Retired Employees Association of Orange County
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Mobilize Retirees (When Needed)
P.O. Box 11787
Santa Ana, CA 92711-1787
Phone: 714.840.3995
2025 HEALTH PLAN INFORMATION
Open Enrollment ended November 5, 2024. Elections made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2025.
If you have any questions about your coverage for 2025, County of Orange retirees can visit the Employee Benefits website, hrs.ocgov.com/retiree.benefits or click here. For your 2025 Grant amount (if applicable), refer to your Confirmation of Benefits sent in early October. You can also contact the Benefits Service Center at 1-833-476-2347 to speak to a representative.
If you receive a monthly Medicare Part B Reimbursement, please make sure you submit your 2025 Medicare Part B premium statement by January 15, 2025, to the Benefits Service Center.
Please be aware that REAOC does not administer the health plan program.
COUNTY OF ORANGE HEALTH PLANS RATES FOR 2025
The 2025 rate charts can be accessed by clicking here for the Excel charts or here for the PDF version.
REAOC prepared comparison charts comparing the 2024 rates to the newly approved 2025 Health Plan Rates. You may review these comparison charts by clicking here. Please note that the worksheet has several tabs on the bottom that will show all of the comparisons by health plan type.
If you have questions, contact the Benefits Service Center at 1-833-476-2347 or they can be reached on-line by clicking here. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
LUNCHEON REMINDER
Our luncheons are held at the Elks Lodge located at 1751 South Elks Lane, Santa Ana, CA 92705. All the luncheons will provide a main dish, a salad with vegetables, rolls and dessert. Coffee, tea, and ice water will also be served.
The Elks Lodge is next to the OC Credit Union building on St. Andrews Place. The major cross streets are Grand Avenue and Edinger in Santa Ana. You will find plenty of parking spaces!
We hope to see you at our next luncheon on December 4, 2024! For more information, please click here.
MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS
If you or someone you know is having trouble paying for healthcare costs, there may be ways to save money on Medicare premiums and other costs. You can get help from your state paying your Medicare premiums. In some cases, Medicare Savings Programs may also pay Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments if you meet certain conditions. Please click here for additional information.
REAOC BOARD OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The REAOC Board monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month via the online Zoom platform. If you have any issues or questions you would like to have us discuss, please contact the REAOC office at (714) 840-3995.
If you move, get a new or change your e-mail address or telephone or if you have a name change, there are actions that are necessary so that you continue to receive your benefits, newsletters, e-mails, etc.
If any of the above pertains to you, you need to notify REAOC, the Orange County Employees’ Retirement System (OCERS) and the County of Orange Employee Benefits Center with the new information.
To contact REAOC – call (714) 840-3995 or go to http://reaoc.org/email-us/ to e-mail the new/changed information.
To contact OCERS – call (714) 558-6200 or go to https://www.ocers.org to go to their website and sign-into “MyOCERS” to update your information.
To contact the County of Orange Employee Benefits Services Center – call (833) 476-2347 or to go to the benefits website by contacting My OC Benefits™ directly through IntraOC, or on the internet at mybenefits.ocgov.com.
NEWS WEEK OF NOVEMBER 25, 2024
House passes $196 billion Social Security Bill: will repealing pension reductions shorten the program’s lifespan?
Yahoo Finance reported: “On Nov. 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Social Security Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill set in motion to eliminate two long-standing provisions that currently reduce Social Security benefits for public sector employees. – – – – – The legislation was first introduced in 2023 and will now head to the Senate, where it has strong bipartisan support. If passed, it is estimated to cost $196 billion over the next decade. Critics worry that enacting this bill could further exacerbate Social Security’s funding challenges. What does the Social Security Fairness Act Do? (Read More)
CalPERS won’t back down on climate, CEO warns ahead of Trump’s return
Net Zero Investor describes itself as owned by a London-based “publisher and conference organizer with a 14-year track-record in B2B publishing and institutional investor events.” It posted this article on its web site: ”In the wake of the US elections and weeks before Donald Trump is due to take office for the second time, CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost addressed the challenges a new administration in Washington could bring. She emphasized that CalPERS would remain steadfast in its climate ambitions.” (Read More)
Orange County fires non-profit Mind OC from providing mental health services at a second site
The Orange County Register reported “Months after cancelling a $67 million contract with Mind OC for services in Orange, the county has terminated its $95 million contract to oversee services at a campus being built in Irvine.” (Editor’s Note: Access to this article is limited to paying subscribers to the Orange County Register.) (Read More) The article may also be read using this link. (Read More)
Baby-boomer homeowners got rich from skyrocketing house prices. Now they can’t find retirement housing.
