A Message from Your President
With the next meeting, I will be
ending my term as President of the Southern Maine Chapter, MOAA.
It has been both a privilege and an honor to serve you for the past two
years. It has been an interesting two years for me and I hope for
you as well. We initiated a couple of changes that I hoped would
help make all the meetings more interesting.
First of all, at the Board of Directors meetings we invited several
speakers to share their interesting backgrounds prior to the start of
our monthly meetings. The speakers were given 10-15 minutes
before our meetings started.
1. We heard a paramedic from the city of South Portland describe
what happened at the dispatch center and what the caller should do
after making a 911 call.
2. A young man described his demanding training
as a Navy SEAL. The final week of training was called “Hell
Week,” and we learned why.
3. We also heard a very interesting discussion on PTSD and TBI from Jack Berman, a long-time member of the Board.
4. Don Maxwell, also a long-time member of the Board,
spoke to us about his involvement with the sinking of the USS
Indianapolis during WWII and assisting the crew.
5. Another guest speaker described working with
returning Maine troops and the potential problems with mental health
issues many of these troops now face.
6. A gentleman from the VA in Togus spoke to the Board about services offered at the VA facility in Augusta.
7. Another example…we heard from an individual who has become
very involved with assisting homeless veterans in Southern Maine and
how our organization could help.
Our November Speaker. Col Rob McAleer, Dir. MEMA
It was a dreary, wet day at the Woodlands Club when nearly 60 members
and guests from the Southern Maine Chapter, MOAA, gathered for a cheery
brunch and lots of warm smiles. Our guest speaker was none other
than our own Col Rob McAleer, long-time Membership Chairman and
Webmaster, who was wearing his “other hat” that day, Director, Maine
Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Rob’s message addressed the
very real threat to our state and the nation from H1N1, or Swine
Flu. Globally, H1N1 has affected 199 countries with 6,000
confirmed deaths. It is spreading rapidly across Canada with a
heavy impact on schools. It is back in Mexico with more deaths
reported than we saw last spring. It is spreading quickly across
Europe, Mongolia, China and Japan. Reports of H1N1 from the
Southern Hemisphere are generally declining.
Nationally, as of November 13th, 22 million Americans have contracted
H1N1 during the last 6 months, resulting in 3,900 deaths (2,920 were
18-64 years old; 540 were pediatric deaths). Seasonal flu kills
about 36,000 annually, 95 percent are elderly with other health
issues. The H1N1 flu is affecting up to 30 percent relatively
young people in good health. To date 42 million doses of vaccine
have been delivered to the Federal Government. In addition, 33
million courses of Tamiflu will have been prescribed to combat the flu
by the end of 2009.
In Maine, H1N1 is now active in all counties. All new outbreaks
have been in schools. To date 19 people have been hospitalized;
three people have died. Only 41,000 doses of vaccine have been
delivered to the state out of an expected 180,000. There is
enough for approximately 1 out of 4 high-risk patients or 1 out of 8
Mainers. Rob hoped the numbers would improve by the end of
December so that at least 50 percent of high-risk persons could receive
the vaccine, with 100 percent coverage by the end of January.
There are 9 formulations of the vaccine, each with an age range and
other parameters. Priority groups include children 6 months to 18
years; pregnant women; caregivers and household members of infants
younger than 6 months; adults 18-64 with chronic medical conditions;
and health care providers with direct contact with infectious material
and inpatients that are high risk. The good news is that so far it does
not seem to be a big problem for seniors unless they have underlying
medical conditions. This may be because this age group may have
some immunity from earlier exposures to flu. Seasonal flu has had
a more serious effect on seniors. If you do get sick, ask your
doctor for Tamiflu. The best advice: stay away from
sick people, wash
February Speaker, Dr. Thomas Eastler, Professor of Geology, U. Maine Farmington
Now that we’ve entered into the
coldest part of the year you’ll no doubt be looking for some warm,
enjoyable activities to liven up the scene. Why not plan to join
us for our next Quarterly Luncheon at the Woodlands on February 13,
2010? We will gather to hear Colonel Tom Eastler, USAFR
(Ret), Professor of Geology at U.ME at Farmington speak about the
importance of geology in tactical as well as strategic planning by the
Department of Defense. Although much has been written about
above-ground fortification throughout history, only a very few of the
below-ground facilities have gained any measure of notoriety until most
recently, usually in a negative sense (ala the infamous Maginot line in
France prior to WWII).
Tom was born in Boston, MA, in 1944 and grew up in Waltham. He
earned his BS in Geology from Brown University in 1966, his MS from
Columbia University in 1968 and his Ph.D., also from Columbia, in
1971. He has an impressive history of teaching and consulting
activities related to geology and earth history. He has published
extensively over his 40-year career, authoring over 20 civilian papers
and 11 publications for the Department of Defense on a wide variety of
subjects. Tom is married and has three adult children. He
and his wife live in Farmington, ME.
