AFSPA Talks

Happy Pride! For this week's episode, we wanted to share some information that would be helpful to members who have contacted us with questions about care and support for their children who are exploring their identities. We went back into our archive, and we're sharing an episode with Alyssa Clayden, PhD, LICSW, from the Truman Group that we originally published in June 2024.   You can stay in touch with AFSPA and all we have coming up by visiting www.afspa.org/events [https://www.afspa.org/events] or by following up on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @afspacares.    Join us for AFSPA Live at 11 am ET on Thursday, June 26, on Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The recent changes to the federal workforce and the uncertainty that continues for many have resulted in mental health concerns for many with ties to federal employment - employees and family members alike. Stress, anxiety, fear, anger, and worry are all understandable reactions, but you do not have to face these challenges alone. We at AFSPA encourage you to make use of resources that may be available to you through community groups, employee assistance programs, and your health benefits.  In today's episode, we highlight the long-term partnership between the Foreign Service Benefit Plan and the Truman Group. During our interview, Diane Nickeson-Mendheim, MSW, LCSW, describes how ex-pats can access care from the Truman Group for a variety of mental and behavioral health needs.  To learn more about the Truman Group, visit https://trumangroup.com/ [https://trumangroup.com/].  For more on mental wellness programs offered through the Foreign Service Benefit Plan, please visit https://www.afspa.org/fsbp/wellness-programs/manage-specific-conditions/#mental_wellness [https://www.afspa.org/fsbp/wellness-programs/manage-specific-conditions/#mental_wellness].

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, we continue our conversation from Annual Meeting about weight loss, cardiovascular health, and diabetes management. Today's focus is on Chronic Care Management Programs. To tell us more about those programs, we have Grace Silverio from Teladoc Health.  For more information about the Chronic Care Management Programs available to Foreign Service Benefit Plan members at NO COST, click here [https://www.teladochealth.com/benefits/fsbp]. If you have questions about these programs, join AFSPA Live [https://www.youtube.com/live/2dWxnaDg_Wk?si=qrZQbp1oe3yOtxcR], our live Q&A session, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 11 AM ET. If you would like to submit a question in advance, fill out this form [https://forms.office.com/r/gnENtH0wvD].

This month, AFSPA Talks takes a look at some of the support programs available to members of the Foreign Service Benefit Plan. To begin, we'll discuss the Lifestyle and Condition Coaching (LCC) program with Dr. Vivian Ogueli and Leah Perry, RN. They offer details on how to complete a health risk assessment (HRA) and earn $75 in wellness incentives, utilize the LCC offerings to mitigate any health risks, meet your goals, and generally improve your health.    For more information about LCC and other support programs, please visit www.afspa.org/fsbp/wellness.

In this podcast episode, AFSPA CEO, Kyle Longton provides a comprehensive overview of how Medicare and the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program work together. Learn about each part of Medicare - A, B, C, and D - and what factors you should consider when deciding whether to enroll in Part B.   Please note: this presentation addresses only how Medicare and FEHB work together. It is not intended for audiences beyond those with FEHB coverage. The information is accurate as of March 4, 2025.   For information on Part B premiums and Part D premiums/IRMAA amounts, please visit: https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/115... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUQ2Q2V6VWxSU09iRHhjZVN6RlQzV1FzaEdMUXxBQ3Jtc0ttaWx4anFWMjBXbUYtcHBVTnpSSEhwUXQ4VmVaVXhzQzMyQ1lTVWlIdzFIMGNNaVpDdzFtRmVKR183dTVYaUhCYnBlM284a0V5c3duWXdVM0poN0IzOGZxYWJ0NXlxT1R5S0JVOFFZSG13elEwVXpMaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicare.gov%2FPubs%2Fpdf%2F11579-medicare-costs.pdf&v=dAUUHlzZqMQ]. To learn more about signing up for Medicare, visit: https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3REQlJfZUE5MjUwYlhrRlZlOExFYUQyNElMd3xBQ3Jtc0ttbU94bnRZYVdlWkVTLW5UZGtXZGppQ3RMWmNZbllKclc3eE9waE1kUmVfeWg1cmF4UFFULVlkMHROcGdPbVc2NnpLX20yNWVMaUhPLU4zV29nUzQ1WTNrREZyZ2QtV1hpeTc5dXd6bE12QVdzY3ByWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ssa.gov%2Fmedicare%2Fsign-up&v=dAUUHlzZqMQ]. To learn more about the Foreign Service Benefit Plan and Medicare, visit: https://www.afspa.org/fsbp-and-medicare/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGVTM0IxNERyOUlMZEJENUlzcUp2aEFubVBfQXxBQ3Jtc0trX0FrWlhxSzlNTExuUGhRaFV3a080Qjd2R3M0alZjakhZTUNqeUt0MTBCTXA2OHhMN3M5SHlfS19LQVlleVR2RHV1VmJqd2pDZ0o5Tl84S21RVVVROVJZTVl3LW42aFhuQTBhNWlvR0JUQ0drYnIyWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.afspa.org%2Ffsbp-and-medicare%2F&v=dAUUHlzZqMQ]