APO, FPO mail to end for some retirees
Otis Willie PIO The American War Library
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_mail_overseasretirees_101609p/
{EXCERPT} , By Karen Jowers - Staff writer Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 15:25:58 EDT
The flow of mail � including prescription drugs sent through the Tricare Mail-Order Phramacy program � is about to slam to a halt for about 4,800 military retirees and their survivors living overseas who use APO and FPO addresses at U.S.
embassies and consulates.
Neither State Department nor Defense Department officials would confirm a date when mail will stop, but other sources said the effective date at the moment is Dec. 31.
The change will not a
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Jim_Higgins
The flow of mail � including prescription drugs sent through the Tricare
Mail-Order Pharmacy program � is about to slam to a halt for about 4,800
military retirees and their survivors living overseas who use APO and
FPO addresses at U.S. embassies and consulates.
Neither State Department nor Defense Department officials would confirm
a date when mail will stop, but other sources said the effective date at
the moment is Dec. 31.
The change will not affect others with APO or FPO mail privileges on
overseas military installations, including about 20,000 military
retirees who have such addresses because of some other connection to the
military community � having a Defense Department civilian job, or being
married to an active-duty member assigned overseas, for example. Nor
will it affect Defense Department personnel, both military and civilian
officially assigned to embassies and consulates.
The change will limit affected retirees to using foreign mail systems
that in some parts of the world can be slow, unreliable or expensive.
�Eliminating embassy mail privileges for American military retirees
overseas was a poor decision on a number of levels,� said Joe Davis, a
spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars. �Not only will the U.S.
government have to pay higher postage rates, they will no longer be able
to guarantee delivery once it enters a foreign postal system. �
Some retirees who have received APO/FPO mail through embassies and
consulates are particularly concerned about the effect on Tricare
Mail-Order Pharmacy prescriptions.
�Congress needs to get involved immediately,� Davis said.
Tricare will continue to process prescriptions through Dec. 1 to allow
time for delivery before the mail service ends, said spokeswoman Bonnie
Powell.
Tricare will begin sending out letters to affected retirees in the next
few weeks to let them know of the change and their prescription options,
she said.
The core issue is a change in mail delivery responsibility for embassies
and consulates, said a government official who spoke on the condition of
anonymity.
For about two years, officials from the State Department and Pentagon
have been working to shift mail delivery to State Department facilities
overseas from the traditional APO/FPO addresses to a new designation to
be known as DPO, for Diplomatic Post Offices.
Under the current system, the Defense Department covers the cost of
getting APO/FPO mail from the U.S. port of embarkation to overseas
locations, which is the most expensive part of the process. The State
Department covers similar costs for diplomatic mail.
The sender � whether Tricare, the Defense Finance and Accounting
Service, the Veterans Affairs Department, or a relative or friend of a
retiree � pays only regular domestic rates to get the mail to the postal
facility at the U.S. port of embarkation where APO/FPO mail is processed
for overseas delivery.
As part of the initiative to separate State Department and military
mail, State has said it cannot be responsible for the costs of mail
going to military retirees at embassies and consulates. Although no firm
cost estimates available, sources said the cost is considerable.
State Department retirees living in overseas areas have never been
authorized to receive APO/FPO mail, nor will they be authorized to
receive DPO mail, the source said.
Complicating the issue further, the Defense Department, by law, cannot
pay the State Department for delivery of military retiree mail, the
source said. Defense and service officials reportedly are considering
whether to pursue legislation that would allow the Defense Department to
pay for military retiree mail to embassies and consulates, but cost is
part of that decision.
The source said there has been �significant emotional discussion� about
the fact that if retirees and their survivors are not notified in time
to make alternate plans for getting their medications through Tricare,
their health and even lives could be in jeopardy.
The source said this only applies to post offices that will be converted
to DPOs, and they will not be converted before this issue has been resolved.
The largest number of affected retirees are in Panama.
Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Jose Claudio, commander of the Latin
America/Carribean chapter of the VFW, said about 900 military retirees
are registered with the U.S. Consulate in Panama for mail purposes.
�It�s a mess for a lot of people living in Panama, especially the
widows,� Claudio said.
�This will have a big impact on the veterans, widows and children,� said
retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Floyd Skoubo, who handles Tricare
issues for the VFW in Panama.
Many retirees also get Social Security, military retirement and
disability benefit checks through embassy and consulate post offices,
Skoubo said.
Using local foreign mail, those checks would become lucrative targets
for theft, he said.
In addition, he said, veterans living abroad must also file U.S. tax
returns, and mail in their payments for taxes. �These could also be lost
in local postal offices and mail forwarders,� he said.
billzz
> APO, FPO mail to end for some retireeshttp://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_mail_overseasretirees_...