Our meeting falls just before Valentine’s Day this year so we hope you
will join us for a very special luncheon and a red carnation.
TRICARE, Health Care Reform and more
With the health care reform bill
working its way toward the president’s desk, I’m frequently asked about
how the legislation will affect military veterans who use TRICARE or VA
health care. The short answer is that the current proposed
reforms do not directly affect TRICARE or VA benefits at all. The
bill is focused on expanding the access to health insurance for people
who lack adequate coverage now. Longer term, I don’t expect that
we have by any means reached the end of the health care debate or
related legislative actions. That’s where TRICARE, in particular,
might sustain some collateral damage. The biggest challenge is
the huge growth in the expense of medical care. Restraining cost
is tough because so much real money and so many big players are
involved – and because the trend in our national demographics doesn’t
portend lower costs. I’ll be very surprised if the current reform
legislation ends up adequately addressing this issue. Painful
additional steps like constraining payments to doctors and hospitals
and raising taxes and cost sharing for some beneficiaries seem
likely. Military people could be affected in terms of the access
we have and the price we have to pay. Stay tuned.
At the national level, the enormous size of the federal budget deficit
is going to get some serious attention. Once that starts, there
will be lots of proposals to curtail
Martin’s Point Health Care
The Martin’s Point Health Care Military Advisory Committee met on
December 8, 2009. Col Bill Hall introduced two new members of the
Martin’s Point Team. Tim Dunnigan is the new US Family Health
Plan health benefits specialist responsible for the markets in central
and southern New York. Duke Dufresne is the vice president for
health plan medical management responsible for the clinical aspects of
health plan operations.
Martin’s Point reached new weekly and monthly acquisitions during
2009. The member goal for 2010 is 33,500. As always, members of
the council voiced concern over growth outrunning capabilities and
Martin’s Point officials respond that it is a major concern of theirs
as well.
Dan Wasneechak, director of government
operations, recently visited Maine Reps/Senate staff in Washington, DC
and reports they voice strong support of USFHP/TRICARE/Naval Exchange
and Commissary at Brunswick. Marc Badeau reviewed the history of
Operation Tribute as well as plans for the future. 2009 will see
an expansion to New Jersey so the territory now includes all of
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President's Message (cont)
All these speakers were interesting
and well received. As a direct result, the Board of Directors
voted to donate money on several occasions to deserving groups
representing veterans in our state. It was also very important
that we attempt to find speakers whose topics would appeal to our
guests as well as MOAA members at our Quarterly Meetings. Some of
our speakers were:
1. The president of the Maine/Montreal Pipeline, who explained the history and future plans of that corporation.
2. Joe Cupo, weatherman for WCSH-TV Channel 6 in Portland, was well received.
3. It was an eye-opener to hear Dr. Anderson describe the amount of water that is available to Mainers.
4. Our own Col Rob McAleer, the Director of MEMA, addressed the
membership on a very topical subject, H1N1, or Swine Flu, epidemic or
pandemic. Those who attended and heard Rob speak had a much
clearer understanding of this flu threat to our state.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the officers for their advice and
hard work during the past 2 years. We now have an updated set of
by-laws as well as a working budget that allows us to better control
our expenses. We have had successful golf tournaments that allow
us to increase our gifts to ROTC scholarships. The ROTC Committee
is very involved with Junior and Senior ROTC units throughout the state
and the awards our Chapter has given to deserving students are designed
to be different, yet of lasting value to the student
I look forward to working with our new President, Col Bill Hall and all
that he will bring to our organization. Best wishes to you all in
the coming years.
Robert B. Wood
Captain, USA
President
November Speaker (cont)
your hands often, sneeze into your sleeve, and stay at home if you get ill.
The H1 N1 vaccine is manufactured the same was as seasonal flu vaccine
under licensing from the Food and Drug Administration. To date,
there have only been a few reactions to the new vaccine, with no
hospitalizations. One person in a million vaccinations may
develop Guillain-Barre syndrome, far more will get GBS from the flu
itself. Every year between 3-6,000 people develop GBS whether or
not they receive a vaccination (1-2 cases per 100,000 people).
Two-thirds of the people who get GBS develop it within 5-7 days after
having been sick.
In Maine, H1N1 is now active in all counties. All new outbreaks
have been in schools. To date 19 people have been hospitalized;
three people have died. Only 41,000 doses of vaccine have been
delivered to the state out of an expected 180,000. There is
enough for approximately 1 out of 4 high-risk patients or 1 out of 8
Mainers. Rob hoped the numbers would improve by the end of
December so that at least 50 percent of high-risk persons could receive
the vaccine, with 100 percent coverage by the end of January.
