family’s favorite treats along with them. However, if visiting family requires passing through airport security, you may not be able to carry your home-made treats on-board with you.
This Thanksgiving, take a minute to do a little planning to make sure your favorite food actually makes it from your kitchen to grandma’s table.
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MarketWatch
Revealing your salary can be uncomfortable, no matter the setting. And if a prospective employer asks you, it could cost you future earnings; luckily some of them are no longer allowed to ask.
Based on new legislation in places including Massachusetts and New York City, that awkward part of salary negotiation could become a thing of the past.
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U.S. News & World Report
Food purchases can take a huge bite out of your weekly budget. This slideshow takes a look at key strategies to trim your grocery bill.
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NARFE Newswatch
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association
606 N. Washington St. | Alexandria, VA 22314 | 703-838-7760 | Website |Contact Us
MultiView staff:
Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469-420-2601 | Download media kit
Bianca Gibson, Executive Editor, 469-420-2611
Disclaimer: The articles that appear in NARFE NewsWatch are chosen from a variety of sources to reflect topics of interest to active and retired federal employees. With the exception of Federal Benefits Question of the Week, News From NARFE and State News, an article's inclusion in NARFE NewsWatch does not imply that the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) endorses, supports or verifies its contents or expressed opinions. Factual errors are the responsibility of the listed publication.
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