The RetireeVol. 31, No. 1 June/July 2009

American Red Cross Retiree Association431 18th Street, N.W., W525F, Washington, DC 20006

Published by the

OfficersJohn McDivittPresidentSue RichterVice PresidentNedra TurneySecretaryNorman CoeTreasurerLinda MathesField Unit ManagerNational Committee ChairsJames KruegerCommunicationsNorman CoeFinanceSteve Bullock, Sue RichterMembership andFinancial DevelopmentRobert M. Bender, Jr.NominationsHeath RadaPrograms and ServicesBud McKonlyRegionRegion RepresentativesJim McColmPacificKay WaltersWestJames F. OberholzMidwestMartyYundMid-AtlanticCarol RittenhouseSoutheastTimothy J. SartoriusSouthwestThomas J. Kiousis, Jr.Great LakesMaryAnn LeonNortheastEx OfficioKyle RodemanAdministratorBetty WagnerTel: (202) 303-7184Wagnerb@usa.redcross.org

From ARCRA PresidentJohn McDivitt

In This Issue

Hurricane Season 2Update on Aetna Medicare 3ARCRA Regional Committee 4National Headquarters Restacking 5Keeping Personnel Data Updated 5In Memoriam 6Unit Doings 7ARCRA Web Site 8

Dear Retiree:By the time you read this newsletter, you

will have transitioned to a different healthcareplan. You will either be in the American RedCross Benefits Advantage plan or another planof your choice. In either case, we all hope thedecision we made was in our own best interest.While July 1, 2009, brings the beginning of thenew plans, we know they will only be in placefor six months and then there will be a newplan to enroll in. We should not be complacentbut vigilant in monitoring our plans to insurethat they are working for us. We must givefeedback relating to the American Red CrossBenefitsAdvantage Plan and Aetna Medicare.Immediate response to the plan can help inshaping future American Red Cross HealthPlans for retirees. The American Red CrossRetiree Association Board will continue tosupport the efforts of retirees to make theirvoices heard.

In the spirit of communicating on behalf ofretirees, we continue to get great feedback fromlocal ARCRA Units that are meeting on aregular basis and helping retirees in their areawith health insurance, volunteer opportunitiesand a variety of other retiree issues.

On behalf of the board I would continueto ask for your help in identifying issues wherethe American Red Cross Retiree Associationcould be of further help to you. Please let mehear from you.

Sincerely,John McDivitt, ARCRA President

An Additional Call for2009 ARCRAMembership

We thank all of you who have renewedyour membership and those who haveenrolled as new members. You still cansend in a 2009 membership if you wish tohave a continuous or new enrollment.

Letters are being sent to Red CrossChapters and Blood Services regions forfollow-up on Red Cross unitmemberships. Red Cross chapters andregions join on a July-June fiscal year basis;individual memberships are for calendaryears or Lifetime.

We do think this is a critical time forexpanding and maintaining ourmembership as retirement issues such ashealth insurance and Medicare continue tochange and become more complex. Weneed the strength of our membership togenerate common ideas and concerns thatcan be communicated to national leaders.

2 The Retiree

American Red CrossRetiree Association

Headquarters Office

202-303-7184wagnerb@usa.redcross.org

American Red CrossBenefits Service Center

The American Red Cross providesone toll-free number for Red Cross

Retirement and Life and HealthBenefit information.

1-877-860-7526http://redcross.csplans.com

Retiree Connection♦

A toll-free program of yourAmerican Red Cross Retiree

Association♦

1-888-738-2724♦

Help in taking advantage ofservices, products and other

benefits.♦

Assistance in renewingrelationships or contacts withformer Red Cross colleagues.

♦Advocacy in navigating the

system and resolvingretirement-related problems.

Hurricane Season Has Officially Begun – Are YouPrepared?

Did you know that more than 35 million Americans live in regions mostthreatened by Atlantic hurricanes? Hurricane season began on June 1 and ishere to stay through the end of November.According to the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2009 season will be nearnormal with four to seven hurricanes likely. Predictions call for nine to 14named storms and 1 to 3 major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.The American Red Cross is urging those who live in areas prone to bigstorms to prepare now.

