VOL 43 No. 2 March 2016 GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AN AFFILIATE OF THE MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA WHERE: Renew your dues please see page 5! SPEAKER: ROTC/JROTC Appreciation Luncheon Manor House Restaurant 600 Maple Trace Dr., Springdale, OH (Gathering Room) WHEN: Friday, 8 April 2016 TIME: 11:30 AM Social Time 12:00 PM Brunch Program follows Luncheon Due to an increase in the charge of our luncheon meals at Manor House Restaurant, we must subsequently raise the cost of the luncheon meals. This is the first time that we have had to increase the cost since we started meeting there in 2008. Come and listen to the young men and women who are our next generation of Military Leadership. These are representatives from just some of the ROTC/JROTC units that our chapter sponsors. Come and share your experience with them. Expected to attend are Scarlet Oaks Navy JROTC, Hamilton HS Navy JROTC, Miami University Naval Science ROTC and Xavier University Military Science ROTC. Also come meet Miami University s new Professor of Naval Science - CAPT Donald G. May. Next General Membership Meeting - Plan Now May 20th, 2016, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Maple Knoll Retirement Community Highlight of the Chapter Partnership with Department of Defense 50th Commemoration of the Vietnam War Guest Speaker: MG James Jackson, USA Retired - DOD Program Director Chapter will honor the service and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families Special note all veterans or their surviving spouses that served on active duty between Nov 15, 1955 & May 15, 1975 regardless of location are eligible for the Vietnam Service Lapel pin. If you are eligible please provide service details to LTC Dick Probst at rprobst@fioptics.com More details on commemoration may be found at www.vietnamwar50th.com LUNCH RESERVATION: Friday, 8 April 2016 Manor House Restaurant Springdale, OH. Name: Rank & Service: Spouse/Guests: (ARE YOU A NEW MEMBER, OR FIRST TIME OUT? ) Entrée choices: Lunch BUFFET $14.00 (Menu changes daily but always includes a selection of homemade soups, 3 salad selections, three entrees, two vegetable dishes and a side dish and includes Manor House bread pudding for dessert ) Total Reservations = Total $ Make Checks payable to GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER/MOAA and mail to LTC PAUL FELLINGER, 5493 Delhi Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238-5139, (Phone (513) 451-9881) or email: pwf5493@aol.com. Please make reservations NLT than 6 April. No cancellations after that date.
2016 CHAPTER OFFICERS AND BOARD (phone # s are area code 513 unless noted) Executive Committee President LTC Al Brauer, USA 677-8320 Immed PP BG Tom O Brien, USA 421-0118 1st VP CAPT Steve Drefahl, USN 752-4097 2nd VP CAPT Mike Glaser, USN 675-0895 Secretary CAPT Alan Echt, PHS 573-0315 Treasurer LTC Paul Fellinger, USAR 451-9881 Chaplain Rev Joseph L Boone, USA 853-2051 Legislative Ofc BG Tom O Brien, USA 421-0118 Natl Bd RADM Larry Hereth, USCG 812 537-2968 Past Natl Bd MAJ Isaac Mincy, USAF 542-6145 Aux Liaison MAJ Diana Bloemer, USAF 729-2960 State Council 1st VP CWO3 Kym Mader, USN 759-0852 Chaplin Rev Joseph L Boone, USA 853-2051 Delegate CAPT Alan Echt, PHS 573-0315 Alt Delegate MAJ Ed Knox, USAF 674-7755 Committees Programs Vacant Membership CAPT Mike Glaser, USN 675-0895 R.O.T.C. LTC Al Brauer, USA 677-8320 Reserve/NG CAPT Steve Drefahl, USN 752-4097 Historian LCOL Dick Probst, USAF 703-0754 Sympathy/ Vacant Personal Affairs TOPS LtCol Brad Hamant, USAF 439-3140 VA Brick Liaison BM2 Ben Staubach, USN 919-3659 CinMoaaNews/ CWO3 Kym Mader, USN 759-0852 Public Affairs Service Representatives Army COL Robert Greene, USA 859 689-4321 Navy CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN 598-9549 Coast Guard CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN 598-9549 USPHS CAPT Alan Echt, PHS 573-0315 Air Force MAJ Ed Knox, USAF 674-7755 Marine Corps CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN 598-9549 PURPOSES OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI MOAA CHAPTER The purposes of Military Officers Association of America as stated by national are printed on the outside of each Newsletter. The corresponding purposes of our Chapter as stated in our BYLAWS, Article II are: (a) To promote the purposes and objectives of the Military Officers Association of America (b) To foster fraternal relations among retired, active and former officers of the uniformed services. (c) To protect the rights and interests of personnel of the uniformed services and their dependents and survivors. (d) To provide useful services for members and their dependents and survivors. (e) To serve the community and the nation. Your officers and Board members welcome your comments