Business Insider reports:
“Baby-boomer homeowners have benefited from skyrocketing housing prices amid a home shortage.
But now they’re facing a shortage of accessible homes to retire in.
Many older adults are stuck in homes they’re increasingly struggling to live in and pay for.” (Read More)
Don’t wait for a holiday surge. Now is a good time to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
According to this Associated Press article “If you missed the early fall push for flu and COVID-19 vaccines, it’s not too late. Health officials say it’s important to get vaccinated ahead of the holidays, when respiratory bugs tend to spread with travel and indoor celebrations. Those viruses haven’t caused much trouble so far this fall. But COVID-19 tends to jump in the winter months, a rise that usually starts around Thanksgiving and peaks in January.” (Read More)
ABOUT OUR LUNCHEONS
WHY
REAOC luncheons are held for the purpose of bringing Orange County retirees together for an afternoon of camaraderie, entertainment, and information. Friends and family are always welcome! Each luncheon features a different theme, with door prizes, and special gifts. As an added bonus, there is a valuable Progressive Drawing. They also serve as a general meeting for the membership.
WHERE
Please note that we have a new venue for our REAOC luncheons. We will hold our luncheons at the new Elks Lodge in Santa Ana! The Elks Lodge is located at 1751 South Elks Lane, Santa Ana, CA 92705. All the luncheons will provide a main dish, a salad with vegetables, rolls and dessert. Coffee, tea, and ice water will also be available.
The Elks Lodge is right next to the OC Credit Union building on St. Andrews Place. You will find plenty of parking spaces! Attend and have fun visiting with your friends and guests at the Elks Lodge. Please see your upcoming Informer newsletter for additional information.
For directions, see map below showing where the Facility is located. Please DO NOT call the Facility to make reservations. Reservations are made by sending in the reservation form in The Informer or by calling the REAOC office at (714) 840-3995.
WHEN
For 2024, the luncheons will be held on Wednesdays on the dates listed below:
January 24, 2024
March 27, 2024
May 22, 2024
September 25, 2024
December 4, 2024
To ensure a parking spot please arrive by 11 a.m. Please carpool if possible.
We hope to see you at the REAOC luncheon!
COST
Cost for the luncheon is $20.00 per person. A reservation form is provided in The Informer (on the current Luncheon page), in the “Forms” section of the REAOC web site or you may email the REAOC office of your request (reaoc@reaoc.org).
Reservations for the December 4, 2024 luncheon must be received by no later than November 27, 2024.
HEALTH CARE PLANS AND RATES FOR 2025
The County Board of Supervisors were presented with the proposed new Health Plan Rates for 2025 at their July 23, 2024 Board meeting. The 2025 rate charts can be accessed by clicking here.
REAOC prepared comparison charts comparing the 2024 rates to the newly approved 2025 Health Plan Rates. You may review these comparison charts by clicking here. Please note that the worksheet has several tabs on the bottom that will show all of the comparisons by health plan type.
HEALTH CARE PLANS AND RATES FOR 2024
The Board of Supervisors approved the new Health Care Plans and Rate for 2024 at the Board meeting on July 18, 2023. The rate charts can be accessed by clicking here.
THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS RESOURCE LINE – MY OC BENEFITS™
Call the My OC Benefits™ Line toll-free at (833) 476-2347 or they may be reached at mybenefits.ocgov.com
SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE BENEFITS
For information about the supplemental insurance including dental and vision coverage, please click on the link below.
Supplemental Insurance Benefits
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