CFO-ADMIN NEWS YOU CAN USE

A Monthly Newsletter from ITA Administration
Office of the Chief Financial Officer

March 18, 2009

Transit Benefit Updates

 

What You Need to Know About the Increase in the Transit Benefit Allowance:  The Federal Stimulus Law contains an increase in the transit benefit allowance from $120 to $230 per month beginning in March 2009.  Additionally, the Department of Transportation has discontinued MetroCheks and replaced them with SmartBenefits Vouchers.  Here are a few frequently-asked questions about the transition and the increase:

 

Am I eligible for the increase?  Every transit benefit participant will not be eligible for the increase.  Only those participants who exceed the $120 per month in commuting expenses (excluding parking) will be eligible.

 

My transportation service doesn’t accept Metro’s SmarTrip Card!  What do I do? If you use transportation services that do not accept the SmarTrip Card, then you will receive SmartBenefits Vouchers in lieu of Metrocheks at the next quarterly distribution on March 17-19, 2009 here at the HCHB.  Vouchers can only be used for commuter services that have not transitioned to the SmarTrip card.  They cannot be loaded onto the SmarTrip cards and are not redeemable for cash. 

 

What do I do with my unused Metrocheks?  Unused Metrocheks can be loaded onto SmarTrip cards or exchanged for SmartBenefits Vouchers before April 1, 2009.  The Metrocheks will no longer be valid after April 1^st.

 

How do I transition my transit benefits to Metro’s SmarTrip Card?  If you’re still relying on the antiquated Metrocheks and use a transportation service that accepts the SmarTrip card, then it’s time for a change. To join SmartBenefits, first purchase your SmarTrip card from Metro’s sales offices or online and remember to register it at the time of your purchase.  Then, click here to go to the Department’s Transit Subsidy website and download the SmartBenefits Application (halfway down the page).  Bring your completed application and a legible photocopy of the back of your registered SmarTrip card to Sharon Russell in the Office of Organization and Management Support in Room 4001.

 

If you have any questions, please call Sharon Russell, ITA’s Transit Benefit Manager, at 202-482-3267 or Sharon.Russell@mail.doc.gov.  You can also visit the Department’s Transit Subsidy Questions & Answers Page.

 

Save Energy and Money

 

In the current economy, everyone wants to do what they can to reduce expenses.  Did you know that you can lower your energy costs and also help the environment at the same time, using some simple energy saving steps?  Here are some tips from www.energysavers.gov on how to save energy and reduce your costs at home:

Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.

• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

• Drive sensibly.  Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

By following these tips, you can reduce your costs and also help save the environment.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jeff Scherr, at 202-482-3266 or Safety@mail.doc.gov.

 

FedTraveler:  Your E-Travel  Solution is Coming Soon!

 

By now, many of you have probably heard the term “FedTraveler” bandied about in your office – most likely from your frustrated Travel Contacts who have invested a lot of blood, sweat and tears in helping to bring this system to life for ITA.  FedTraveler.com is a GSA-approved e-travel solution which will help ITA and the Department of Commerce to satisfy the E-Gov travel initiative, and Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) requirements.  This web-based system will manage Federal employees’ official travel and will have the FTR built into the system.  Since this will be a fully-automated, paperless system, processing time will be faster and costs will be reduced.  Some other benefits of FedTraveler are:

 

• You can plan your own travel on-line, much like you would plan your own vacation (think “Orbitz” or “Travelocity”).

• You will be able to make your travel and lodging arrangements from anywhere as long as you have a connection to the Internet.

• Your travel order will be automatically linked to the travel voucher – much of your voucher will be filled in before you even begin to process it.

• Managers and budget planners will have new reporting features.

• The system will contain links to weather reports, exchange rates, maps, travel news, and airport & airline information.

 

The migration to FedTraveler will involve over one thousand ITA users at headquarters in the first phase of implementation and the Commercial Service domestic field offices will migrate in the future.  The current plan is for training on the new system to begin sometime in mid-April, with the system set to “go-live” on April 30^th.

 

The Travel Contacts have put in a lot of time and effort behind the scenes to make sure that all of the data for the new system is accurate so that your travel plans will work out smoothly once we go live.  They all deserve recognition for their patience and perseverance.  If you have not thanked the Travel Contact in your unit lately, you should.  In case you’re not sure who to thank, your travel contacts are: IA -- Lavenia Moultrie, MAS -- Annette Henderson, MAC -- Emma Payne, OCIO -- Juanita Beck, US&FCS -- Angela Pinckney, and the ITA Travel Contact -- Sharon Russell.  If you have questions or would like more information about FedTraveler, please contact Sharon Russell at 202-482-3267 or by e-mail at Sharon.Russell@mail.doc.gov or Curtis Oja at 202-482-6123 or by e-mail at Curtis.Oja@mail.doc.gov.

 

OFM Budget Analyst Travels to China

Recently, Peggy Fouts, the budget analyst who supports Import Administration (IA), had the opportunity to assist IA with a case review in China.  Through this assignment, Peggy learned more about IA’s casework and improved her ability to support the program before Departmental and OMB budget reviewers.  The team that Peggy supported verified Steel Threaded Rod (STR) sales to the United States being reported by major Chinese exporters. The verification started in Hong Kong, and continued on to Jiaxing, the manufacturing city and then to Ningbo. Their final stop was in Shanghai.  Peggy learned about the steps taken when verifying cases and contributed significantly to the IA mission. 