and suggestions on steps that may be taken to strengthen our Chapter and its benefits to all members. LOCAL Chapter: CinMoaa News is published to arrive at your home 10 days before each meeting. Articles and corrections for the News must be in the hands of editor 4 weeks before each meeting date. Mail to CinMoaa News, 8099 Pepper Pike, West Chester, OH 45069. Or E-mail chmader@fuse.net. For MOAA National information: Visit the MOAA Web Site - INTERNET ADDRESS HTTP://www.moaa.org TAPS If you know a member of MOAA who has past away, please let us know so we may pass it on. MEETINGS - Mark your Calendars NOW! Watch www.cincymoaa.org for updates. BOARD MEETINGS 2nd Friday of each month, 1230 - American Red Cross Building 2111 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH Conference Call in is available. Contact a board member for more details. Spouses and guests are welcome at all meetings. MEMBER MEETINGS Future Member Meetings to include topics on Local Law Enforcement, & LTC Kari Keep watching for more details 2
New TRICARE Fees Could be Coming to You Last week's legislative update opined the proposed FY17 DoD budget was light on specifics to improve value for beneficiaries - but heavy on across the board TRICARE fee increases. We also promised you more details on how these complicated budget proposals would affect various categories of beneficiaries. We'll start with TFL, which covers uniformed services beneficiaries age 65 and above, and certain other severely disabled retirees who are eligible for Medicare. The budget proposes future TFL-eligibles - specifically, those who become Medicare-eligible on or after Jan. 1, 2017 - would have to start paying an annual enrollment fee based on a percentage of the sponsor's retired pay. Under this proposal, beneficiaries already enrolled in Medicare on Jan. 1, 2017 would be exempted from the new fee. (You can draw your own conclusions whether that exemption might be reconsidered in the future.) Chapter 61 retirees and survivors of servicemembers who died on active duty also would be exempt from the new fee. The annual enrollment fee would start at 0.5 percent of gross retired pay in 2017, increasing to 2 percent of retired pay by 2021. In the first year, the fee would be capped at $150 for lower grades and $200 for retired flag and general officers. As the fee increased to 2 percent of retired pay over the next four years, those caps also would increase, reaching $632 and $842 annually in 2021. MOAA is particularly concerned at this plan to means-test service-earned health care benefits. No other employer meanstests retired employees' health benefits. MOAA objects to such means-testing, which would impose successively greater financial penalties for longer and more successful service. It is particularly inappropriate to seek to impose additional fees on TFL-eligibles for three other reasons. First, this population is already paying the highest fees of any military beneficiaries, as TFL requires enrolling in Medicare Part B and paying the associated premiums, which start at $2,500 per year for a married couple and can run far higher. Second, the expressed intent of Congress in enacting TFL was that Medicare Part B premiums would be the only enrollment fee for TFL, acknowledging that Medicare would be paying 80 percent of these beneficiaries' health costs. DoD and Hill leaders at the time opined that a career of service and sacrifice constituted a full, pre-paid premium for TFL coverage of the other 20 percent. Third, the Pentagon's costs for TFL have dropped dramatically - from $11 billion in FY11 to an estimated $6.4 billion in FY17, as Defense actuaries now have 15 years of actual experience with the program and can more accurately project program costs. Rather than spiraling out of control, DoD health costs for this group are spiraling downward - so why the need to charge them an additional fee? Retirees under age 65 will also see huge increases under the budget plan, with lots of fee and copay changes. Among the more complex changes are proposed cost-shares for various kinds of provider visits. TRICARE Prime enrollees would see some increases in fees for seeing civilian network providers. TRICARE Standard beneficiaries would pay flat fees (and would not have a deductible) if they see civilian providers in the network. If they see outof-network providers, they would still pay 25 percent of TRICARE-allowed charges, but would see their current deductible doubled - from $150/$300 (single/family) to $300/$600. Prime beneficiaries who use out-of-network care without a referral would be subject to steep point-of-service fees: 50 percent of allowable charges after paying a $300/$600 deductible. In addition, the DoD plan proposes charging all military retirees under age 65 an annual enrollment fee for