>
> The flow of mail — including prescription drugs sent through the Tricare
> Mail-Order Pharmacy program — is about to slam to a halt for about 4,800
> military retirees and their survivors living overseas who use APO and
> FPO addresses at U.S. embassies and consulates.
>
> Neither State Department nor Defense Department officials would confirm
> a date when mail will stop, but other sources said the effective date at
> the moment is Dec. 31.
>
> The change will not affect others with APO or FPO mail privileges on
> overseas military installations, including about 20,000 military
> retirees who have such addresses because of some other connection to the
> married to an active-duty member assigned overseas, for example. Nor
> will it affect Defense Department personnel, both military and civilian
> officially assigned to embassies and consulates.
>
> The change will limit affected retirees to using foreign mail systems
> that in some parts of the world can be slow, unreliable or expensive.
>
> overseas was a poor decision on a number of levels,” said Joe Davis, a
> spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars. “Not only will the U.S.
> government have to pay higher postage rates, they will no longer be able
>
> Some retirees who have received APO/FPO mail through embassies and
> consulates are particularly concerned about the effect on Tricare
> Mail-Order Pharmacy prescriptions.
>
>
> Tricare will continue to process prescriptions through Dec. 1 to allow
> time for delivery before the mail service ends, said spokeswoman Bonnie
> Powell.
>
> Tricare will begin sending out letters to affected retirees in the next
> few weeks to let them know of the change and their prescription options,
> she said.
>
> The core issue is a change in mail delivery responsibility for embassies
> and consulates, said a government official who spoke on the condition of
> anonymity.
>
> For about two years, officials from the State Department and Pentagon
> have been working to shift mail delivery to State Department facilities
> overseas from the traditional APO/FPO addresses to a new designation to
> be known as DPO, for Diplomatic Post Offices.
>
> Under the current system, the Defense Department covers the cost of
> getting APO/FPO mail from the U.S. port of embarkation to overseas
> locations, which is the most expensive part of the process. The State
> Department covers similar costs for diplomatic mail.
>
> Service, the Veterans Affairs Department, or a relative or friend of a
> facility at the U.S. port of embarkation where APO/FPO mail is processed
> for overseas delivery.
>
> As part of the initiative to separate State Department and military
> mail, State has said it cannot be responsible for the costs of mail
> going to military retirees at embassies and consulates. Although no firm
> cost estimates available, sources said the cost is considerable.
>
> State Department retirees living in overseas areas have never been
> authorized to receive APO/FPO mail, nor will they be authorized to
> receive DPO mail, the source said.
>
> Complicating the issue further, the Defense Department, by law, cannot
> pay the State Department for delivery of military retiree mail, the
> source said. Defense and service officials reportedly are considering
> whether to pursue legislation that would allow the Defense Department to
> pay for military retiree mail to embassies and consulates, but cost is
> part of that decision.
>
> the fact that if retirees and their survivors are not notified in time
> to make alternate plans for getting their medications through Tricare,
> their health and even lives could be in jeopardy.
>
> The source said this only applies to post offices that will be converted
> to DPOs, and they will not be converted before this issue has been resolved.
>
> The largest number of affected retirees are in Panama.
>
> Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Jose Claudio, commander of the Latin
> America/Carribean chapter of the VFW, said about 900 military retirees
> are registered with the U.S. Consulate in Panama for mail purposes.
>
> widows,” Claudio said.
>
> “This will have a big impact on the veterans, widows and children,” said
> retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Floyd Skoubo, who handles Tricare
> issues for the VFW in Panama.
>
> Many retirees also get Social Security, military retirement and
> disability benefit checks through embassy and consulate post offices,
> Skoubo said.
>
> Using local foreign mail, those checks would become lucrative targets
> for theft, he said.
>
> In addition, he said, veterans living abroad must also file U.S. tax
> in local postal offices and mail forwarders,” he said.
There is no reason why anyone should receive any check through any
mail, when there is direct deposit. Same thing for taxes and most
everything listed. Same thing for prescriptions and - where do they
pick up the drugs now? - should be no difference. Of course the US
pulling the Panama Canal out from under the retirees, and giving it
away, is unusual, but I suspect that they are mostly Panamanians
anyway, or they would not be there, so they can move back to CONUS, or
go with the locals. That was the choice that they made. I looked
into moving to a foreign country and they all had some drawback, which
was a choice. I do not know why they are surprised.
liam.ba...@gmail.com
Can you cite an article on this. I wish to do research and address the matter. Write back.
Mvh,
Liam
Jim_Higgins
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