Some steps you can take to be prepared include:♦ Build a disaster supplies kit or check the kit you got ready last year.

Include a three-day supply of water and ready-to-eat non-perishablefoods such as tuna fish, peanut butter, crackers, canned fruit, juiceboxes, etc. Don’t forget a manual can opener, battery-poweredradio, flashlight, and extra batteries. Your kit should also have afirst aid kit, prescription and non-prescription medications, andcopies of important documents.

♦ Prepare a personal disaster and evacuation plan. Identify two meetingplaces, one near your home, and one outside your area in case youcan’t return home. Make plans for your pets. Select an out-of-areaemergency contact person.

♦ Be informed. Know what a hurricane WATCH means. If a hurricaneWATCH is issued, listen to weather updates from your battery-poweredor hand-cranked radio. Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture,hanging plants, bicycles, toys and garden tools. Anchor objects thatcannot be brought inside. Close all windows and doors. Coverwindows with storm shutters or pre-cut plywood. If time permits,and you live in an identified surge zone, elevate furniture or move it toa higher floor to protect it from flooding. Fill your vehicle’s gas tank.Check your disaster supplies kit to make sure items have not expired.

♦ If a hurricane WARNING is issued, listen to the advice of localofficials, and leave if they tell you to do so. Secure your home byunplugging appliances and turning off electricity and the main watervalve. If you are not advised to evacuate, stay inside, away fromwindows, skylights and glass doors. Do NOT use open flames,such as candles and kerosene lamps, as a source of light. If poweris lost, turn off appliances to reduce damage from a power surgewhen electricity is restored.

In 2008, the Red Cross helped hundreds of thousands of people whoselives were affected by hurricanes. Almost 500,000 sought food and a safeplace to stay in more than 1,000 Red Cross shelters. In excess of sixmillion meals were served by more than 26,000 Red Cross staff andvolunteers.

For more information regarding how individuals and families can getready for the 2009 hurricane season, visit www.redcross.org.

Update on the Introduction of the Aetna Medicare Private Fee forService Retiree Medical Option

During May and June Aetna representatives attended a number of Retiree Association meetings to allow Medicare eligibleretirees an opportunity to hear directly from Aetna about the new Private Fee for Service option that will replace the MedicareSupplement options effective July 1. This change affects approximately 2,000 retirees. The sessions also allowed retirees toask questions about the plan. Several of the common questions are outlined below.

How is the Private Fee for Service (PFFS) option different thanthe current Medicare supplement options?

With the current supplement option, traditional Medicare is theprimary payor, with CareFirst providing supplemental coverage.Under the Medicare supplement option that included prescriptiondrug coverage, Express Scripts (ESI) provided a drug benefit. Underthe PFFS option Medicare coverage and the Red Cross providedcoverage are fully integrated. Aetna will be the insurer for thiscoverage and will handle all of the coordination with Medicare andwill also provide prescription drug coverage.

My physician’s office says that they will not accept PFFS partici-pants. Why is that and what can I do?

PFFS plans are relatively new and some health care providers arenot familiar with them. They are not network based plans and anyhealthcare provider who accepts Medicare eligible patients can alsoaccept Medicare PFFS coverage. Aetna has a special group thatreaches out to providers to educate them about the coverage and workwith their office staff in submitting claims. If your healthcare providerhas questions, encourage them to contact this special group at (800)624-0756. This number is specifically for providers. Retirees withquestions should contact Aetna member services at (866)785-7337.

Will there be another enrollment period this fall?Yes, the regular annual enrollment period will take place late thisfall. While no plan design changes are expected, it is expected thatpremium rates will increase. For retirees who want to remaincovered by the Aetna PFFS, no action will be necessary.

What is different about the prescription drug coverage under theAetna PFFS option?

Aetna will be providing the prescription drug coverage. Detailedcoverage provisions were provided but both retail and mail orderprograms are available. For generic drugs a one-month supply at aretail pharmacy is $10. Through mail order, a 90 day supply isavailable for $20. These amounts are $25 and $50 respectivelyfor brand drugs. Unfortunately, mail order prescription recordscannot be transferred from Express Scripts to Aetna, so retireesshould contact their prescribing health care providers for newprescriptions to submit to Aetna mail order.

