THIS MONTH’S HOT TOPICS

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Retirees

The Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) benefit recipients will see a Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA) beginning with their May 1, 2015 monthly retirement allowance. At its regular meeting held on February 17, 2015, the Board of Retirement approved a 1.5% COLA. Click below for more information on the COLA and how it impacts payees.

Click here for additional COLA information

Retired Employees Association of Orange County – REAOC
2015 Keith L. Concannon Scholarship Program

The Retired Employees Association of Orange County (REAOC) has implemented its scholarship program to recognize and support qualified students to obtain further skills and expertise at an accredited institution of higher learning. The scholarship is named in honor Keith L. Concannon, REAOC’s long serving representative on the Orange County Employees Retirement System Board and past REAOC President.

The application for this scholarship must be requested by sending an e-mail to reaoc@reaoc.org. and providing an e-mail address to send out the scholarship application or by calling the REAOC office at (714) 840-3995, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM.  The request must include your name and e-mail address.  An application will be e-mailed to you within 48 hours.

Please click on the “Scholarship” link in the Quick Links section below to obtain additional information regarding the 2015 Scholarship process.

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS – WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23, 2015  

 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

The  Mile Square Park Banquet Facility located at 10401 Warner Ave., Fountain Valley, California, 92708. For directions, call the Mile Square Banquet Facility at (714) 962-5541 or 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

Luncheons are held the 4th Wednesday of January, March, May and September, and on the first Wednesday of December at Noon. To ensure a parking spot please arrive by 11 a.m.  Please carpool. Luncheons for 2015 are listed below: 

January 28        March 25            May 27           September 23            December 2

Please Note:  Reservations by phone or mail for the March 25th luncheon must be at the REAOC office by Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

COST

Cost for the luncheon is $17.00 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).

HEMET CHAPTER LUNCHEONS

Luncheons in Hemet are held on the second Tuesday during the months of February, April, June, October and December. Attendees arrive around 11:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 515 E. Kimball Avenue in Hemet and lunch is served between 11:45 and noontime. The cost is $9.50 per person.  The Hemet Chapter would like new members and encourages all REAOC members who live in the area or within driving distance to join them for the luncheons.

REAOC’s Hemet Chapter will hold its next luncheon on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 11:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church located at 515 E.Kimball in Hemet. Make your reservation by calling Jeri Maupin at 951-672-4594 or Joyce Emery at 951-658-2549 by no later than April 7, 2015.

Below is a map showing the general location of the Mile Square Park Banquet Facility located at 10401 Warner Ave., Fountain Valley, California 92708.

If you need exact directions from your house you can go to MapQuest and click on “driving directions.”

AVAILABLE HEALTH PLANS FOR 2015

At the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, July 23, 2014, items 35 and 37, the new Health Plan Rates, were approved on a 5-0 vote by the Board members.  Although the majority of plans will have increased rates for 2015, there are some plans with decreased rates.

The rates for 2015 no longer have a positive impact due to special funding applied to the rates for the year 2014 only.  These special funds, known as Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP), consisted of a short-term federal reimbursement program, authorized as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to encourage employers to continue to provide insurance coverage to “early retirees” (ages 55 – 64) who were not eligible for Medicare.

The County of Orange received $2.4 million in ERRP funds for Retiree Insured Health Plans. These funds were generated as reimbursement for actual medical and pharmacy services incurred by County early retirees in these plans and were used as required by law by December 31, 2014.

 Please click on the links below for the charts
provided by the County for the 2015 Health Plan rates:

 2015 Rate Tables – non PPO

2015 PPO Rate Tables

For information about the supplemental insurance including dental and vision coverage, please click on the link below. 

Supplemental Insurance Benefits