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Aging Well in North Carolina

Tracie Eubank on June 28, 2024

by Deryl Davis Fulmer, PhD | Spring 2024 Living Power Magazine

Deryl speaks with members

I don’t know if you have heard, but North Carolina’s aging population is growing! The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2040, North Carolina will be home to 2.7 million adults 65 years and older, a 52% jump from 2020 data showing 1.8 million older adults in the state. With advancements in healthcare, people are living longer and seeking not just longevity but a fulfilling quality of life. NCRGEA is working with the General Assembly, the North Carolina Coalition on Aging, and other organizations to help make North Carolina the best place to live and age.  

Virtual Lunch & Learns are held monthly on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Through this virtual webinar series, NCRGEA brings pertinent information into your homes to help you stay current on important activities and topics that affect your lives as retirees. We began these webinars last June, launching our series with the presentation “Aging Un-Lonely” by Dr. Megan Smith with UNC-Charlotte, Rebecca Freeman from the N.C. Department of Adult and Aging Services, and Dr. Cheryl Greenberg with AARP.

Since then, we have held 11 sessions, including three sessions from the Social Security Administration and three sessions from the NCRGEA on our 2024 legislative and advocacy priorities, the LGERS pension, as well as the briefing “The Letter,” on how to organize your last wishes to help ensure they are fulfilled. Our friends at the State Employees Credit Union gave a session on estate planning. Earlier, Aetna and the State Health Plan gave a session on Aetna’s role as the third-party administrator starting in 2025, and our partner AMBA presented two sessions, one on your free benefit, the Passport Saving program, and one on long-term care plans. To help you with your taxes, the NC Department of Revenue presented a session on preparing your state income taxes in February. Humana just presented their “Battling the Aging Brain” webinar.

These webinars have been well received, with more than 2,000 members and others attending them.

You can view most of these webinars by visiting our NCRGEA YouTube channel. Due to the presenter’s guidelines, some webinars were not recorded.

Stay tuned for Lunch & Learn webinars on Caregiver Support, Alzheimer’s, De-Prescription, and many more. If you have an idea for a presentation for this series, please reach out to me at Deryl@ncrgea.com. 

Meals on Wheels’ March for Meals Champions Week was a great success again this year as NCRGEA signed up more than 170 volunteers during the week of March 18th-22nd to help pack and deliver meals for people all across the state needing these services.

As a token of our gratitude, NCRGEA sent folks who signed up t-shirts to wear while volunteering. If you are still interested in volunteering with Meals on Wheels, please reach out to your local Meals on Wheels and sign up. Many NCRGEA members volunteer throughout the year.

Comments such as this one from P. Britton says it all, “I have been delivering meals since I retired. It is a very rewarding experience for me. I have always loved my people on my route, and I am always sad when I lose a person, but then I become close to my new ones. I hope many others will join Meals on Wheels wherever they are.”

NCRGEA and Meals on Wheels stand together to address the growing need for food in North Carolina. A big THANK YOU to each of you who participated and or donated! We are grateful for your service as you continue to be active and engaged in your communities!

The Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are up and running in all nine districts.  Each of the CABs have Chairs and /or Co-chairs who are ready and willing to work to enhance retirement across the state.  I am excited to announce the following individuals who have volunteered to serve in this role.  They are:

  • District 1: Angelina Spencer  
  • District 2: Debbie Cox
  • District 3: Lisa Ward 
  • District 4: Ed McBride
  • District 5: Elijah Freeman and Darlene Spellman
  • District 6: A. Leon Miller
  • District 7: Earl Moore
  • District 8: Phyllis Fulton and Gary Ackley
  •  District 9: Sallie Price

Some of the districts have already begun working on in-person activities for members to participate. Examples include, an event is being planned in District 4 to visit the historical Bennett Place in Durham.  In District 3, plans to partner with a Food Bank and to set up monthly lunchtime talks for members to connect have stared, and in District 2, plans are underway to schedule a walk in Pilot Mountain to get to know one another and to have some fun!

Thanks to the chairs/co-chairs for their excitement and energy to get these activities off the ground!  Please stay tuned for activities in your respective localities as we work together to keep everyone active, engaged and informed. 

Check out our website at www.ncrgea.com and NCRGEA Facebook page to stay up-to-date!  As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at Deryl@NCRGEA.com

State Health Plan Update

Tracie Eubank on June 11, 2024

THE STATE HEALTH PLAN IS GEARING UP FOR A BUSY 2024!

Spring 2024 Living Power Magazine

The State Health Plan (Plan) is transitioning from Blue Cross NC to Aetna beginning Jan. 1, 2025. As a reminder, a TPA, or third-party administrator, provides a comprehensive network of healthcare providers—including doctors, specialists, and hospitals—and processes claims for the Plan. The Plan has always had a TPA. Taxpayers like you pay the claims, not the TPA.