Will I still use my Medicare ID card?You will not need your Medicare ID card, as Aetna will provide theintegrated coverage. However, you should retain your MedicareID card in a safe place. Aetna ID cards will be mailed along with awelcome kit by July 1.

What else is covered by Aetna?In addition to providing comprehensive coverage for services under

the Medicare program, Aetna provides coveragefor preventive care and annual physicals, andhearing and vision discounts. Weightmanagement, smoking cessation and health coachprograms are also available to ensure thatindividuals remain as healthy and active aspossible during retirement.

ARCRA Life MembersLife Members help support the RetireeAssociation in a major way. The followingretirees have chosen to join this group sincethe publication of the previous list.Diane M. Amarosa Port Jefferson Stn, NYCaroline Brooks Pearland, TXLinda K. Cheatham Durham, NCKathleen M. England Katy, TXRonald F. Eshler Berlin Center, OHCherilynA. Foglio Gresham, ORThomas J. Gibb Washington, DCJane H. Gilbert Alexandria,VAMary Lou Hodge Charleston, SCKenneth P. Kieffer Saith Paul, MNGary G. Miller Cincinnati, OHMarcia W. Moon Alexandria,VAAnthony J. Polk Manassas, VAJuli Sande Alexandria,VADavid J. Seamon Philadelphia, PAMark Tannenbaum Washington, DCMarilyn J. Vineyard Plainwell, MI

American Red CrossOverseasAssn (ARCOA)

The annual ARCOA Memorial Service will beFriday, September 25, at 2:00 p.m., in the NationalHeadquarters Garden, Washington, DC. A receptionwill follow in the Board of Governors Hall, with NealDenton, Sr. VP, American Red Cross GovernmentAffairs Office. TheARCOA Fall Business Meetingwill follow on Saturday and Sunday.

3June/July 2009

YourARCRA RegionalCommittee

—by Bud McKonly. ARCRA Board of DirectorsAll of us who spent enough time with the Red Cross

to qualify for a pension realize that it is not the leaderswho make an organization successful—it is themembership. As paid staff of the American Red Cross,most of us learned quickly that we could not be successfulin our jobs without the incredible commitment of thevolunteers who gave freely of their time and talent; theblood donors who gave the gift of life to others and thedonors who cheerfully gave from their cash resources toensure the financial viability of our mission. The same istrue of the Retirees Association. It is the members who arethe life’s blood of our organization. My position on theboard of directors and the eight regional representatives exist,not to direct, but to support our local units.

We work primarily through our local units to identifythe programs and services that our members need andthen work with the board and the Program CommitteeChair to determine how we can utilize the resources of theAssociation to meet these identified needs. For example,a year or so ago we asked our regional reps to shareconcerns that they were hearing from the units andmembership. Two issues that were identified wereconcerns over the changes in the retiree health benefitsand communications within the retiree community. Hearingthose concerns the board used its 2008 fall meeting inWashington, DC, to meet with Melissa Hurst, SVP forHuman Resources. We were able to spend an afternoonwith her to learn about proposed changes and express ourconcerns and the concerns that our members had shared.ARCRA President John McDivitt was also able to schedulea meeting with new American Red Cross President and CEOGail McGovern to take your concerns to her.

We also listened to your concerns about how wecommunicate with you and working with ARCRA Boardmember Tim Sartorius (and his talented son) the Associationwas able to launch its own web site with ready access formembers to current information about the Association andother issues of importance to Red Cross retirees.Regional Committee Members:

Bud Mckonly, Chair915 Lynnewood DriveWaukesha, WI 53188(262) 513-8195(262) 501-9416 cellnmckonly@wi.rr.com

