ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 261610Z MAY 00 ZYB MIN PSN 528564S30
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS //N01700//
NAVADMIN 133/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/PERS-622//
SUBJ/NAVY RETIREE FAMILY//
RMKS/1. DURING MY NOVEMBER 99 TURNOVER BRIEFS, ONE PARTICULAR AREA
EMERGED IN THE FOREFRONT OF OUR DISCUSSIONS--THAT OF IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR OUR
RETIRED NAVY FAMILY. WANT TO SHARE WITH
YOU OUR AREAS OF CONCERN, AND MENTION CURRENT AND PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS.
2.
DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE-CLEVELAND (DFAS-CL). IN RESPONSE
TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS DURING CERTAIN PEAK PERIODS, DFAS-CL HAS INITIATED
EMPLOYEE/MEMBER SELF SERVICE (E/MSS).
BY USING A PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) AND CALLING A 1-800
NUMBER OR USING AN INTERNET CONNECTION, USERS WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEIR
FEDERAL TAX STATUS, UPDATE ALLOTMENT INFORMATION, CHANGE THEIR MAILING ADDRESS,
UPDATE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ACCOUNT NUMBERS, AND CHANGE THEIR ELECTRONIC FUNDS
TRANSFER (EFT) ADDRESS. IN THE FUTURE,
USERS WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE STATE TAX STATUS AND EXEMPTIONS AND UPDATE BOND
INFORMATION. RECENTLY, DFAS-CL MAILED
MORE DETAILED INFORMATION TO RETIREES AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON E/MSS, VISIT THE DFAS
WEB SITE AT WWW.DFAS.MIL OR CALL 1-800-321-1080. SBP ANNUITANTS CAN CALL DFAS DENVER AT 1-800-435-3396.
3.
RETIREE MEDICAL CARE. ACHIEVING
MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL RETIREES IS A HUGE CHALLENGE. WE ARE MONITORING SEVERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS TO DETERMINE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE ALL RETIREES WITH
A COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL PACKAGE THAT WOULD INCLUDE A MAIL ORDER PHARMACY
FEATURE. CNO (N130) IS A PARTICIPANT IN
THE TRICARE WORKING GROUP TO HELP RESOLVE DIFFICULTIES OF FILING CLAIMS,
IDENTIFYING CAREGIVERS, AND PROPER BILLING.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO IMPROVE THE TRICARE RETIREE DENTAL PROGRAM, SO IT
CAN PROVIDE MORE USEABLE AND DESIRABLE OPTIONS.
4.
PROSPECTIVE RETIREES AND THEIR FAMILIES. DURING THE AVERAGE MONTH, HUNDREDS OF SAILORS TRANSFER TO THE
FLEET RESERVE OR RETIRED LIST. THESE
MEMBERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR LIVES TO THE SERVICE OF
OUR GREAT NATION, SO IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A LASTING
RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.
SPECIFIC AREAS OF INTEREST FOR THEM INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
A. SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN
(SBP). AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO CONVEY
TO SPOUSES OF PROSPECTIVE RETIREES IS THAT WHEN A RETIREE PASSES ON, THEIR
RETIRED PAY STOPS. SBP IS A VOLUNTARY
PROGRAM IN WHICH A RETIREE FORFEITS A SMALL PORTION OF THEIR RETIRED PAY TO
PROVIDE AN ANNUITY TO THEIR DESIGNATED SURVIVORS AFTER THEIR DEATH. THERE WILL BE AN SBP SUMMIT IN MILLINGTON,
TN, IN MAY 2000 TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN STREAMLINE SBP COUNSELING PROCESSES. IN THE MEANTIME, REQUEST THAT ALL OFFICERS
IN COMMAND TO VALIDATE THEIR OWN SBP COUNSELING PROCEDURES TO ENSURE WE ARE
DOING ALL WE CAN TO EDUCATE OUR PROSPECTIVE RETIREES AND THEIR SPOUSES ABOUT
THIS VALUABLE PROGRAM.
B. ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME
(AFRH). THE AFRH WAS FORMED IN 1991 BY
JOINING THE U.S. NAVAL HOME (USNH) IN GULFPORT, MS, WITH THE U.S. SOLDIERS AND
AIRMEN'S HOME (USSAH) IN WASHINGTON, DC.
WHILE THE AFRH BOARD DEALS WITH SEVERAL INITIATIVES TO STABILIZE THEIR
BUDGET, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE OUR EAGERNESS TO SUPPORT THOSE
WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US IN YEARS PAST.
HAVE ASKED THE NAVAL RESERVE CAREER INFORMATION TEAMS TO ENSURE ALL
PROSPECTIVE RETIREES ARE INFORMED ABOUT AFRH.
ALSO REQUEST CO'S ENSURE ALL OFFICERS AND SAILORS, ACTIVE AND RETIRED,
ARE AWARE THAT AFRA RECEIVES FUNDS
FROM THE COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN.
C. SHIFT COLORS. TO ASSIST IN EDUCATING OUR RETIRING MEMBERS
ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS AVAILABLE TO THEM, COMNAVPERSCOM IS MAILING
ALL PROSPECTIVE RETIREES A COPY OF "SHIFT COLORS," A QUARTERLY
RETIREE NEWSLETTER. THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED THEREIN IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE
"WWW.BUPERS.NAVY.MIL." UNDER
THE "NEWS STAND" SECTION.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.
D. VETERAN AND RETIREE ASSISTANCE STOREFRONT. WE HAVE FORGED A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE
NAVY RETIRED ACTIVITIES BRANCH (PERS-622) AND THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (PERS-622C1), SYNCHRONIZING THE SCOPE OF BOTH PROGRAMS TO
ENCOMPASS PROSPECTIVE RETIREES AND THEIR FAMILIES. AMONG SEVERAL ONGOING INITIATIVES IS THE OPENING OF THE VETERAN
AND RETIREE ASSISTANCE STOREFRONT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE MALL (QOLMALL) AT
WWW.LIFELINES4QOL.ORG. THIS SITE WILL
CONTAIN COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON ALL RETIREE PROGRAMS.
E. RETIRED ACTIVITIES OFFICES
(RAOS). NAVY CURRENTLY HAS 69 RAOS
LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAT ARE STAFFED WITH VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE MILITARY
RETIREES. THESE RAOS PROVIDE A
TREMENDOUS SERVICE BY PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF INFORMATION TO OUR
RETIRED NAVY FAMILY. REQUEST THAT
FLEET, FORCE, AND REGIONAL COMMANDERS BECOME ENGAGED WITH THE RAOS BY FORMING
LOCAL OR REGIONAL RETIREE COUNCILS. MEMBERS OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY'S
RETIREE COUNCIL MAY BE LOCAL ASSETS WHO CAN BE CONTACTED FOR ASSISTANCE AND
ADVICE. COMNAVPERSCOM (PERS-622) IS
DESIGNING A HANDS-ON COURSE FOR NEW RAOS AND ANTICIPATES CONVENING THE FIRST
CLASS IN AUGUST 2000. THEY WILL ALSO
VISIT EACH RAO AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 18 MONTHS TO PROVIDE CURRENT INFORMATION
DURING LOCAL RETIREE SEMINARS.
5.
NAVY RETIRED ACTIVITIES BRANCH IS MY PRINCIPAL LIAISON BETWEEN NAVY AND
OUR RETIREE COMMUNITY. COMNAVPERSCOM
(PERS-622) SUPPORTS THE INTERESTS OF NAVY RETIREES BY MANAGING THE RAOS, SBP,
RETIRED CASUALTY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AFRH, AND THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY'S
RETIREE COUNCIL. YOU MAY CONTACT THEM
WITH YOUR QUESTIONS, ISSUES, AND CONCERNS AT 1-800-255-8950 OR VIA E-MAIL AT
P622S@PERSNET.NAVY.MIL.
6.
RELEASED BY VADM N. R. RYAN, JR., N1.//
BT