May 2021 Scoop

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Friday, May 7, 2021

SEANC is on the road again!

Wednesday was a fun day on the Halifax Mall for employees, as SEANC handed out Jay’s Italian Ice to members in Raleigh. Thanks to everyone who came out to hear more about SEANC benefits, win prizes and enjoy the sweet treats!

SEANC will host another event on May 27 at Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh, between the Museum of History and Museum of Natural Sciences, from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. More details will be provided as the event approaches. If you would like for SEANC to come to your agency, click here to let us know!

Personnel records bill moves forward as crossover deadline

approaches As the crossover deadline approaches next week, several bills of interest to state employees continue to work their way through the General Assembly.

Most of the attention this week came on Senate Bill 355, N.C. Press Association’s attempt to make more of state employees’ personnel records public. SEANC lobbyists fought this unnecessary bill through both Senate Judiciary and Rules meetings. See Executive Director Ardis Watkins’ argument before the Senate Judiciary Committee above.

SEANC joined with the N.C. Association of Educators, Teamsters 391 and the N.C. Justice Center in opposing this bill in a letter to senators Wednesday.

S355 was then amended in the Senate Judiciary Committee to address SEANC’s concern on infringement of due process rights. However, the burden and expense of navigating the appeals process will continue to lie completely on the employee.

Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) pointed out in Senate Rules Thursday that the findings of ethics investigations against legislators are not made public without the accused lawmaker’s consent. The legislature should set the same standard for all state employees.

The bill will face a floor vote in the Senate early next week.

House Bill 243, which would allow the UNC System the authority to cut pay for its employees, is stuck in conference committee, with the Senate yet to name its conferees. SEANC’s lobbyists continue to work with legislators to ensure that the employees’ voices are heard, and we expect a positive outcome.

There’s little to report on state budget negotiations. The Senate continues to work on its proposal behind closed doors. The News & Observer reported that Gov. Roy Cooper and legislative leaders seem to be getting along better this session, which hopefully will translate into a budget compromise. Time will tell.

Bringing Humana to You (BH2U) Online Events State Health Plan Humana plan members, please join Humana for a Bringing Humana to You (BH2U) webinar event! These online meetings will be held April- June and they will help you learn more about your Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan.

Humana representatives will share information about various educational topics, how to get involved in activities, and a deeper dive into Humana resources.

Information about these events is available on the custom Humana State Health Plan website https://our.humana.com/ncshp/additional-information

You may also register today for one of the webinars:http://huma.na/BH2U. After registering for a webinar, you will receive a registration confirmation email with instructions on how to log into the webinar on the day of the event.

If you have questions about your Humana Medicare Advantage PPO Plan, please call the dedicated North Carolina State Health Plan Humana Group Medicare Customer Care team at 1-888-700-2263 (TTY: 711), Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Eastern time.

Insurance

Win $100!

Special Open Enrollment period now open!

Special enrollment for Boston Mutual's Whole Life, Critical Illness, and Accident policies runs through May 28. Any member who calls to inquire about Boston Mutual products during this enrollment period will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Members that call to inquire about Boston Mutual products between April 23 May 12 will be entered into the first drawing and those who inquire about Boston Mutual products between May 13 - 28 will be entered into the second drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Learn More!

Save more with SEANC Dental Insurance The United Health Care dental plan includes an annual deductible from $25 to $50 and preventative care is 100 percent covered with no deductible for two visits per year. Rates start at just $23.21 per month for the member standard option, and once the plan is in effect, there are no waiting periods. Enrollment forms received by the 10th of the month will be effective on the first of the following month.

Learn more

Behind the Scenes with SEANC SEANC is proud to highlight the leaders who work to provide the best services to our members every day.

Leadership NC Be a SEANC Leader! ​Good News! The deadline to apply for our Leadership NC grant has been extended to May 14! Watch the video to hear all about Sherry Washington’s experiences in the program, and click here for more information on applying.

Learn more about Leadership NC

If you would like printed copies of the Membership Guide and Insurance Guide, please contact Director of Member Relations Lynn Cote at lcote@seanc.org.

Benefits

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Friday, May 14, 2021

Meet us at the Bicentennial Mall Make plans now to join us on the Bicentennial Mall in Raleigh on May 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.! Lunch served from 11 am-1 pm or when supplies run out. If you would like a visit from SEANC to your agency or worksite, click here to let us know. The first ten members who submit a request for a visit will receive a SEANC Swag Bag!

SEANC stops intrusive personnel file bill for now This was crossover week at the legislature when a marathon of bills are considered in an effort to survive the deadline by which they must pass one chamber or die. Roughly onefourth of the 1,690 bills proposed in the session survived the deadline.

Senate Bill 355, which would have violated employees’ due process rights was steady on the move before the crossover deadline. On the bill’s journey, it was amended to address due process rights. However, the bill would still leave the burden on the employee to disprove anything salacious or inaccurate. The current language would keep personnel information private until 30 days after all appeals and grievance processes are exhausted.

Navigating the appeals process is costly and an employee may not have the resources leaving them vulnerable to public scrutiny, gossip, and innuendo.

Furthermore, this bill would have a chilling effect on supervisors reporting disciplinary actions because anything they enter in an employee’s file is open to public access. The bill failed to meet the crossover deadline, but this doesn’t mean the issue is completely dead. We fully expect this language to crop up in

another bill, possibly even the budget, as the session progresses, and stand ready to fight it!