participating in either TRICARE Prime or Standard. The Prime enrollment fee would rise to $350/$700 (single/family) vs. the current $283/ $565. The new enrollment fee for Standard would be even higher - $450/$900 (single/family) - plus the $300/$600 deductible for out-of-network care. Retiree copays and cost sharing also would apply to survivors (except those whose sponsors died on active duty) and TRICARE Young Adult beneficiaries with a retired sponsor. TRICARE Select and TRICARE Retired Reserve beneficiaries would continue their current premium levels, and their deductible and cost-shares would be the same as proposed for TRICARE Standard. Care in Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) would continue to be provided at no cost. Active duty family members would not see the same drastic increases, unless they use out-of-network providers, in which case they also would incur the $600 family deductible (and high point-of-service charges if they don't have a referral). Active duty family copays and cost sharing would apply to survivors whose sponsors died on active duty, TRICARE Young Adult beneficiaries with an active duty sponsor, and the Transitional Assistance Management Program. All fees, deductibles, and copays for all categories of beneficiaries would be increased annually by a national health care expenditure index, projected to rise over 5 percent annually. See this month's As I See It column for an assessment of the impact this would have over time. Needless to say, MOAA believes this wide array of fee increases would impose disproportionate financial penalties on retired military beneficiaries. In addition to our concerns about the fees, we want to see more details on how DoD plans to improve beneficiaries' timely access to quality care. 3
SURVIVING SPOUSE CORNER 2015 in Review Kathy Prout, Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee chair Once again, 2015 was a very busy year. Last April, during the annual Council Presidents Seminar, members of the Auxiliary Member Advisory Committee (AMAC) voted to change our name to the Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee (SSAC). We believe the name change will bring a better understanding of who we are within MOAA. During the seminar, SSAC members also participated in Storming the Hill and advocated on issues that impact active duty and retired servicemembers and their survivors and families. Our advocacy efforts focused on: active duty military compensation; TRICARE increases; concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation; and the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (SBP/DIC) offset. In October 2015, during MOAA s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., the committee s name change became official. The AMAC is now the SSAC. Council and chapter leaders should note that their auxiliary members now should be classified and identified as surviving spouses. The Levels of Excellence Award dinner also was held during the 2015 annual meeting. The awards dinner started with the presentation of the 2015 Auxiliary Liaison/Surviving Spouse Excellence Award to Joan Perry, surviving spouse liaison (SSL) for the Grand Strand (S.C.) Chapter, who was recognized for her outstanding efforts to support surviving spouses and her volunteer work. She beat out seven other outstanding nominees. Last year, SSAC members worked to increase the number of SSLs in MOAA s councils and chapters. Forty-one new SSLs were added, with the goal to have surviving spouse representation in every council and chapter. On the legislative front, SSAC members again focused on eliminating the SBP/DIC offset. At press time, bills to eliminate the SBP/DIC offset, H.R.1594 with 176 cosponsors and S.979 with 15 cosponsors, were stalled in the House and Senate Armed Services committees. On Dec. 11, 2015, MOAA s Director of Government Relations Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret), testified before the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee on the SBP/DIC offset. (Read, MOAA to Congress: Repeal Widows Tax. ) To drum up additional support, SSAC Chair Kathy Prout started a petition on Change.org to increase public awareness and support for eliminating the SBP/DIC offset. The petition is titled, Stop denying earned survivor benefits to military surviving spouses. Many MOAA council and chapter presidents and our SSLs already have signed and shared the petition, which contains nearly 75,000 signatures and will be sent to every member of Congress. If you haven t done so already, please sign and share the petition with your family, friends, and fellow council and chapter members. SSAC members also developed a resource list of organizations that support military surviving spouses, surviving children, and caregivers. If you know of an organization