Scoop November 2012

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop November 2, 2012 Vote for Linda Coleman for Lt. Governor!

One candidate on the ballot in this year’s election has been a tireless advocate for the best interests of state employees.

That candidate is Linda Coleman, candidate for lieutenant governor. A longtime SEANC member, Coleman has never wavered in her support for public services and will be a champion for working families across the state as lieutenant governor. For more on SEANC’s support for Coleman, read the front-page endorsement in November’s Reporter. Please vote for this true SEANC Hero and ask your friends and family to do the same!

SEANC Launches Multimedia Ad Blitz

Click here to read the November Reporter!

Click here to read EMPAC's endorsements for the 2012 election

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SEANC continued its efforts this week to expose lieutenant governor candidate Dan Forest’s extreme political views, launching a multimedia ad blitz that includes web, radio and video ads. Please help us spread the word by letting your friends and neighbors know that if they vote for Dan Forest, it's a vote for an extremist who opposes the minimum wage, women’s right to health screenings and even the Food & Drug Administration. He also has crazy conspiracy theories on the United Nations and more. Visit extremedanforest.com for more examples. For working families' values, we urge a vote for SEANC member Linda Coleman for lieutenant governor.

SEANC in the News

SEANC Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins stood up for workers' privacy in a News & Observer article featuring gubernatorial candidates Pat McCrory and Walter Dalton and their views on sharing information from state personnel files. Watkins argued against making job reviews and complaints public, explaining that state workers in a number of jobs – inspectors, for example – perform unpopular duties and are vulnerable to baseless allegations. Also, in a story on the upcoming election, SEANC Political Director Kevin LeCount told the Associated Press, "If the governor's race becomes a foregone conclusion, we would hope that North Carolinians would focus more on the lieutenant governor's race." Also, SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope will be featured in a story in Sunday’s News & Observer on the impact a change in the governor’s mansion will have on state employees.

Early Voting Ends Saturday!

Your opportunity to cast your ballot early is almost over!

Saturday is the last day of early voting for 2012 in North Carolina. More than 2 million people in the state have already voted. Click here to locate an early voting spot in your area. If you can't vote by Saturday, your final chance to make your voice known is election day on

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

Tuesday, when the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Click here to locate your precinct. SEANC’s Political Action Committee EMPAC made 72 endorsements in Council of State and General Assembly races in favor of candidates who support public services and the people who provide them.

Peace of Mind for Your Holiday Travels

Are expensive car rentals standing in the way of you and a well-deserved vacation? Save up to 25 percent on car rentals from Alamo, Budget, Avis and Hertz. Visit the SEANC Perks website for more!

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop November 9, 2012 Lt. Governor's Race Still Up in the Air

Three days removed from election day, the race for lieutenant governor remains undetermined. Thanks to the hard work of SEANC members, Linda Coleman stood her ground in her bid for lieutenant governor Tuesday night in spite of her party losing the presidential and governor's vote in North Carolina, and now stands at a dead heat with her opponent. With provisional and absentee ballots yet to be counted, only 11,370 votes separate the two candidates out of more than 4.5 million total votes. Tens of thousands of provisional and absentee ballots remain to be counted, and the race is destined for a recount. Stay tuned for more from SEANC as developments arise in this race.

Click here to read the November Reporter!

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SEANC in the News

The election was on the front burner this week, and SEANC was right in the thick of it. On election night SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope told the News & Observer the lieutenant governor’s race was "neck-andneck," and added SEANC supported Coleman because we wanted to back "one of our own." The next day, SEANC Political Director Kevin LeCount was interviewed by both the Associated Press and the News & Observer about the pending recount in the lieutenant governor’s race. He told the AP, "We’re going to do the maximum support that we can to help make sure that every vote that was cast is properly counted. We think that there will be enough that she could overtake the lead."

EMPAC Endorsements Successful Again

once again.

EMPAC had the golden touch again this election cycle, as more than 90 percent of the endorsed statewide and General Assembly candidates were successful. In addition to the close race for Coleman, all four of the other statewide candidates EMPAC endorsed were winners. Of the 67 legislative candidates that EMPAC endorsed, all but seven won, giving SEANC an astounding success rate

SEANC Recruits New Members!