Jim McColmPacific Region Representative9730 Mira Del Rio DriveSacramento, CA 95818(916) 362-7732jhmccolm@comcast.netJim Oberholz,Midwest Region Representative2807 Glenway Dr.Maryland Heights, MO 63043(314) 291-6004joberholz@sbcglobal.netTimothy J. Sartorius,Southwest Region Representative5001 S. 165th East Ave.Tulsa, OK 74134(918) 286-8858(405) 245-2129 cellsartorit@cox.netCarol Rittenhouse,Southeast Region Representative2987 Moorings ParkwaySnellville, GA 30039(770) 972-2866(770) 561-1006 cellcarolritt@bellsouth.net

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Kay Walters,West Region Representative18420 North ConquistadorSun City West,AZ 85375(624) 584-0277rkwalters@cox.netKay served over 14 years with the American Red Cross,

including as Chapter Executive at the Thurston MasonCounty Chapter, Olympia, Washington, and five years atthe National level as a Financial Development Officer invarious geographical locations. Since retiring Kay and Ron(her husband of 46 years) moved to Sun City West, AZ,where Kay serves on the Sun City West Foundation Boardand volunteers at the Del Web Hospital.

Thomas J. Kiousis, Jr.,Great Lakes Region Representative8968 Snow RoadParma, OH 44130(440) 888-1655tjkjr@sbcglobal.netTom has been a stagehand for 50 years (show business

is his life). He has worked for the Cuyahoga County Welfare

4 The Retiree

Department, in Community Services as part of the LaborMovement and for the United Way, all in Cleveland. He was thefirstAmerican Red Cross Division Labor Staff member workingwith 22 Chapters in Northeastern Ohio. Tom also served asExecutive Director of the Mahoning County Chapter, AmericanRed Cross, Youngstown, OH. He served on many disasters,taught First Aid and CPR, and is an 11 gallon blood donor.

MaryAnn LeonNortheast Region Representative36 ½ South Spring StreetConcord, NH 03301(603) 228-4565 Homemakleon@comcast.netMaryAnn retired from the American Red Cross after 18 years

as Executive Director of the Granite Chapter in Concord, NH.Under her leadership the chapter grew from serving 75,000 residentsto a larger chapter serving 310,000 residents in central and northernNH. Since retiring from the Red Cross she is providing consultingservices, specializing in management and leadership issues innonprofit organizations. She and husband Jim love to travel.

MartyYundMid-Atlantic Region Representative1419 North Utah StreetArlington, VA 22201(703) 243-9180martyund@gmail.comMarty began her career as a Division Correspondent in the old

SoutheasternArea. Since that time she has worked in a variety ofmanagement positions at the chapter, regional and national levels ofRed Cross. Her special interest in training throughout her careerresulted in the creation of the StarTrack Program. She retired fromthe Hawaii State Chapter in 1999 with 26 years of service.

National HeadquartersRestacking “Housing Plan”Announced

Red Cross Chief Financial Officer Brian Rhoaannounced that the Red Cross has leased floors 4-8of 2025 E Street, Washington, DC, which housed muchof Red Cross National Headquarters. This will bringin between $7 million and $10 million per year towardeliminating our deficit.

The majority of the Information Technology (IT)department would be moving to Ashburn, VA, withapproximately 80 staff remaining in downtown DC andothers moving to the Holland Lab facility in MD. The“housing plan” also identifies which of the remainingnational headquarters business units will be assignedto each of our facilities in the metropolitan Washington,DC, area. The lease arrangements maintain the numberof parking spaces the Red Cross currently uses.

Here is a general summary of the key departmentsassigned in each location:Red Cross Square

Office of the President; many members of thesenior leadership team; some support departments.

2025 E StreetBiomedical, Disaster and Humanitarian Servicesdepartments, primarily.

AshburnIT; SAF Call Center; a small part of BiomedicalServices.

Holland LabBiomedical Service research and support; some IT,the Chief Medical Officer and another small part ofBiomed in non-lab sections.Keeping Your

Personnel Data Up-to-DateBecause the Retiree Association database is separate from

that of the Benefits Service Center and the Red Cross, weask all members to report any changes in address, telephone,and email so that we can insure:♦ Timely communication and newsletter mailings.♦ Ease for members to keep in touch with each other.♦ Accurate and current information in our directory.

