Scoop October 2013

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The SEANC Scoop STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION OF NORTH CAROLINA IMPORTANT LINKS

Member-Only Discounts SEANC Insurance SEANC in the News Update Contact Info Calendar of Events The Reporter

October 4, 2013

Cope Meets with McCrory SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope met with Gov. Pat McCrory on Wednesday to discuss issues at the Department of Health and Human Services and state employees' morale in government. Stay tuned for further details as they develop and visit our Facebook page for the latest information on all of SEANC's happenings.

SEANC's State Health Plan Tour a Hot Ticket

Upcoming Events The 2013-2014 Board of Governors will meet on Oct. 11-12 in Raleigh.

SEANC is hosting State Health Plan forums around the state this month to help prepare members for the changes to the plan in 2014. The first of these meetings was held Wednesday night at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton and was met with a standing-roomonly crowd! Topics covered at the forums include the advantages and disadvantages of options for active employees and Medicare-eligible retirees, as well as the actions required to avoid costly surcharges.

Meetings are planned in Raleigh, Elizabethtown, Shelby, Greenville and Winston-Salem in coming weeks. For more information, click here or contact Suzanne Beasley. Better yet, print out one of our fliers and post it at your worksite to invite all of your coworkers to this event!

SEANC Welcomes 50 New Members!

Congrats to the 50 new members who recently chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from Appalachian State University, Cumberland County Schools, the Departments of Health and Human Services and Public Safety, Durham County Schools, East Carolina University, Gaston County Schools, Judicial and Courts, N.C. School of Science and Math, Secretary of State, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, UNC Pembroke, Wake County Schools and retirees. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

The Fun's Not Over at Area Theme Parks SEANC members are invited to Friends & Family Days at Kings Dominion on Saturday, Oct.12! Enjoy a special ticket price that includes park admission, a picnic lunch and parking for $45. Tickets may only be purchased online. See this flyer for more information. To purchase tickets, visit www.kingsdominion.com and enter “SEANC” in the top right corner under the promo code. The tickets for Kings Dominion include admission to Halloween Haunt.

Disney on Ice presents Let's Celebrate!

SEANC members can get exclusive discounts to see all their favorite Disney characters on ice in Raleigh as Disney on Ice presents “Let's Celebrate!” comes to PNC Arena. The show runs from December 1115, 2013 at PNC Arena. Click here for more information, or here for a printable ordering form.

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October 11, 2013

The SEANC State Health Plan Tour Continues After a successful week of SEANC State Health Plan Forums, filled with standingroom-only crowds of active employees and retirees, SEANC members have had their questions answered on everything from Medicare Advantage to the advantages and disadvantages of the different State Health Plan options. Meetings for next week are planned in Elizabethtown, Shelby, Greenville and Winston-Salem. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat! For more information, click here or contact Suzanne Beasley. For reminders and other updates, check out our Facebook page.

The 2013-2014 Year Begins for Board of Governors The 2013-2014 SEANC Board of Governors officially took the reins of the association on Oct. 1, and is holding its first official meeting today and tomorrow at the SEANC Central Office in Raleigh.

Yesterday and continuing this morning, district chairpersons took part in training to better acquaint themselves on how to conduct operations at the district and statewide levels. For a list of the entire board, click here.

SEANC Welcomes 122 New Members!

Congrats to the 122 new members who recently chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide this week by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from Buncombe County Schools, Burke County Schools, Cape Fear Technical College, Clinton City Schools, Cultural Resources, Cumberland County Schools, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Revenue, Transportation and Insurance, East Carolina University, N.C. School of Science and Math, N.C. State University, Pitt Community College, Pitt County Schools, Randolph Community College, Sandhills Community College, Southeastern Community College, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Tech, Wayne Community College and retirees. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

The Fun's Not Over at Area Theme Parks SEANC members are invited to Friends & Family Days at Kings Dominion on Saturday, Oct.12! Enjoy a special ticket price that includes park admission, a picnic lunch and parking for $45. Tickets may only be purchased online. See this flyer for more information. To purchase tickets, visit www.kingsdominion.com and enter “SEANC� in the top right corner under the promo code. The tickets for Kings Dominion include admission to Halloween Haunt.

Save 50% on Ripley's Aquarium Tickets Save 50 percent on tickets to Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Take an adventure that will be remembered forever. Click here to learn how to save on your trip.

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Health Care Forums The final scheduled State Health Plan forum is set for Oct. 22 at the McKimmon Center on the campus of N.C. State University in Raleigh. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat! For more information, contact Suzanne Beasley. For reminders and other updates, check out our Facebook page.

October 18, 2013

SEANC In the News SEANC Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins was quoted this week in a national news story on SB 558, a bill that raises limits on risky hedge funds and non-traditional investments, which became law this summer. Watkins told Bloomberg News, "We’re behaving like a losing gambler right now."

The bill raised limits on the percentage of retirement system assets that can be invested in alternative assets from 34 percent to 35 percent. SEANC fought this bill so that only a 1 percent instead of a 6 percent increase was granted. Also this week, Raleigh attorney Michael Byrne questioned the constitutionality of a settlement in the ongoing DHHS salary debacle. Byrne said, "I am utterly baffled as to why they would approve a nearly $40,000 settlement under those circumstances. State agencies simply can't pay people money for nothing."