The Plan Board of Trustees sets Plan benefits and premiums, not the TPA. The TPA simply administers the Plan. This transition affects members enrolled in the Base PPO Plan (70/30), Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20), and High Deductible Health Plan, including those Medicare members on the Base PPO Plan (70/30). This will not impact Humana Medicare Advantage Plan members.

You may be wondering if you can keep your doctor. The good news is that Aetna has an extensive national and in-state provider network. Aetna reviewed millions of Plan claims processed over an entire year, and about 99% of those claims came from providers already in the Aetna network. Even so, providers don’t have to wait to make sure they continue to serve Plan members. Talk to your provider!

It’s important to stay connected this year to ensure you receive announcements and messages
regarding the State Health Plan!

  • Make sure you have your correct mailing address, email address, and phone number in eBenefits, the Plan’s enrollment system, which you can access on the Plan’s website at SHPNC.org.
  • Make sure your employer has the correct addresses, as well. If you are a retiree, your personal information needs to be current in ORBIT and eBenefits, as the two systems do not coordinate.
  • Sign up for the Plan’s monthly e-newsletter, Member Focus, on the Plan’s website at SHPNC.org.
  • Follow the State Health Plan on Facebook! Visit Facebook.com/SHPNC.

CHART YOUR COURSE FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO MEDICARE WEBINAR SERIES

As you become eligible for Medicare, you have some important decisions to make about your health coverage. The Plan is here to help you navigate your options. When considering your options, remember that timing is everything.

Don’t overlook your best option or miss an opportunity because you waited too long to take action. Attend a free, convenient online webinar so you can make informed and timely decisions regarding Medicare and how it impacts your health plan coverage. These webinars are designed specifically for the following individuals and typically last about two hours:

  • Turn 65 in the next two years
  • Work beyond age 65 and are planning for retirement
  • Turn 65 in the next two years and are already retired. Select the webinar date below that works best for you, then register by visiting the Plan website at SHPNC.org and clicking on the blue box titled “Outreach Events and Webinars.”

PEOPLE OVER PROFIT: How SECU Puts Members First

Tracie Eubank on May 31, 2024

Spring 2024 Living Power Magazine

As a young professor at NC A&T State University, Dr. Samuel Moseley received an opportunity to travel to a conference that would help him advance his career in academia. But Moseley needed funding to make the trip possible. A colleague suggested he visit the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) for help.

Dr Samuel Moseley

Moseley visited a branch to apply, and he was approved for a loan that would make it possible for him to attend the conference. “Being able to go to that conference, I was able to be more involved in my field and grow professionally,” Moseley says. “It allowed me to go on to be in a position where I could help others coming up behind me and help our students make an impact on the world.”

That kind of life-changing support happens every day at SECU. Be it a mortgage for a first-time home buyer, an auto loan, or even retirement planning advice, SECU works relentlessly to help its members meet their personal and financial goals.

Founded more than 85 years ago in 1937, SECU started with just 17 members and $437 in deposits. Since then, SECU has grown to the second-largest credit union in the United States with nearly 2.8 million members and more than $54 billion in assets. And SECU’s model of a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative means that unlike most for-profit traditional banks, the interests of the members come first.

Bank Mission

SECU’s mission is “to be the trusted provider of financial services to every eligible member and to enhance the value of their lives and financial wellbeing while maintaining our fiscal strength.”

“Everything that we do is in the best interest of the member and our mission,” says Leigh Brady, president and CEO, SECU. “And that ultimately boils down to the fact that we want to help our members keep their money where it belongs—in their pocket.”

Community Focus

While SECU remains focused on its members, the SECU Foundation is dedicated to supporting local communities in North Carolina. Through the SECU Foundation, the organization promotes local and community development throughout the state by funding high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services. Since 2004, the SECU Foundation has been funded through SECU members’ $1 per month checking account maintenance fee, which is allocated to the foundation.

And those dollars add up: Over the past 20 years, the foundation has awarded more than $258 million in scholarships, grants, and loans. That money funds initiatives such as teacher housing, hospice homes, and a robust scholarship program that supports students at North Carolina community colleges and universities in the UNC System.

“No other financial institution I know of is doing that kind of thing, going into the communities, building apartment buildings for teachers, contributing to an institution that assists persons with addiction in Greensboro,” Sibert says. “These are amazing things, and that’s where members are helping members.”

Both Sibert and Moseley say that sense of community and helping others makes banking at SECU a different experience—one that sees each individual member as valued and important, no matter how much money they have in their account.

SECU President Leigh Brady

SECU achieves that goal in a number of ways, from lower fees and competitive loan rates to a range of deposit accounts, along with lending, insurance, and investment services. Brady says financial education plays a major role in how SECU positions even those with shakier financial footing for success.

