Farmington Gets Totah Chapter!

Friday, October 22, 1999 was the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work by the organizing committee. The official chartering of our very own independent chapter—The Totah Chapter.

The initial and majority of the work was accomplished by the organizing committee. Initially and informally the committee of two, Rear Admiral Black and Captain Bailey, explored the requirements and possibility of breaking away from our status as a sub-chapter of Albuquerque (ALBUTROA).

At first, the task seemed to be daunting—seems we had to substantiate that the Farmington area could support a Chapter. But nailing down the exact requirements was illusive. After many phones calls and some leg work, the requirements became known.

Now all that had to be done was to fill out the ton of paper work and submit it to National. To achieve that task, several other members were “volunteered” to fill out the remainder of the Organizing Committee. Those members being Al Garcia, Jack Morgan, and Mike Mikitka.

Officers Receive Totah Charter

We certainly offer our thanks and congratulations to the Organizing Committee for the fine work they did in achieving this goal.

The organizing (chartering) ceremony was conducted by COL James F. Pauls, Deputy Director, Council and Chapter Affairs from the national office of The Retired Officers Association. Distinguished guests in attendance included New Mexico Senator R. L. Stockard, Sid Maestas—Mayor of Bloomfield; Mike Arnold—Mayor of Aztec, Keith Haugland—Publisher of The Daily Times, and as a witness from the New Mexico Council of Chapters, Tom Martin.

COL Pauls congratulated the group and explained how please and honored he was to be welcoming a new chapter into affiliation. He presented the Charter and gavel to the Chapter’s officers- elect.

All members were then encouraged to sign the charter member parchment.

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Officers-elect Sworn In

After the organizing ceremony, the officers-elect (Al Garcia, Terry Fredericks, and Earl Mealer) were sworn in to office by COL Pauls.

LTC Al Garcia is the new President; MAJ Terry Fredericks, the new Vice President, and Capt Earl Mealer, the new Secretary/Treasurer.

LTC Garcia expressed the Officers' gratitude to the members and the Organizing Committee for the work they had accomplished. He then called for any other business and received a motion from LtJG Morgan that the initial Board of Directors be empowered by the membership to conduct necessary business in the Chapter’s name. The motion was seconded and carried by a unanimous vote of the members present. The membership meeting was then adjourned.

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National Mail Order Pharmacy

The Department of Defense has a National Mail Order Pharmacy Program that is a benefit for eligible Military Health Services System beneficiaries. The following are the benefits of the program:

Convenient delivery to your home or other temporary address.

Order up to a 90-day supply of non-controlled medications or up to a 30-day supply of controlled medications (as prescribed).

Low co-payments

Free Shipping and handling.

No claim forms to file and no waiting for reimbursement.

You can even phone in your refills.

The Pharmacy Program is administered by Merck-Medco Rx Services and is the nation’s most experienced prescription-by-mail service. They have registered pharmacists who are committed to filling every order with quality and care.

All Department of Defense beneficiaries must be registered with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) to use the mail order program. The following are eligible under the program:

Active Duty members worldwide.

All CHAMPUS/TRICARE beneficiaries under the age 65.

Uniformed Services Treatment Facility (UTSF) enrollees.

All Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Medicare eligible.

If you are taking prescription medication on an ongoing basis, such as medication to treat high blood pressure or asthma, diabetes or any long term heath condition, you should consider using this program. This program is not intended to be used for acute medications such as antibiotics. Under this program, when appropriate, the generic equivalent medications will be substituted for the brand-name medications. If the generic drug does not exist, the brand-name will be dispensed.

If you have other health insurance with a pharmacy benefit, you will be required to use the other available pharmacy benefit coverage before using the National Mail Order Pharmacy benefit.

Ordering new prescriptions.
Ask your doctor to prescribe needed medication for up to 90-days supply (non-controlled) or 30-days (controlled), plus refills if appropriate. Mail your prescription and correct co-payment in the special order envelope. Be sure to complete the Patient Health Registration Form the first time you order.

Refilling your medication.
To be sure you never run short of your prescription medication, you should re-order on or after the refill date indicated on the refill slip or when you have fewer than 14 days medication left. Simply mail your refill slip and co-payment in the special order envelope.

Delivering your medication.
Your order is usually processed within 48 hours and shipped to you via U.S. Mail or UPS along with instructions for future refills.

Paying for medication.
You may pay by check, money order or you may authorize billing to your VISA, MasterCard, or Discover credit card.

The co-payment is as follows:

	Active Duty members	None
	Active Duty family members	$4.00
	Retirees and their family members (USTF and BRAC Medicare-eligible):	$8.00

You may contact the National Mail Order Pharmacy Program customer services at 1-800-903-4680 to obtain additional information and an initial supply of envelopes.

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Calendar

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Committee Members Needed

Now that we are our own chapter, the membership has an obligation to appoint and participate in a number of committees. Each TROA chapter should have a minimum of four committees — Membership, Program, Legislative and Personal Affairs.

The Membership Committee organizes and directs the recruitment of new members. They establish goals, plan and carryout membership solicitation drives. TROA recommends five to nine members for this committee.

The Program Committee plans and carries out the short and long-term activities of the Chapter. One of the most important functions is to obtain interesting speakers for the meetings. Three to five members is recommended.

The Legislative Committee monitors and informs the Chapter of legislation and government developments that might affect service retirees, active duty personnel, and the dependents of either group, or the national security. A challenging task of this committee is to plan and execute lobbying that the membership might authorize. And as far as possible, establish and maintain good working relationships with local, state, and national legislators who represent voters in the Farmington area. This committee should have three to seven members.

The Personal Affairs committee organizes and provides information and assistance to the membership. Includes publishing the newsletter. The committee helps member submit inquiries, applications, and claims to governmental agencies such as the Office of Veterans Affairs and military personnel and finance offices. Expressions of sympathy and assistance are provided to members and families in the case of serious illness or death. The committee needs three to five members.

Pick a committee you’d like to be on and let the Board know that you would like to serve..

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