Even with most of the state’s attention turned to the election this week, SEANC’s Member Action Department still managed to sign up 20 new members at worksites all over the state, including Broughton Hospital, the Rockingham County office of N.C. Forestry Services, courthouses in Currituck, Pasquotank, Richmond and Stanly counties, UNC School of the Arts, Cherry Hospital and Department of Transportation offices in Forsyth, Iredell, Johnston and Pasquotank counties. If you would like for a SEANC representative to visit your agency, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

Member Discount: Disney on Ice

Experience the magic as some of the biggest stars in animation come to life to perform the hottest tunes from across the kingdom! Your SEANC membership gives you access to exclusive deals for the Dec. 5-9 shows.

For more information, click here!

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop November 16, 2012 Provisional Ballots to be Counted Today in Lieutenant Governor's Race

Election Day may have been a more than week ago, but the race for lieutenant governor is still undecided. With just 10,300 votes separating Linda Coleman and Dan Forest, provisional and absentee ballots will be counted today, which will heavily favor Linda and we believe will bring her much closer to victory. Linda’s team has worked nonstop since the election to make sure that each vote counts. Click here to read more on that effort, and check back to that site throughout the day for updates on the ballot count.

Also, follow @counteachvotenc on Twitter for live updates.

Click here to read the November Reporter!

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SEANC in the News

Linda Coleman’s efforts to make sure every vote is counted made the headlines this week. SEANC Political Director Kevin LeCount, who is advising the campaign, spoke out in the News & Observer on the danger that some ballots would not be counted because of discrepancies in Division of Motor Vehicles records.

More on Coleman’s efforts can be found here.

Important Changes Coming to Retirees' Drug Coverage

The State Health Plan will implement a new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for Medicare-eligible members effective January 1, 2013. The plan from Express Scripts includes no premium, and all eligible retirees are enrolled in it unless you opt out before the start date. SEANC has compiled some important “things to know” regarding the plan here. For more information, see the State Health Plan’s website or contact Express Scripts directly at 877-680-4882.

Member Discount: Purchasing Power

Planning to make some big purchases this holiday season?

Let Purchasing Power help ease the strain on your wallet.

From now until Dec. 15, use promo code FSHOL12 at checkout to receive free shipping on all purchases!

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop November 30, 2012 SEANC Wins Fight to Stop Double Billing on Radiological Exams for State Employees

SEANC members received good news earlier this month when the N.C. Department of Insurance ruled in the association’s favor in the fight to stop duplicate billing by hospitals on radiological exams. The decision will save members of the State Health Plan more than $5 million annually. The complaint stemmed from an unfair but not uncommon practice where hospitals and providers charged patients so-called “technical component” fees on services like preparing an exam room or setting up IV fluids each time an image was taken, even though these services had only been performed once. The state ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield, which administers the State Health Plan, could move forward with a proposed policy of only paying for those services once, similar to how Medicare reimburses for radiology procedures.

Click here to read the November Reporter!

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Important Changes Coming to Retirees' Drug Coverage

The State Health Plan will implement a new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for Medicare-eligible members effective January 1, 2013. The plan from Express Scripts includes no premium, and all eligible retirees are enrolled in it unless you opt out before the start date. SEANC has compiled some important “things to know” regarding the plan here. For more information, see the State Health Plan’s website or contact Express Scripts directly at 877-680-4882.

Send Us Your Holiday Pictures!

Does your district participate in parades or help out with a charity during the holiday season? Be sure to snap a picture of SEANC members in action and send it to the Central Office for publication on SEANC’s Facebook page, website and in the February edition of The Reporter. You can email the photos to SEANC’s Communications Department. Please include the names of all members pictured as well as the date and location of the event.

Member Discount: BJ's Warehouse Club

Want to save some money on your holiday shopping? Join or renew your BJ's Warehouse Club membership today with your SEANC card and receive $10 off the $50 annual membership fee, as well as two additional months of membership free. Complete and mail this form to the address on the form to receive this offer.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758