that s not included on the resource list, please email that information to auxcomm@moaa.org. 1. Ensure any TRICARE reform sustains top-quality care 2. Prevent disproportional TRICARE fee increases 3. Sustain military pay comparability with the private sector 4. Block erosion of compensation and commissary benefits 5. Protect military retirement/colas MOAA s Top 10 Legislative Goals for 2016 6. Sustain wounded-warrior programs and expand caregiver support 7. End disabled/survivor financial penalties 8. Fix Guard/Reserve retirement 9. Improve spouse and family support 10. Assure timely access to the VA, and eliminate the VA claims backlog If you have questions or concerns about MOAA's legislative goals please call the Member Service Center at 1-800-234-6622 or email legis@moaa.org. 4
2016 CHAPTER DUES ARE DUE! Please pay now- IF you haven't done so. To determine whether your dues are paid, please check your address sticker on the other side of this form. The year is shown for the latest year for which your dues are paid. (Life members show LIFE). If your number is (2015) or lower, please return this form (with your name sticker on reverse) along with a check for your dues to bring you up to current year. Please mark your selection of dues (one year, multi-year or life). If you are moving out of state and don t want to continue your chapter membership or have any other status change, please let us know. Also please indicate on your check the year(s) your dues are for. NEW - You can now renew your membership online. Go to http://www.moaa.org/content/chapters-and- Councils/Chapters-and-Councils.aspx#Chapter-Dues. Chapter Membership Renewal. Name: Rank: Your email address please: Member $28 for three years $19 for two years $10.00 for one year Surviving Spouse (surviving spouse of a deceased officer) No Cost Please renew as a LIFE member. (Please circle amount in fee schedule.) Make check payable to: Greater Cincinnati Chapter / MOAA Mail Renewal form and check to: LTC Paul Fellinger, 5493 Delhi Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238-5139 LIFE MEMBERSHIP FEES (Fee is based on your age, nearest birthday) Member Age up to 55 $161.25 Age 56 to 70 $127.50 Age 71 to 89 $ 93.75 Age 90 and over Waived -------------------------- cut here --- --------- Dues Form ---------------------cut here---------------------------- WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS Celebrate Women in the Military! Ohio History Connection 800 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43211 Wednesday, Mar 16, 2016, 11am There will be a panel discussion featuring women who served in the U.S. military. Hear from WWII s Greatest Generation & today s women warriors. Click here to download Flyer. 2nd Annual Women Veterans 5K Glacier Ridge Metro Parks Saturday, Apr 9, 2016 Pre Race Activities: 8:20am Race: 9:30am Cost: $30 if you register by April 1st, $35 after April 1st, $15 for women veterans Come out and honor the Service and Sacrifice of our Women Vets from all branches of Service. With over 70,000 women veterans in Ohio, this will be a great day of celebration. Men can run too! To get more information and register go to http://www.racepenquin.com/event/womenveteran5k/. Newly Appointed Chief Professional Officer Congratulations to one of our own members, CAPT John Gibbons, USPHS for being appointed Veterinary Chief Professional Officer who will serve as an integral part of the USPHS Leadership Team. As a CPO he will offer guidance and advice to the Surgeon General and administrative committees on matters such as recruitment, retention, and career development of officers within their professions. Give him a big congratulations when you see him. 5
Greater Cincinnati Chapter MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 8099 Pepper Pike West Chester, OH 45069-2842 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT NO 6122 Postmaster: Dated material, Please Expedite ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED PURPOSES OF MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TO inculcate and stimulate love of country and flag; TO defend the honor, integrity, and supremacy of our National Government and the Constitution of the United States; TO advocate military forces adequate to the defense of our country; TO foster fraternal relations between all branches of the various services from which our members are drawn; TO further the education of children of service personnel; TO aid active and retired personnel of the various services from which our members are drawn and their dependents and survivors, in every proper and legitimate manner; TO present their rights and interests when service matters are under consideration; and TO foster the integrity and prestige of uniformed service. from the Preamble to the Association s Bylaws