“We offer services such as financial counseling with loans,” she says. “And if our members get in dire straits, we work with them on things such as loan extensions, and we have a wonderful mortgage assistance program if they are having problems making payments.”

The SECU mortgage assistance program may include options such as payment amount modifications,
temporary payment deferment, and refinancing for members facing hardships that impact their ability to pay. And in addition, SECU assists members with services such as debt counseling, retirement planning, and even budgeting with tools like the Spending Plan Guideline, which helps members by breaking down their monthly expenses and suggesting ways to best allocate funds.

Dr. James Sibert has seen how those services can make a difference in the lives of members. The retired NC A&T administrator has served for many years on his local SECU branch Advisory Board, providing feedback on behalf of his fellow members. All 275 SECU branches have Advisory Boards with up to 12 member volunteers. “The credit union is a financial institution that is truly helping its members,” Sibert says.

James Sibert

“When you walk into the credit union, you get friendly people meeting you—people who desire to assist you in any way possible,” Sibert says. “They’re very sincere in helping you, and that member service means a lot to me—it really makes you feel good.”

More than 40 years after that first loan, Moseley says the role SECU has played in his and his family’s lives can’t be overstated. And he remains grateful for SECU’s support to this day.

“Whenever I’ve had a need, I’ve gone to the credit union,” he says. “I financed cars, I financed my home. The credit union has been good to my children, and it has always been good to me. So I’m very thankful for the credit union and how it treats members.”

North Carolina General Assembly Legislative Update: May 30, 2024

Tracie Eubank on May 31, 2024

by NCRGEA Lobbyist Jessica Proctor

2024 Legislative Update

Legislators began the week with a busy three days of committee meetings and votes. The week stalled abruptly due to the death of Rick Moore, a King’s Mountain councilman and father to House Speaker Tim Moore. The Senate held committee meetings Tuesday but canceled meetings Wednesday and Thursday, as the late Mr. Moore’s funeral was held Wednesday, May 29. The House canceled its week Tuesday, including voting sessions previously scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

COLAs

Currently, there are three bills appropriating both a percentage cost of living adjustment (COLA) and a lump sum appropriation. SB 805 and House companion bill 934, “Make State Employment Great Again”, has a one-time, $100,000,000 bonus line item for retirees S805v1.pdf (ncleg.gov); H934v1.pdf (ncleg.gov). House Bill 930 H930v1.pdf (ncleg.gov) provides a 3 percent recurring adjustment for both state and local retirees, with a total price tag of $231,000,000. All three bills have passed first reading and are currently scheduled in the respective chamber’s rules committees.

Other Bills Affecting Retirees

Last week, three bills pertaining to retirees passed two committees and the House, with one sent to the Senate by special messenger. Two of the bills were technical. The other, HB 1020, Retirement Administrative Changes Act of 2024, has varied changes in current retirement policy. This includes expanding eligibility for participation in the state’s supplemental retirement plan (401k), tightening penalties for employers that submit late contributions, and ending retirement payments for persons also receiving subsequent severance.

In its original form, Section V of the bill pertained to tightening payroll and pension deduction requirements for both retiree and active associations, sunsetting groups that had: a) membership of less than 2,000 and b) had not deducted in December 2023. The NCRGEA Government Relations team and others worked together to have this language stricken from the bill. The bill is now in Rules and Operations and its latest edition may be found here: H1020v3.pdf (ncleg.gov).

House Bill 237, “Unmask Mobs and Criminals,” dramatically changed form from its original House version, only to have the House non-concur when the bill returned from Senate passage. While many provisions of the bill returned masking policy back to pre-COVID status, opponents of the bill say the bill reaches too far, restricting masks for persons with health issues. The bill is now considered dead, with opposition from both parties.

Another healthcare bill passed the Senate Healthcare Committee recently, and now rests in Senate Finance. HB 681: Healthcare Flexibility Act H681v2.pdf (ncleg.gov) originally passed the House in 2023 with unanimous, bipartisan support. Its latest version includes revised physician interstate licensure compact language and adds other healthcare policy priorities of the Senate.

These include:

• Ability for nurse practitioners with 4,000 hours of practice experience to be eligible to apply for full practice authority.
• Prohibition of facility fees for treatments performed in a non-hospital setting.

While running skeletal sessions for the remainder of the week, the legislature will fully return Monday, June 3.

To learn more, use the NCRGEA Bill Tracker powered by FastDemocracy.