Please report any changes to the Retiree Associationadministrator at 202-303-7184 orwagnerb@usa.redcross.org.

2025 E Street

5June/July 2009

Note: Most of the “In Memoriam” information comes from local ARCRA units, so please keep us informed on atimely basis so no one is overlooked.

In MemoriamGloria Beckwith—15 May 2009—was affectionately known as “GB” to all who knew her. She was

admired for her continued zest for life, her remarkable worldwide career with the American Red Cross, herinsatiable love of travel and an array of friends spanning the globe. After retiring as the Director of Volunteersfor the South West Region, American Red Cross, and living in California for more than 20 years, shereturned to San Antonio in 2005 where she had been stationed at Brook Army Medical Center, Fort SamHouston, Wilford Hall and Lackland AFB in American Red Cross Service to Military Hospitals. She alsoserved with the Red Cross in Vietnam, the Philippines and Germany and thoroughly traveled each countryand continent. Once retired in Riverside, CA, she became involved with the State Department’s InternationalVisitors Council, the Sister City Program and many other civic organizations.

Mary Katherine Benington—21April 2009—was married to Edward Benington who worked for manyyears in the Eastern Area Office in Alexandria, VA. Both were active ARCRA members in the GreaterWashington-Baltimore Unit.

Rae Heath—13 May 2009—was a Red Crosser’s Red Crosser, having served with the Red Cross inKorea, Japan and other places around the world. She worked at all levels of the Red Cross, includingNational, Division and Chapter. She served as Assistant Division Manager as well as in other capacities inthe Greater Cleveland Chapter. Rae was a very active force in the Greater Cleveland Area Retiree Associationand the Great Lakes Region.

Cecil Roark—23 May 2009—was commissioned as a Naval Aviator and had active missions in theSouth Pacific during World War II and retired as a Lieutenant Commander for the U.S. Navy. He joined theMuskogee Chapter of the American Red Cross in 1947 and was instrumental in planning and designing anindoor Olympic sized swimming pool, making this chapter the only one in the nation with such a facility. Mr.Roark was a noted instructor in First Aid and CPR and especially the swimming programs in Muskogee. Hewas actively involved in the National Red Cross Aquatic Schools and is estimated to have taught 20,000individuals to swim. He was the 19th member inducted into the Commodore Longfellow Societyacknowledging high ideals and goals for swimming and lifesaving skills. His Red Cross duties also includedthe Red Cross Blood Donor Program and he was well known for his world famous “rabbit stew.”

Barbara Zimmerman—11 December 2008—was a well-respected member of the Blood Bank Communityand a dedicated, long-term employee of the American Red Cross. With a degree as a Medical Technologistand a graduate degree in Business Administration she went on to supervise various laboratories and BloodBanks. She then accepted a position with the American Red Cross, Washington Blood Region, as AssistantDirector, Technical Services, and then became the Director. After the close of the Washington Region shejoined National Headquarters as a Supply Program Manager, supporting regional blood centers. She alsoserved in positions related to Hospital Service and Quality Assurance at Headquarters and then became theChief Operating Officer of Carolina-Georgia Blood Center in Greenville, SC. She returned to NationalHeadquarters and completed her distinguished career as an Executive Officer reporting to the Chief OperationsOfficer. She also served on a Red Cross Disaster Action Team and was very active in the Mid-AtlanticAssociation of Blood Banks.

6 The Retiree

Unit DoingsColumbus Unit (OH)—Ruth Coons reports on

their Christmas Party meeting sponsored by theChapter and Blood Center in December. Lunchand gifts were provided, and Michael Carroll,Chapter CEO, and Dr. Ambrose Ng, BloodServices, gave everyone an update on Red Crosschanges and challenges. Over 30 retirees attendedand each was asked to report on what they were upto. The leaders of the Chapter and Blood Centerare very interested in the retirees and they makeeveryone feel they are part of the Red Cross family.The next meeting of the group will be this summer.

