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Cigna will be available in the Hague on 14 september 2023 for personal interviews

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To enhance further the service provided to EPO staff, Cigna offers personal interviews on a regular basis. The purpose of these individual meetings is to offer all colleagues the opportunity to discuss their individual cases and get answers to specific questions regarding their medical insurance coverage.

For example, you can ask the Cigna experts what treatment options are covered to which extent by the EPO healthcare insurance, or you can discuss the details of a settlement note for a treatment you or a family member recently had. Cigna will also be able to explain for which treatments it is advisable to get prior approval and how they could issue a guarantee of payment prior to the treatment date if this is needed by the medical provider.

Appointments of 15 minutes per person are available and can take place either in person or virtually (phone or video).

Thursday 14 September 2023 from 9.00 to 16.00 hrs in The Hague, Room SH-S0.12.

To arrange an appointment with Cigna, please contact them directly via email. You will then receive confirmation of your appointment from Cigna, along with the exact time.

epo@cigna.com

The phone interviews will be conducted with the same level of confidentiality as face-to-face personal meetings.

FRANCE – Tables of equivalence 2023 (revenue 2022) – confirmed

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We have received the following information from the Office:

Please be informed that the tables of equivalence for France (income 2022) have been confirmed by DGFIP.

Concerning the tax pressure, there is a decrease for all pension levels, civil status and age due to the modification of the tax scale by increasing the tax brackets (5.4%) to take into account the inflation.

ISRP will inform the pensioners who have chosen the France pension tables accordingly.

New brochure available related to Medical care in the Netherlands

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The Office has informed us that a new brochure, related to medical care in the Netherlands, drawn up in relation with Cigna, is available through the following link:

https://pensioners.epo.org/benefits/medical-care/cigna

10/07/2023 The brochure prepared by Cigna now appears to be not up to date. Members with questions on this matter can also send an email to secretary@epopens.eu

Reimbursement policy for costs related to COVID-19

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Following the President’s decision of 7 April 2020, the internal reimbursement policy for medical expenses relating to coronavirus was temporarily extended to 100% for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The policy was effective as of 30 January 2020.

On 5 May 2023, the WHO declared the end of a public health emergency of international concern due to COVID-19. This implies that the reasons for this exceptional measure have become obsolete. As a result the Office, after discussing at the GCC SSPR, has decided to abolish this measure as of 1 July 2023.

Covid-19 related costs incurred as of 1 July 2023 will be reimbursed in accordance with the general reimbursement rules as specified in Circular 368 – Guide to Cover.

Celebrations of the 40 years of the Pensioners Association

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As announced during the Association’s Annual General Meeting in April 2023, the Board has decided that instead of a single, centralised celebration, there will instead be a series of celebrations organised by each local section. By both staggering the events and providing a variety of venues in different countries, it should be possible for more members to participate in one (or more) of these celebrations providing ample opportunities to meet their former friends and colleagues in a festive environment.

To date, this is a provisional listing for the festivities planned by each of the local sections:

  • Munich: a Gala Dinner on 4 November 2023
  • Vienna:  a lunchtime boat trip (with catering) in late summer (end-August to mid-October 2023)
  • The Hague: a tour of the historical Tram Museum in The Hague followed by a buffet/dinner, in September 2023.
  • Berlin: a Dinner in the Amicale room in the Office on 29 August 2023.
  • Luxemburg: a Dinner or Lunch on 17 November 2023
  • UK /RI: a Lunch in mid-September 2023
  • Belgium: a Reception with lunch on 15 May 2023

This provisional listing will be up-dated as and when arrangements are confirmed by the sections. Then members will be invited to register to attend one or more events, thereby reserving their places.

For the latest information, keep an eye on the Webpage where all the relevant details will be found in due time.

Mise à jour sur les recours salaires. Recours tests 2022. Etape recours interne

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UPDATE: Investigation into Long Term Care in the Netherlands for family members of EPO pensioners

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In the last few weeks the Association has been contacted by members who are seeking advice on how to follow up the letter they have received from  the Netherlands Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB). The Association is in contact with the Office on this important topic.
Today the Office has informed us that Cigna will be sending an letter or email to all family members of EPO pensioners in The Netherlands. The  text of the introduction to this letter or email is as follows:
« Further to the email messages below I herewith would like to inform you that on behalf of the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa), ONVZ has requested the SVB for an statement with the current Wlz (NL Law on Long Term Care) situation of all family members of  retired EPO employees who have a Dutch basic insurance via the « EOB collectiviteit ».
The NZa has initiated this investigation because the Wlz situation of an insured can change over the years. »

NB All members who have received letters in which they are requested to telephone the SVB are STRONGLY ADVISED to do this without delay. Furthermore the very latest date for filing a complaint is mentioned in the letter you received.