After Peggy’s involvement, Commerce announced its final determination in the antidumping duty investigation on imports of steel threaded rod from China.  It has been preliminarily determined that producers/exporters from China have sold steel threaded rod in the United States at prices below normal value.  Mandatory respondent IMB and IFI Group received a final rate of 55.16% while Ningbo Yingzhou Foreign Trade Co., Ltd received a final dumping rate based on adverse facts available (206%).  Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair value.

From a personal development perspective Peggy learned the behind the scene rigors and complexity of anti-dumping reviews in a location where U.S. government involvement is not particularly welcome.  A bonus was her exposure to many facets of China’s customs, business practices and culture. She had the chance to eat a variety of different foods and learned about some of their more interesting non-tourist customs, and saw many interesting sights.  If you have any questions, please call Peggy Fouts at 202-482-1952.

OFM New Employee in Accounting

 

Drum roll please...The Office of Financial Management hales the long awaited arrival of our new Accountant, Roger Fox.

 

Even the Washington area's biggest snowstorm could not keep Roger away as he officially arrived in ITA on Monday, March 2.  

 

Roger is from the Baltimore area and graduated from the University of Maryland with a double degree (B.S./B.A.) in Accounting and German while maintaining a 3.9 GPA.  He also studied abroad in Tubingen, Germany where he focused his studies on international law and media.  He is a licensed CPA in the state of Maryland and worked previously as a public accountant with Deloitte & Touche LLP.

 

Roger will be managing the Hospitality Fund and serving as a liaison between OFM and NIST among other duties.   He said, “I am looking forward to contributing an enthusiastic, thorough, and responsive approach to my work on the ITA team”

 

I hope everyone will give Roger a warm welcome as he gets to know ITA and all of you.  He will be sitting in Room 4111 and is ready and willing to assist you.  If you would like to contact him, he can be reached at 202-482-5434 or by email at file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Nina%20Harris/Local%20Settings/Temp/notesBAAA25/Roger.Fox@mail.doc.gov.

 

More Pitfalls in the Information Technology Age – Medical Identity Theft

 

What is the new wave of fraudulent, criminal activity which can lead to serious financial consequences and potential health risk for citizens in this country and around the world?  The answer is medical identity theft.  Many of you have heard of financial identity theft, but how many have heard of medical identity theft?  What is it?  How can you protect yourself and what should you do if you become a victim?

 

Medical identity theft as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is:

 

“… a specific type of identity theft which occurs when a person uses someone else's personal health identifiable information, such as insurance information, Social Security Number, health care file, or medical records, without the individual's knowledge or consent to obtain medical goods or services, or to submit false claims for medical services.”

 

This type of identity theft can have devastating medical consequences and result in a significant financial burden if not detected early.  If someone uses your health information to obtain medical services and their health profile differs from yours (e.g., different blood type, current medications and chronic illnesses like diabetes), this discrepancy in your file could impact the quality of care you receive and could ultimately endanger your life.  The financial impact is also significant if you are required to pay for services obtained in your name.

 

Unfortunately, early detection of a problem is difficult because most people do not routinely review their medical records.  Victims often become aware of a problem when they get a notice for an unpaid bill for a medical procedure they did not receive.  By that time, it is typically too late and the difficult process to clear an error on a medical record begins. 

 

So, what can you do to prevent medical identity theft from happening to you?  Pamela Yip, in a recent article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, identified the following methods to prevent medical identity theft:

 

• Review the “explanation of benefits” that you insurance company sends to ensure you received all the services documented on the form
• Match the dates of service to your records to determine any suspicious activity
• Guard your health card as you would a credit card

 

If you think you are a victim of medical identity theft, follow these steps:

 

• Contact your health provider and insurer
• File a police report
• Correct erroneous and false information in your file
• Take detailed notes of everyone you speak with to build your case

 

For tips on medical identity theft and what you can do to prevent it, click here: http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/medidtheft_consumertips.html

 

For more information on efforts the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun to counter medical identity theft, click on the following link: http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/privacy/theft.html.

 

 

 

  Where can I find information on the distinctions and the levels in the 5-Level Performance Management System? 

 

Believe it or not there are key distinctions in the rating levels (i.e., 2, 3, 4 and 5) in the Department’s 5-level performance management system, which covers all ITA employees. The Office of Strategic Resources in CFO/Admin has created a web page with information on these distinctions.  When an employee knows the difference between the levels, he/she will be able to understand the performance expectations for each level. To that end, employees and supervisors are encouraged to have ongoing discussions about performance expectations and progress in achieving those expectations.  To view the key distinctions go to http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/documents/distinctions_345.pdf.  

 

For additional information on performance management, please visit ITA’s Performance Management web page at http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/pms.htm.  You can also contact Ruben.Pedroza@mail.doc.gov for questions about performance management.

 

 Send your suggestions or comments about this newsletter to Nina.Harris@mail.doc.gov