There are 9 formulations of the vaccine, each with an age range and
other parameters. Priority groups include children 6 months to 18
years; pregnant women; caregivers and household members of infants
younger than 6 months; adults 18-64 with chronic medical conditions;
and health care providers with direct contact with infectious material
and inpatients that are high risk. The good news is that so far it does
not seem to be a big problem for seniors unless they have underlying
medical conditions. This may be because this age group may have
some immunity from earlier exposures to flu. Seasonal flu has had
a more serious effect on seniors. If you do get sick, ask your
doctor for Tamiflu. The best advice: stay away from sick
people, wash your hands often, sneeze into your sleeve, and stay at
home if you get ill.
The H1 N1 vaccine is manufactured the same was as seasonal flu vaccine
under licensing from the Food and Drug Administration. To date,
there have only been a few reactions to the new vaccine, with no
hospitalizations. One person in a million vaccinations may
develop Guillain-Barre syndrome, far more will get GBS from the flu
itself. Every year between 3-6,000 people develop GBS whether or
not they receive a vaccination (1-2 cases per 100,000 people).
Two-thirds of the people who get GBS develop it within 5-7 days after
having been sick.
Chapter Dues 2010
Normally we send out our annual dues letters in early January with
payments due in February. In an effort to avoid the extra work
and expense it takes to prepare and mail 400 letters, we have decided
to include the dues letter as part of the February Newsletter.
Please fill out this form, cut it out and send in your annual dues
(again $15.00) for the year. If you send the check directly to our Membership Chairman, Rob McAleer, it will help to expedite the process. Rob’s address is at the bottom of the form.
For those of you that get electronic copies of the newsletter, we will be sending you an email with the form attached.
Please make checks payable to “Southern Maine Chapter MOAA.” Any
members that joined the Chapter and paid dues after October 1, 2009 are
considered to be paid in full for 2010. Auxiliary Members
(Surviving Spouses) are not required to pay annual Chapter dues.
As always, however, any voluntary contributions to the General Fund or
ROTC fund are greatly appreciated.
Since I first started doing the membership work back in 2002-2003, it
has never ceased to amaze me how loyal and generous our members
are. Many of you are on fixed incomes and could find any number
of uses for your money. Yet, year after year you continue to
support the Chapter and the programs it sponsors. Hopefully in
these tough economic times, you will be able to continue that
support. So let me just say in advance, “Thank you!” (Col
Rob McAleer, Membership Chair)
TRICARE, Health CAre and more (cont)
federal benefit programs. Retirement pay, medical coverage, cost-of-living
allowances, Medicare premiums, etc., will all be examined with the
intention of reducing the government’s burden. Senator Judd Gregg
(R, NH) is already advocating a commission to review federal benefit
programs and design a regime of cost controls that Congress (like the
base closure proposals) could approve or reject only as a whole.
Whatever the outcome of efforts to reform health care or to control the
deficit, the Defense Department will continue trying to convince
Congress to have military beneficiaries – in particular, retirees –
bear a higher proportion of the costs of medical care. The
Department of Defense has not been successful so far, but Defense’s
losing streak won’t last forever. We should expect that retirees
using TRICARE, probably including TRICARE for Life and the US Family
Health Plan, will eventually pay more from their own pockets for
enrollment fees, medical services, and prescription medications.
Pardon the dark scenario. It’s actually not all doom and gloom
out there. We’re privileged to serve or have served our nation
and, actually, to be pretty well taken care of as a result. But
these times are challenging for the country. And our benefits
structure isn’t carved in New England granite. Be ready for some
changes. (Col Bill Hall, 1st Vice President)
Martin's Point Health Care (cont)
New England, New York, and New Jersey. Anne
McVeigh-Morin, health benefits advisor, presented the Consumer
Assessment of Healthcare providers and Systems program, which is a
public-private initiative to develop standardized surveys of patients'
experiences with ambulatory and facility-level care.
There was no change in Martin’s Point scores from 2007 to 2009, which
indicates consistency of performance. Compared to benchmarks,
Martin’s Point results are significantly higher than commercial health
plans in almost all composites and key questions. Mark Andrews,
provider operations representative, reported on network additions in
Western New York, New Hampshire and Maine.
Paul Loveless, member from Brunswick, voiced concern over the need for
a pharmacy in Brunswick. Analysis of this need continues and now
must consider Bowdoin Medical Group facility, which recently joined
Martin’s Point. The next meeting will be March 10, 2010.
(Col Douglas J. Scott, Medical Affairs Committee)
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Military Officers Association of America 
