June 2019 Scoop

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Friday, June 7, 2019

Members support Senate budget as conference nears As the state budget debate enters its most critical phase, employees are energized and ready to fight for their much-needed raises found in the Senate’s budget, and retirees continue to call for the respect they deserve.

The House rejected the Senate’s budget proposal on Tuesday and conferees from both chambers have been appointed. The two sides will now come together to negotiate a budget they can pass through the legislature and on to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for signature or veto.

SEANC will play a pivotal role in this process, as usual. As the only organization representing state employees and retirees, our lobbyists continue to press upon lawmakers the need for pay equity in this budget, as well as a needed increase for retirees.

You can help! Visit seanc.org/engage today to take action. We have several actions currently running there, where members can easily and quickly contact their legislators to voice their opinions on the budget debate.

Visit seanc.org/engage

SEANC shows appreciation for state employees and retirees SEANC visited several worksites this week, including a celebration for facility services employees at UNC-Chapel Hill. We also held an employee appreciation day including a food truck at the Caswell Developmental Center in Kinston.

SEANC's Member Relations team stands ready to visit any worksite in the state to show our appreciation for the public services you provide. If you would like a visit to your worksite, click below.

Request a visit from SEANC

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Friday, June 14, 2019

No time to waste as House, Senate nearing compromise on budget Budget conferees from the House and Senate hope to complete negotiations and unveil a compromise next week. There is no time to waste. Members must speak up now to tell your legislators to support the Senate's pay provisions.

The Senate's budget was the first in decades to contain larger raises for state employees than teachers. State employees would receive a 2.5% pay increase each of the next two years under the Senate's proposal -- the largest two-year increase in a decade. The House's proposal, on the other hand, included a small 1% or $500 raise for state employees in the first year.

Active employees, we need you to reach out to your legislators to tell them to side with the Senate's pay plan in this year's budget!

Retirees were forgotten in both chambers' budget proposals. Lawmakers are working with a surplus of more than $700 million and can afford to give our retirees a 2% one-time bonus for retirees in this budget.

Both active and retired members should visit seanc.org/engage to easily reach out to legislators to demand respect in this year's budget.

Visit seanc.org/engage

MinuteClinic, Raleigh Orthopaedic sign on to Clear Pricing Project MinuteClinic, with more than 70 locations throughout the state, became the latest provider to sign on to the Clear Pricing Project this week, State Treasurer Dale Folwell's office announced Thursday.

MinuteClinic signed a contract to join the North Carolina State Health Plan Network, which will base reimbursement rates from the State Health Plan on Medicare rates plus a profit margin. This new network will save plan members more than $58 million annually in out-of-pocket costs, and save taxpayers more than $250 million. It will also bring transparency to the cost of care charged to the plan.

Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic also signed a contract this week to join the network.

The clinic has locations in Raleigh, Cary, Garner and Holly Springs. Together, clinic physicians have more than 200 years of combined experience.

Hospital executives continue to fight this plan. Their bill, House Bill 184, would take the power away from the Treasurer to make these much-needed changes.

The bill passed the House but has stalled in the Senate. Reach out to your senator to tell them to oppose this bill by visiting seanc.org/engage.

Now offering discounts to BJ's Wholesale Club!

Back by popular demand, SEANC is now offering discounted memberships to BJ's Wholesale Club! Save up to $80 on your membership.

Discounts are available for new and renewing members.

Click here to visit SEANC's Discounts page to take advantage of the deal!

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Friday, June 28, 2019

In the course of a week, legislative leaders announced a compromise budget, debated and passed it through the House and Senate. The budget included the largest two-year raises for state employees in more than a decade as well as a bonus in each of the next two years for retirees.

On Friday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper announced he would veto that budget primarily because it does not include a plan for Medicaid expansion.

Click here to watch SEANC Government Relations Director Ardis Watkins give her take on the budget.

To review, the budget compromise included:

The veto means that raises for state employees and a bonus for retirees likely will not be reflected in July paychecks.

A vote to override Cooper’s veto is likely looming in the next few weeks, and SEANC will need your help to make sure our voices are heard. When needed, SEANC will ask all members to reach out to their legislators to express our position on the override.

SEANC called on UNC Hospitals to join the Clear Pricing Project this week after a report from WBTV in Charlotte showed that the publicly owned hospital had used taxpayer money to support a dark money group’s effort to kill the plan.

WBTV in Charlotte reported on Monday that UNC Hospitals paid $58,633 to the N.C. Healthcare Association to support Partners for Innovation in Health Care, a group committed to stopping the State Treasurer from implementing the Clear Pricing Project.

More than 31,000 providers in the state have signed on to the Clear Pricing Project, including ECU Physicians earlier this week, but the state’s hospitals continue to hold out. They have until Monday to sign their contract to be innetwork for the State Health Plan next year.

We need each of you to contact your local hospital to ask them if they plan to take the State Health Plan next year. If they do not, ask them why they oppose transparency and cost savings for taxpayers and plan members.

Click below to find phone numbers for the hospitals in your area, and after your call please email us at info@seanc.org to let us know how your call went.

Find your hospital's number

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