Connecticut Unit—The March 17, 2009,meeting focused on the Red Cross retiree medicalprogram, the resources of the local Area AgencyonAging and of course a celebration of St. Patrick’sDay. The next meeting is scheduled in June for furtherdiscussion on the Retiree Medical Benefits plan.

Greater New York Unit—Members met April23, 2009, at the Greater New York Chapter,American Red Cross. The meeting was led byAngelo Cinti and the guest speakers were JoanneRencher, Chief People Officer for the chapter, aswell as a representative from Volunteer Resources.They updated the group on changes in the RedCross and local staff reductions. The chapter senta survey to 70 retirees asking their interest inattending retiree meetings and the responses wereinconclusive. Those present discussed incentivesand activities that would attract more participants andthe importance of keeping in touch with all retirees.

There was also a discussion of Aetna Open Health Insurance plan.Greater Washington-Baltimore Unit—The May 27, 2009,

meeting was held at Mount Vernon, VA. A capacity crowd listenedto a Health Benefits Presentation by Anna Shearer from Red Crossand representatives from Aetna followed by questions and answers.A couple of facilitated games were played to help people get toknow each other better. Immediate Past Chair Darlene Johnsongave a presentation on the ARCRA Web site she has created for theGreater Washington-Baltimore Unit. The Web site is now linked totheARCRA site, the Baltimore and Alexandria, VA, Chapters’ Websites and the American Red Cross Web site. She intends to link toother major chapters in our Greater Washington-BaltimoreARCRAunit. The URL for all to view is GWB-ARCRA.org. MauriceLevite is the new Chairman of the unit.

New England Unit—Three high school youth leaders spoke atthe unit meeting on March 10, 2009. This was arranged by theMass Bay American Red Cross Youth Director, Mai Du, whobrought the students to the meeting. The youth leaders spoke oftheir Red Cross Clubs, fund raising for the Disaster Relief Fundand the importance of volunteerism for young people. The studentvolunteers rejoiced with retiree members about their experiences,personal growth, and the satisfaction of being active not only intheir communities but also in major cities such as Boston. An articleabout the Retiree Association luncheon was published in Boston’sYouth Gazette.

South Central Texas Unit—The Executive Board meeting washeld on May 27, 2009. President Kent Hoffman briefed the groupon Health Insurance changes and plans were made for the June 9luncheon meeting of all members at the San Antonio Chapter. Arequest was made for a speaker who could discuss the new fieldservice structure.

New England Unit officers and Youth Speakers, from Boston’s YouthGazette.

Former Mid-Atlantic Region Representative RichardSmith and new current Region Representative MartyYund, at the luncheon meeting of the GreaterWashington-Baltimore Unit.

7June/July 2009

Creating the ARCRA Web SiteIt’s now up and running!

In late January 2009, the weather was awful in Oklahoma with severe ice and snow storms. As a result the Website was created out of boredom! Knowing the ARCRA board wanted to develop a Web site for communicationwith its members, Tim Sartorius and his son Kevin Sartorius (Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Tulsa)went about researching various business websites. Their goal was to assist in building and running the Web sitearound the clock. Kevin had worked at building Web sites for WorldCom/MCI and various other companies.Within a day the basic format was built and John McDivitt, President, along with ARCRA board members wereinvited to view the Web site and approve the style and content used. Information is now being placed on the site.

In the five months it has been posted as a Web site for the American Red Cross Retiree Association it has hadover 1,400 hits. Interest in the site seems to be the home page, membership, leadership and local unit postings.Also the area of great interest is how the ARCRA can help access money savings discounts available through theAmerican Red Cross.

We all thank Tim and Kevin for all they have done to make this Web site possible. Bad weather and boredomcan lead to good things! To access the Web site use your internet explorer and type in the following address:www.arcretireeassoc.org. Addition ideas for improving and expanding the site are most welcome. Please conveythem to Betty Wagner, Administrator (wagnerb@usa.redcross.org); Jim Krueger, Communications Chair(kruegerjva@aol.com); Tim Sartorius (sartorit@cox.net).

FIRST CLASSU.S. POSTAGE

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American Red Cross RetireeAssociation

431 18th St., N.W., W525FWashington DC 20006