SERS Health Care Rule Change

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The SERS Board approved a new health care rule earlier this year impacting some non-Medicare retirees who are currently on the SERS health care plan (approximately 500 current retirees are affected.)  SERS is currently mailing all of the impacted individuals and following up by phone, but  a majority are not reading the letter.

Non-Medicare plan enrollees whose gross benefit amount is below the income amount established for Medicaid eligibility will receive a letter telling them to contact HealthSCOPE Benefits (1-888-236-2377).  HealthSCOPE Benefits will evaluate benefit recipients’ Medicaid eligibility using healthcare.gov.

There are three possible outcomes:

  1. If determined potentially eligible for Medicaid, HealthSCOPE Benefits can forward the application to Medicaid.  SERS HC eligibility will end December 31, 2020, unless the member requests an earlier termination date by submitting a health care waiver form.
  2. If determined NOT potentially eligible for Medicaid, HealthSCOPE Benefits will inform SERS’ health care and coverage will continue as is.
  3. If a benefit recipient fails to contact HealthSCOPE Benefits, their SERS’ health care coverage will be terminated effective December 31, 2020.

HealthSCOPE Benefits will report all of its findings to SERS.

Also posted information on the SERS website:  https://www.ohsers.org/have-you-been-contacted-by-sers-about-medicaid-eligibility-if-so-you-need-to-take-action/

It is in the News and Events section on the homepage and is now the featured article in the Retirees dropdown menu.

Member Opinion

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Longtime OEA and NEOEA delegate Bill Lavezzi has written two blog posts about the May 9 OEA Representative Assembly.  In one (https://lavezzi.us/education/oeas-ra-a-contrarian-considers/) he provides his assessment of the virtual RA process, and in the other (https://lavezzi.us/education/oeas-ra-questions-about-proposal-1/) he analyzes Bylaws Proposal 1, which he says is definitely unexplained and probably unwise: “Supporters of Proposal 1 had a responsibility to make their case, and they didn’t.”

Note:  The opinions expressed by Mr. Lavezzi are his own and do not reflect any official position of NEOEA or NEOEA-Retired.

OEA FCPE State Council – OEA-R Positions

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Names of persons who are interested in serving in the positions of OEA-R Representative and Alternate to the OEA-FCPE State Council are now being accepted.

Language in the OEA FCPE Constitution and Bylaws states: One (1) voting member and one (1) alternate member of the State Council shall be elected from OEA-R by members serving on the OEA-R Advisory Council.  This is a two (2) year term beginning January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2018.  This election will take place at the December 1-2, 2016 meeting of the OEA-R Advisory Council.

In addition to serving on the OEA FCPE State Council, the elected Representative and Alternate are responsible for the following per the OEA-R Guidelines:

4. Duties of the OEA-R representative and alternate to the OEA FCPE are:

  1. The FCPE Representative will attend all Advisory Council meetings and OEA-R Delegate Assemblies.
  2. Co-Chair the Legislative/OEA FCPE Committee of the Advisory Council.
  3. Report in timely fashion to the OEA FCPE State Council the concerns and needs of the
    OEA-R Advisory Council.
  4. Inform the Advisory Council of candidate information, political actions, and elected officeholder opinions and actions.
  5. Stimulate and monitor the OEA FCPE contributions of OEA-R membership.
  6. The term of office for the OEA-R representative to the OEA FCPE State Council shall begin on January 1 following the election in odd years (15, 17, 19, 21…) and shall expire on December 31 two (2) years hence.
  7. In the case of a vacancy during the term of office, the alternate shall fill the unexpired term. Members of the OEA-R Advisory Council in consultation shall elect a new alternate.
  8. In the case of a vacancy where no alternate exists, the chair of the FCPE State Council shall appoint a new member until the OEA-R Advisory Council elects a new member to serve on the state council.

5. The FCPE Representative is a non-voting member of the Advisory Council and has no delegate status to the OEA Representative Assembly unless elected as a delegate.

The Advisory Council meets at least four (4) times a year, usually September, December, March, and May.  The OEA-R Delegate Assemblies are in December and May in conjunction with the OEA-R Advisory Council meetings held then. The Alternate has no required activity except at such time when the Representative may not be available.  To be eligible for either position, candidates must meet the requirements of both the Advisory Council and the OEA FCPE which include a minimum annual FCPE contribution of $100 which must have been made by the time the letter of interest is considered for election. The Representative shall represent the interests of the OEA-R to engage in political action to effect the implementation of the OEA policies for the improvement of education in the state of Ohio.

Please submit a letter of interest to Carol Kinsey, OEA-R Board of Directors Representative, cskinsey@aol.com  indicating if you wish to be considered for the Representative or the Alternate position.  Please state your qualifications and reasons for wanting to serve in the position you are seeking.  Those persons currently holding these positions must send a letter if they wish to be considered for continued service.  If you wish to nominate a person other than yourself, you may do so but that person needs to email both persons listed above as agreeing to their nomination.

