AFSPA Talks

To kick off a month-long focus on overseas care, State Department Chief Medical Officer Larry Padget joins us to talk about the work of the Bureau of Medical Services (MED). Learn about the structure of a mission's Health Unit, the work of regional medical officers and medical providers, and the basics of a MEDEVAC situation. MED serves as the medical home for tens of thousands, and Dr. Padget provides an inside look for the rest of us. 

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, members of the Foreign Service community join to share their journeys with growing their families. Their stories of adoption, IVF, and surrogacy highlight the challenges and joys that each family experienced. In celebration of Pride Month, we are proud to feature stories from the LGBTQ+ community about their Family Formation Journeys. Thank you to glifaa (Gays, and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs agencies) for their help in putting this episode together.

For more information about the Institutes of Excellence Infertility Providers mentioned at the end of the episode, please visit www.aentainfertilitycare.com.

Today AFSPA Talks kicks off a month-long focus on infertility and family formation with a focus on the mental health. Experiencing challenges conceiving, facing a diagnosis of infertility, and considering ways to expand your family including ART procedures and adoption have effects beyond physical health. They can cause depression and anxiety, put strain on relationships, and more. Our guest today, Alicia Janik, PsyD, addresses the broad effects of infertility and family formation on our mental health.

If you missed our first AFSPA Live, please visit: www.youtube.com/afspacares

Resources: www.postpartum.net www.resolve.org
Coping With Infertility, Miscarriage, and Neonatal Loss: Finding Perspective and Creating Meaning by Amy Wenzel
PSI HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773

As we wrap up our focus on AFSPA's AIP options, Vishal Jain from Prudential joins us to discuss Financial Wellness. Learn about the connections between financial and mental wellness and how Prudential's Financial Wellness Program - available at no cost to all AFSPA members - can help you manager your daily spending, pay down debt, and plan for the future. 

For more information about this program, visit: https://www.afspa.org/professionalservices/#Financial_Wellness. 

If you missed our first AFSPA Live, please visit: www.youtube.com/afspacares

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO Kyle Longton talks about Life Insurance. Do you know the differences between term, whole, and universal life insurance? Nina Matias from Prudential does, and she’s back to share her expertise. This time, she talks about life and AD&D insurance. Find out about evolutions in the types of plans available and what considerations to take into account when deciding your coverage needs.  

For information about AFSPA’s life insurance plans, please visit www.afspa.org/life.  

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO Kyle Longton talks about AFSPA’s Disability and Critical Illness Insurance. AFSPA offers many different forms important forms of protection in the event of the unexpected. Two of those may seem to overlap or duplicate coverage: critical illness insurance and long term disability. They are not the same, and today’s episode explores what each covers, how the coverage works, and why you might want to consider one or both. Our focus with AIP continues with these deep-dive. Learn more about our disability and critical illness insurance. 

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO Kyle Longton talks about AFSPA’s Discount Care Program. Valerie DeBruin, VP of Network Operations for Careington and Dr. Joan Waldron discuss the discount plans - their value and how they work. Dr. Waldron also provides great information about the important of preventative dental care. For more information on AFSPA’s Discount Care Program, click here.  

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO, Kyle Longton and Adrienne Seabrooks, Director of Ancillary Insurance Programs at AFSPA, talk about some of the unique AIP programs AFSPA offers. This is a preview of four episodes in our “Focus on AIP” podcast series. To learn more about AFSPA’s Ancillary Insurance Programs (AIP), visit our website at afspa.org/aip. Watch this quick video to see how some of our most important ancillary programs came to be.

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO, Kyle Longton has an in-depth discussion with Dr. Peter Rasmussen, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Susan Scott, Director of Client Services at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic about our partnership with Cleveland Clinic for the overseas virtual second opinion program.   

The Foreign Service Benefit Plan has a special arrangement with Cleveland Clinic to provide a Virtual Second Opinion to patients who receive treatment in foreign countries. This program allows expert specialists from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic to review your medical diagnosis and treatment remotely. With 3,500 experts in over 550 advanced subspecialties, you can get help with nearly any health challenge. 

To request a Virtual Second Opinion for treatment received outside the U.S., simply email [email protected]. You may be asked to submit medical history and answer questions specific to your diagnosis. You also may need to gather information from your local physician or hospital, such as pathology (biopsy) slides or X-rays, and upload them to the site as instructed. 

You will be matched to the most appropriate Cleveland Clinic expert specialist who will review your medical history and original tests before rendering an informational second opinion. You will receive notification by e-mail within five calendar days that the opinion is ready for you to view online via a secure website. 

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, COO, Kyle Longton has an in-depth discussion on Medicare Advantage Plans  and how they work together with the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and commercial plans, with John H. Ficaro, Vice President of Aetna Group Retiree & De-Risking Solutions. This is the last episode of our "Focus on Medicare" podcast series.

If you missed the first two episodes of this series, below are the links to listen to each episode.

AFSPA Talks Medicare & the FEHB
AFSPA Talks Medicare, Tricare & the FEHB