Page 24 - October 2019 FOP

Medical benefits for active-duty members
Hello, my fraternal brothers and sisters.
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and for many Amer- icans, it’s a paid holiday or a day off from school. However, I ask that you take a few minutes for the true meaning of the day
and reminisce about those who served our country to preserve our freedoms. It’s the
time of year where we salute all our nation’s veterans and thank them for their service. In fact, I suggest that we all thank a veteran every
time we have the opportunity.
Many of our fellow citizens present speeches on this solemn
day. A few years ago, I read a quote from a speech by Congress- man Dan Lipinski that I found summed up my thoughts: “On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred ob- ligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.”
Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, the City of Chicago Council passed MCC 2-152-113 Reservist on Active Duty. This ordinance applies to all City of Chicago employees who are National Guard or Reserve members called to active duty. The last sentence of Section (b) reads: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any reservist called for active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, shall be entitled to full salary and medical benefits...” Yet many of our fellow officers have been charged for medical ben- efits for their families and in some cases were notified of their termination of medical benefits. We also had an officer who was
charged for medical benefits even though he was single with- out any dependents.
If you were called to active duty and had these prob- lems, please let us know as we may help to resolve the issue with the director of finance and/or director of hu- man resources. If the officer is deployed, please have your power of attorney call us. The bottom line is that
this ordinance was nation’s to provide medical benefits to the family members of the city employee while serving
our country.
MCC 2-152-113 also states that the chairman of the Commit-
tee on Finance, the commissioner of the Department of Human Resources and the chief financial officer make up the Armed Services Committee. They are tasked with eligibility standards for paid leave and to develop procedures for application of ben- efits. I’m not sure if the disconnect is with the Armed Services Committee or the Chicago Police Department. Either way, I will continue my efforts to solve these issues, and I promise to keep my brothers and sisters informed.
Many restaurants and business provide discounts to vet- erans in honor of their service. I found the following website: https://www.offers.com/blog/post/military-discounts-guide/ which lists more than 250 businesses, many of whom provide discounts all year long. Thank a veteran, and thank you for all you do.
If you have questions or comments, please send me an email at LTC_Cruz@wowway.com.
JERRY CRUZ
24 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2019