THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 P.O. Drawer 27727, Raleigh, NC • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
December 2011 ● Vol. 30, Issue 2
State Treasurer Talks State Health Plan with SEANC Leaders by
Toni Davis
On Oct. 28, State Treasurer Janet Cowell addressed the SEANC Board of Governors (BOG). Normally the treasurer comes to SEANC to discuss the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System, but this time was different with Cowell turning her focus to the State Health Plan (SHP).
Photo by Mary Adelaide Riddick
RALEIGH – Last year SEANC including those with Blue was successful in achieving Cross and Blue Shield of its No. 1 policy platform North Carolina and Medco. objective to move SHP governance away from the Treasurer asks BOG for input General Assembly to the In order to best serve state treasurer’s office. This state employees and move placed two important retirees, Cowell asked state employee and retiree the BOG for input about benefits – health care and the SHP. Members asked retirement – under one Cowell for a ranking of executive agency branch. how North Carolina’s SHP However, the state treasurer’s compares to others across role in SHP operations is the country. BOG leaders vastly different from Cowell’s also asked for the SHP to role in the retirement system go after overpayments more where she serves as the sole aggressively and consider fiduciary for making all of transitioning to a calendar the investment decisions. year structure. SEANC The new SHP board will Executive Director Dana State Treasurer Janet Cowell addresses the BOG. consist of four state employee Cope suggested that Cowell representatives and four focus on the plan design experts who do not have conflicts of interest in the rather than the cost savings for the General Assembly. SHP. District 22 Chairwoman Michele Shaw has been To obtain more SHP input, Cowell will embark on appointed to the SHP board, which will begin work a statewide listening tour this winter. After Cowell’s in January. Cowell explained to SEANC leaders that remarks, SEANC President Charles Johnson said “We she will serve on the SHP board, but will only vote in are encouraged and we will do everything to support the instances where a tie-breaker is needed. State Health Plan.” Cowell said she “feels good about the new governance structure of the SHP” that will have oversight of contracts tdavis@seanc.org