NEOEA Retired on Facebook

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We have established a group Facebook page.  If you are a Facebook member, just search NEOEA RETIRED and request to join.  Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/468980329974499/ 

We have lots of pictures from events in which we participated, as well as special notes, reminders, upcoming events.  We are up to 42 members.  Let’s see if we can get to 50!

Thank you to Nancy Wonson, NEOEA Retired Organizing Committee Chairperson, who set up and manages the page.

Join OEA Retired and NEA Retired

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Talk to Your Friends.  Encourage them to join OEA Retired and NEA Retired.  Members of OEA-R and NEA-R save well over the $350 Life Membership fee when they take advantage of discounts on home insurance, car insurance, or appliance discounts through the Association.

Watch the new OEA-R Membership video on YouTube: “OEA-R Working for your Future” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkBsrsn4uVs .

Download the new OEA-R Membership Flyer at http://neoea-r.ohea.us/files/2016/02/OEA-R-Membership-Flyer-.pdf  or for more information or visit the OEA-Retired website at http://oea-r.ohea.us/ .

If you are not a member of OEA-R and NEA-R, consider joining now.  Join online with a credit card at https://sites.nea.org/JoinNea/.

Your Own Personal PAC – and It’s Free!

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Have you heard of the EMILY principle?  The letters stand for “Early Money Is Like Yeast.”  If you favor a candidate for an Ohio public office, you can support that candidate’s campaign, and it won’t cost you a cent.

If you make your donation now instead of waiting for the fall, your donation can have a much greater impact.

Ohio Revised Code 5747.29 permits a taxpayer to claim a credit for contributions made to campaign committees for state office or for a seat on the Ohio General Assembly.  Individuals can claim a credit of up to $50; couples filing a joint return can claim a credit of $100.  The Ohio tax return contains a place to claim the credit; which is available whether or not you itemize deductions.

We’d still encourage members to donate to the OEA Fund for Children and Public Education, but making this extra donation is a no-brainer since Ohio reimburses you for your donation.

This credit doesn’t apply to donations to candidates for federal offices like President and House of Representatives, and it doesn’t apply to local and countywide elections. But it does apply to many Ohio elective office in which OEA has made endorsements, like State Representative, State Senator, Treasurer, Supreme Court, and Ohio Board of Education.

So the deal is simple: you can support the candidate of your choice and the state will give you your money back when you file your 2012 Ohio income taxes.  It’s like having your own personal PAC!

By Bill Lavezzi, NEOEA Executive Director

NEOEA-Retired Members may visit our OEA Campaign 2012 page for links to candidate campaigns.

Protect Your Voting Rights

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ByBill Lavezzi, NEOEA Executive Director

Most of us believe strongly in the importance of each vote; and as educators, many of us work hard to impress on our students the importance of participating in our democracy by registering and voting. We need to practice what we preach by making sure that we’re registered to vote.

Voting officials have made a point this year of “purging” inactive voters from the voting rolls. If you have moved or changed your name, or if it’s been a while since you voted, there’s an excellent chance that you need to register in order to vote in this fall’s election. If you know anyone who turns 18 before November 6, he or she can register now and be eligible to vote on Election Day. Mail registration requires that you provide your driver’s license or the last four digits of your Social Security Number.

Registrations are open until 30 days before Election Day: this year, mailed registrations must be postmarked by Sunday, October 7.

You can download the Ohio Voter Information Guide at sos.state.oh.us/SOS/upload/publications/election/vig_2012.pdf, and you can get a voter registration form at sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/Voters/register.aspx.

Elections Boards in Northeastern Ohio

New NEOEA-R Sub-Committees

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The NEOEA-R Organizing Committee, at its April 11, 2012 meeting, voted to adopt a new Sub-Committee structure in an effort to involve  more NEOEA Retired members and build a strong organization of NEOEA Retirees.  Any NEOEA-R member who ais also a member of OEA-R and NEA-R is eligable to serve.  The Sub-Committees are: Involvement and Outreach, Conference, Political Action, Retirement Issues, Membership, Intra-Professional Action, Communications/Editorial Board, and the Delegate Caucus.  Visit the Sub-Committee page for more information or to volunteer.  Download the NEOEA-Retired Sub-Committee Structure.

New NEOEA-R Website!

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OEA Moves OEA-R – DIY Websites to WordPress

The NEOEA-R website has been rebuilt here on a WordPress platform. 

You will notice a new look and feel with this new WordPress site.  The WordPress platform is user friendly and sites can be built and updated with relative ease.  WordPress is a free, browser based, template driven, content management system and website creation tool that makes it easy for the average person to quickly and easily publish a blog or website.

The WordPress platform will help the NEOEA Retired Organizing Committee to better serve NEOEA-R members.  Look for new features as we learn more about how to make the most of WordPress.  Please leave us a Comment on our Contact Us page.