Harris Urges Commission to Follow its Own Rules SEANC General Counsel Tom Harris testified before the State Human Resources Commission (formerly the State Personnel Commission) Thursday in an effort to halt new policies designed to implement the 2013 amendments to the State Human Relations Act (formerly the State Personnel Act) until the policies have been put through the formal rulemaking process required by state law. Unfortunately, the Commission chose to ignore his advice and adopted the policies without giving the public any opportunity to read

or comment on the policies. SEANC is weighing its options on how to deal with this flagrant violation of law. View comments here.

Ballard to Lead Scholarship Foundation This week the Scholarship Foundation Board elected District 47 member Shirley Ballard as board chairwoman for a oneyear term. The endowment to the scholarship program continues to grow through support of SEANC fundraising events and generous individual donations.

In 2014, 46 annual scholarships will be available for active members, their spouses and their dependents. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the SEANC Scholarship Foundation, please give through the State Employees Combined Campaign by checking 1563 on your form.

More State Workers Side with SEANC Congrats to the 71 new members who recently chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide this week by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from N.C. A&T State University, Central Piedmont Community College, Cumberland County Schools, Davidson Community College, Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Revenue and Transportation, East Carolina University, Administrative Office of the Courts, N.C. School of the Arts, N.C. State University, Pitt Community College, Robeson Community College, Stanly Community College, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNCCharlotte, UNC-Pembroke, Wake County Public Schools, WinstonSalem State University and 24 retirees. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

Get in the Game with the Carolina Hurricanes and Charlotte Bobcats

SEANC has teamed up with two professional teams in the area to offer members great deals this winter. The Carolina Hurricanes are offering more than half-off ticket prices for home games on Nov. 15 and Dec. 31, while the Charlotte Bobcats offer discounts to their 41 home games this year, including games against the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and more!

Visit SEANC’s Feature Discounts page for ordering information.

Members must log in to the site to view ordering instructions.

State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27611 800-222-2758 | seanc.org

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October 25, 2013

Open Enrollment Deadline Extended State Health Plan Open Enrollment for 2014 has been extended through Nov. 15, 2013, for plan members. State employees who do not take action prior to the deadline will be enrolled in the Traditional 70/30 Plan.

Medicare-eligible members who do not take action will be automatically enrolled in a Group Medicare Advantage Base Plan. For more information members can visit the State Health Plan’s website, or if you are in the Charlotte area, come out tonight to SEANC's State Health Plan forum at Central Piedmont Community College-CATO Campus.

SEANC

State Health Plan If you are in the Charlotte area, plan to attend the State Health Plan forum tonight at Central Piedmont Community College-CATO Campus at 8120 Grier Rd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information contact sbeasley@seanc.org

In

the

News

SEANC is hearing from its members about the problems associated with State Health Plan open enrollment and is making your concerns heard in the hopes that they will be fixed. In today's News and Observer article, SEANC Communication Director Toni Davis asked why the State Health Plan is taking aim at employees' pocketbooks. “It hits the same year state employees saw pay remain flat and comes even with the State Health Plan no longer running a deficit.” Health care expert Chuck Stone has been cautioning members against hidden expenses and a “great cost shift to employees” with the new Consumer-Driven Health Care option. Stone said, “The plan is designed for the employee that does not look beneath the window dressing.”

SEANC to Rep. Coble: Allow Immigration Vote On Thursday, SEANC Past President Charles Johnson and SEANC Member Strength Director Kevin LeCount spoke to a coalition of labor, immigration and faith groups at a press conference on immigration reform that made news in the Winston-Salem Journal and the Greensboro News and Record. The coalition

urged U.S. Rep. Howard Coble to press for a vote on comprehensive immigration. Johnson said, “We believe that (reform) will pass if the vote is allowed.”

More State Workers Side with SEANC Congrats to the 131 new members who recently chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide this week by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from A&T State University, Administration, Appalachian State University, Burke County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Departments of Health and Human Services, Public Instruction, Public Safety, Transportation, East Carolina University, Edgecombe County Schools, Forsyth Technical College, Granville County Schools, Johnston Community College, Administrative Office of the Courts, North Carolina Central University, N.C. State University, Pitt Community College, Robeson Community College, Office of the State Treasurer, UNC-Pembroke, Vance County Schools, Wake County Schools and Winston-Salem State University. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

Boston Mutual Open Enrollment Boston Mutual is currently holding open enrollment for its term-life plan offered to SEANC members.

Through Wednesday, Oct. 30, active members working a minimum of 30 hours per week for the State of North Carolina who are currently enrolled can elect to increase their benefits up to two $10,000 increments without evidence of insurability, as long as the amount does not exceed the guarantee issue amount. The open enrollment does not apply to spouses or members age 70 and older, which will require evidence of insurability. Several enhancements have also been made to the plan for the coming year. Take a look at the program here, or contact a SEANC Group Insurance Specialist for more information.

Special

Member

Discount:

Jim

Brickman

Save 50% on tickets to see piano sensation Jim Brickman with special guests Anne Cochran and Luke McMaster at tour stops in Greensboro and Charlotte. Brickman will perform on Nov. 15 at Greensboro's War Memorial Auditorium and Nov. 19 at Charlotte's Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts. Visit SEANC’s Feature Discounts page for ordering information.

Members must log in to the site to view ordering instructions.

State Employees Association

of North Carolina P.O. Drawer 27727 Raleigh, NC 27611 800-222-2758 | seanc.org