Don’t Let Scammers Break Your Account or Your Heart

Tracie Eubank on May 20, 2024

by Attorney General Josh Stein | Spring 2024 Living Power Magazine

heart broken

Relationships bring joy and connection—but unfortunately, scammers love to prey on other people’s hope and happiness. They are adept at using sweetheart scams to rob people of their hard-earned money. The “sweetheart scam” is one of the most widely utilized modes of preying upon a victim for financial gain. In 2020, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received reports from 6,817 elderly victims who experienced over $281 million in losses to confidence fraud and romance scams. In 2023, we received 71 sweetheart scam complaints representing more than $2.3 million in total losses.

People make new friends and and dates online—that is part of life in 2024. But if you’re connecting with someone online, be careful. The person on your screen might be an imposter. In sweetheart scams, scammers often pretend to be someone you already know or someone you’re likely to connect with because of their appearance or shared interests. They’ll use these connections to start to form a bond with you, but only to steal your money.

Often, the person will claim to live overseas and have a good reason for why they are unable to see you in person. They might say they are a US citizen, but they are stationed on an oil rig, a military base, or other convenient excuse. They are overly friendly and often quick to profess their love or admiration, and they’ll message you often and be very communicative.

They won’t ask you for money at first. They’ll wait a few months until they’ve established the relationship, and then they’ll tell you about a problem they’re having that prevents them from coming back to the country. They might be dealing with a medical emergency, have a family member with health issues, not be able to afford lights, or some other problem. Whatever the reason, it will require money to solve, and they’ll ask you to send it. They’ll make promises about visiting you and getting married once they have the money and can resolve their problem.

Have your guard up when you’re talking to people online

Try to verify who they are before you start communicating with them. Remember that if an online love interest ever asks you for money, it’s almost always a scam. And if they ask you to pay with a gift card, wire transfer, or through cryptocurrency, it’s certainly a scam. Don’t make that payment or investment.

Unfortunately, sweetheart scams can be a gateway to other scam attempts. If a scammer can get money from you once, they will likely try to get money from you again. It’s important to put a stop to these scams the moment you become concerned—talk to someone you trust before you send money, or call your bank or my office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

Sweetheart scams can be especially cruel because they don’t just target your wallet—they target your heart. It might be hard to talk about being the victim of a scam because you’re dealing with grief and heartbreak, as well. But scammers try to target all of us, and there’s no reason to be embarrassed over the actions of a criminal. Let my office know if you think you or someone you know has been the victim of a sweetheart scam by calling us at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or online at NCDOJ.gov/complaint.

Don’t let a scammer break your bank account or your heart.

Bennett Place | Durham NC

Tracie Eubank on May 13, 2024

Docent Fred Tetterton gives tour
Bennett Place docent Fred Tetterton talks to NCRGEA’s District 4 members about the events during the largest surrender of Confederate forces that ended military actions during the Civil War. 

With a chorus of thousands of cicadas singing in the background, 47 NCRGEA members from District 4 toured the site where the last surrender of a major Confederate army in the American Civil War, Bennett Place.

The tour, organized by District 4’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) and coordinated by co-chair’s Ed McBride and Regi Taylor, was part of NCRGEA’s CAB Community Engagement program.

Ed McBride
District 4 co-chair Ed McBride (standing), talks with NCRGEA members during lunch at the district’s recent Community Engagement gathering at Bennett Place in Durham.


Members learned about the Bennett family and how their home became the site of Confederate General Johnston’s surrender of more than 89,000 soldiers to Union General Sherman effectively ended the war. This all took place after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

Members watch movie
NCRGEA District 4 members watch a film at Bennett Place Museum about the surrender of the largest Confederate force during the district’s recent Community Engagement event.


If you are an NCRGEA member and have an idea on what your district could do, contact Deryl Davis Fulmer, NCRGEA Community Liaison. You can find out about activities under the “Districts” webpage.

Deryl speaks with members
NCRGEA’s Deryl Davis-Fulmer, standing, talks with District 4 members during lunch at the district’s recent Community Engagement gathering at Bennett Place in Durham. Bennett Place was the site of the largest surrender of Confederate forces and marked the end of military actions during the Civil War.

Local Outreach | District 5 @ Greenville NC

Tracie Eubank on May 9, 2024

June 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am

NCRGEA is inviting all retired public servants, both state and local, to join us for refreshments and a discussion of issues that affect public service retirees of North Carolina.

We’ll talk about current legislative issues, retiree issues, and retirement benefits available to all public service retirees. We’ll also give away a $25 gift card.

This is a great opportunity to meet and speak with other retirees who share the same concerns you have and to talk to Josephine, Director of Insurance Services at NCRGEA with your questions.

Location:

Pitt County Council On Aging | 4551 County Home Rd / Room #110 | Greenville NC 27858

Interested in attending? Call 919-834-4652 or email josephine@ncrgea.com.

NCRGEA

(919) 834-4652

View Organizer Website

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