Meeting with the Office: Pension for Health Reasons; Service from ISRP; Strike repayments; SVB LTC; Cigna, severe problems; Austrian law for International Organisations; Office Access

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On 29 September there was another constructive meeting with the Office at which the Board was represented by John Atkins and Jean-Pierre Ressenaar, and the Office by Alina Vengels.

Pension for Health Reasons under transitory measures

We were reminded of the time table for sending comparison calculations and requests forms for payment of additional compensation. It was confirmed that when a PHR pensioner reached the age of 65 he retires, and although remaining a PHR pensioner there are no longer payments of additional compensation.

How pensioners can contribute better service from ISRP

When sending requests to ISRP pensioners are requested to include their ISRP identifier which starts with 740 and to include all supporting documents in a single email.

Strikes, Tribunal) judgments of the 132nd session of the ILO Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT)

In 2013 the Office changed the strike regulations such that the deduction was 1/20th instead of 1/30th. This has been quashed by the ILOAT. Repayments of the differences owing are under way to the active staff and pensioners concerned with 5% interest per year. More extensive information is available on the EPO Pensioners’ Site.

SVB Long Term Care

Partners of some pensioners have received letters from the Netherlands Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) in which an undefined Long Term Care assessment is mentioned. This was not known to the Office. Copies of the letters have been sent to the Office for further investigation.

Cigna, severe reimbursement problems

Where there is an issue with Cigna on reimbursement and after having exhausted all clarification means with Cigna, the  Office Health and Safety directorate can be contacted, email address: healthandsafety@epo.org

Changes in Austrian law regarding International Organisations and their staff and former staff

The Association only recently learnt about the change in the Austrian law relating to International Organisations and their staf and former staff. We addressed the Office on this matter, but the Office was evidently unaware of this change. The association has therefore asked the Office to study this law change and to inform the Association accordingly. As soon as we know more it will be published on our website.

Access to Office locations

There are still strict limitations on the access of staff and others to Office locations. For active staff there is an upper limit of 30%. Self-testing/vaccination/recovery is deemed a pre-requisite. In common areas the wearing of masks is required. Visitors may be checked. The access for pensioners is still restricted. Home working will continue until the end of January 2022.

Coronavirus update.

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Coronavirus update

08.03.2020

Further preventative measures

Dear Colleagues,

Our Office will now take a series of further preventative measures to protect our staff and their families from Coronavirus, following the recent positive test of two pupils at the European School Munich (ESM):

  • All staff members who have a child currently studying at the ESM, or who are living in the same household as a child currently studying at the ESM, must work from home for 14 days as of Monday 9 March. If this applies to you, please come into the Office on Monday 9 March to collect any equipment or material that you already have that you need to work at home (laptop, hard token, etc). Please avoid contact with other colleagues and make your visit as brief as possible.
    • Creches at all sites will remain open. However, any child with siblings at the ESM should not attend the creche until the 14-day period above has expired.
    • The list of high-risk areas has been updated to the following: China, South Korea, Iran, the Northern Italian regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna and province of Bolzano (in South Tirol, Italy) and the German Landkreis Heinsberg in Nord Rhein Westfalen. If you have returned from any country or area designated as high risk within the last 14 days, you should not come into the Office. You will need to work from home for a period of 14 days from the date of your return from the high-risk area.
    • All Munich staff who are currently equipped to work at home (for Part Time Home Working), and who are not subject to any restrictions for entering the Office, may choose to work either from home or the Office until further notice. Please inform your line manager if you choose to work from home.
    • Staff should not travel between EPO sites within Munich (e.g. from PH to Isar) until further notice. Please replace all face-to-face meetings with Skype or Vico where possible. To comply with our legal obligations, these restrictions do not apply to oral proceedings, where separate guidance is available.
    • The cafeterias and canteens at our Munich sites will be closed until further notice and will operate only to supply food to the creche.
    • In Munich, sports classes are cancelled, the gyms will remain closed and the meetings of Amicale should not take place until further notice.
    • Any staff currently in regions subject to governmental travel restrictions, such as Italy, should contact their line manager and Health and Safety.

We are aware that not all staff are currently equipped to work from home. However, our colleagues in HR and BIT are working hard to find solutions and will be in touch with those who don’t have the equipment to work from home to ensure they get the necessary equipment as soon as possible. Furthermore the Office is also preparing guidelines that will assist staff in working from home and is exploring other support measures, such as the printing and delivery of files in these exceptional circumstances.

These measures are subject to further change and we will keep you informed.

Thank you for your support in helping to implement these additional precautions. We wish the children affected a very swift recovery.

Kind regards,

António Campinos

In Memoriam

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