House Bill 169, the State Treasurer’s bill that would allow the State Health Plan staff to access more data on payments made by the Plan to providers, passed the House and survived crossover as well. Much of the language in the bill was changed before it passed, though, meaning our lobbyists have more work to be done in the Senate to make sure it accomplishes its main goal of transparency and cost savings for members.

House Bill 763 made some noise on Monday when it was calendared to be considered by the House Pensions and Retirement Committee. This bill would slash the benefit formula for retirees from 1.82 to 1.50 and would end cost-ofliving adjustments. Instead, retirees would get a one-time bonus based on returns. SEANC opposed this move, and the committee decided to consider it for information purposes only, rather than taking a vote.

House Bill 243, which would allow the UNC System to cut employee pay, is currently still tied up in conference committee, and the Senate has yet to name its conferees. SEANC continues to press upon legislators the need to remove the harmful provision.

Be sure to stay informed on legislative issues facing state employees and retirees by connecting with SEANC on Facebook and Twitter.

Insurance

Win $100!

Special Open Enrollment period now open!

Special enrollment for Boston Mutual's Whole Life, Critical Illness, and Accident policies runs through May 28. Any member who calls to inquire about Boston Mutual products during this enrollment period will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Members that call to inquire about Boston Mutual products between April 23 May 12 will be entered into the first drawing and those who inquire about Boston Mutual products between May 13-28 will be entered into the second

drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Learn More!

All SEANC members including retirees are eligible for this benefit!

We know the unexpected occurs. Are you prepared? With BenExtend you can be! BenExtend features commonly-used benefits from three different types of insurance – accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness. You’ll get a range of benefits in one simple plan at one straightforward price. And you’ll know the benefits are there when you need them - for greater financial security and even greater peace-of-mind.

Learn more or Enroll

Behind the Scenes with SEANC SEANC is proud to highlight the leaders who work to provide the best services to our members every day.

Leadership NC

Be a SEANC Leader! ​Good News! The deadline to apply for our Leadership NC grant has been extended to May 14! Watch the video to hear all about Sherry Washington’s experiences in the program, and click here for more information on applying.

Learn more about Leadership NC

If you would like printed copies of the Membership Guide and Insurance Guide, please contact Director of Member Relations Lynn Cote at lcote@seanc.org.

Benefits

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Friday, May 21, 2021

Budget talks continue, no agreement on spending target After the excitement of the last couple of weeks at the General Assembly leading up to the crossover deadline, lawmakers regrouped this week to turn their focus on the state budget.

Discussions over the Senate’s proposal continue behind closed doors, but SEANC expects an announcement on the plan in early

June.

The slow week at the legislature gave SEANC Government Relations Director Suzanne Beasley a chance to catch you up on the bills important to the state employees and retirees after the crossover deadline in this week’s Legislative Update.

Also, members in the eastern part of the state can tune in to 107.1 FM Sunday at 1 p.m. for SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins’ discussion with Lockwood Phillips, a main proponent of Senate Bill 355, which would open personnel records to unnecessary public scrutiny. The show can also be heard live online here.

Membership

Make plans now to join us on the Bicentennial Mall in Raleigh on May 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.! Lunch served from 11 am-1 pm or when supplies run out. If you would like a visit from SEANC to your agency or worksite, click here to let us know. The first ten members who submit a request for a visit will receive a SEANC Swag Bag!

Insurance

Be prepared for the future with long-term care insurance

Learn More

Behind the Scenes with SEANC SEANC is proud to highlight the leaders who work to provide the best services to our members every day.

If you would like printed copies of the Membership Guide and Insurance Guide, please contact Director of Member Relations Lynn Cote at lcote@seanc.org.

Benefits

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Friday, May 28, 2021

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Theme park tickets now available online!

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, SEANC is excited to announce that our awesome deals on theme park tickets have returned! This year it’s even easier to buy tickets to the top parks in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Just visit seanc.org/themeparks to purchase these deals online!

More parks will be added in the coming weeks. For now, get great prices at Carowinds, King’s Dominion, Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe, Tweetsie Railroad, and more. See the graphic above for more information on pricing, and click to purchase your tickets!

Purchase tickets

Thanks to everyone we saw at the Bicentennial Mall!

We were so glad to see all of you who came out Thursday for our event at the Bicentennial Mall in Raleigh! We gave away all 200 Chick-fil-A box lunches in around 30 minutes and had to call in for reinforcements from North Carolina’s own Bojangles! We then gave away more than 200 chicken biscuits, making this an awesome member appreciation event. Thanks to the 16 new members

who joined SEANC as well.

We’re making plans now for another event in Raleigh soon, as well as others around the state. If you would like a visit to your worksite, let us know!

Watkins debates proponent of personnel records bill SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins joined WTKF’s “Viewpoints” show with Lockwood Phillips last Sunday for an open, honest discussion of Senate Bill 355, the bill that would open more of state employees’ personnel records to unnecessary public scrutiny. Mr. Phillips is one of the bill’s most vocal proponents, but unlike others in the media, he allowed a full discussion of the issue in a respectful and honest manner. Listen to the debate here.

SEANC AWARDS NOMINATIONS DEADLINE, JULY 24 Each year SEANC seeks to recognize those members who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to the association and its efforts. The people who know best who are deserving of awards are those who work alongside them every day on the district level. That's why we need you to send in your nominations now. The deadline is July 24 at 5 p.m.

The four award categories are Member of the Year, District Chairperson of the Year, Distinguished Service and District of the Year. Go to www.seanc.org/awards for more information and access to the nomination forms.

Access deals

Insurance

Be prepared for the future with long-term care insurance

Learn More

Benefits

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