president s message - hudsoncountyea.org … · 1) go to member benefits.njea.org 2) log in with...
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HCREA
officers
Joseph FleischnerPresident
Barbara Toczko
First Vice President
John Cinciarelli
Second Vice President
Theresa Schillari
Treasurer
Grace Ann LeporeRecording Secretary
Karen Babinski
Corresponding Secretary
Bill DeRosa
Immediate Past President
Hudson County Retired Educator's Association
1600 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07305
President's MessageDear Members
Happy New Year and welcome back for the second half of the
2018/2019 membership year. Annual members should be
hearing from NJREA by June or early summer that their dues
should be paid early enough so that your membership is not
interrupted. Lifetime members in NJREA will receive their
renewal envelopes from HCREA for local dues by early
summer. Remember, local dues will increase to $15.00 for the
membership year of 2019/2020 and thereafter.
As promised, the HCREA is getting ready to join the 21st century. Four
members of your executive board have attended a workshop at NJES
headquarters to learn how to set up our web page and we have joined
Mailchimp, which will enable us to reach out to all the members who had
given NJREA an e-mail address when they first enrolled. If you hadn't done
that or changed your e-mail address recently you can still do it now by
sending me your name & e-mail addrtess. I will then put you on the master
list to receive periodic e-mails from HCREA. You may also opt out from the
e-mail blasts to members if you wish.
By the time you receive this newsletter, you will have received a mailing
from HCREA for the next two events (Spring Luncheon Meeting and the
June Annual Cocktail Party). If you haven't, already, please fill out those
reservation forms if you wish to attend one or both of those events.
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Member Benefits You should know that there are many financial benefits associated with your HCREA/NJREA membership. The green
Member Benefits booklet that was given to all attendees at our recent luncheon/metting lists many of these benefits. If you have
misplaced this booklet, you can go online to find out these many benefits:
1) go to member benefits.njea.org
2) log in with your PIN (on your NJREA membership card)
3) everything that Member Benefits offers is on this page
4) scroll down to ACCESS DISCOUNTS and click SEARCH ACCESS
5) be sure to follow the instructions to download the My Deals mobile app so you can find savings on the go.
You can also contact Buyer's Edge, Inc. at 800-755-5008 for major purchases such as automobiles, appliances, etc.
NEA Member Benefits is offering personal loans. If you are interested, you can call 1-888-800-9556 and use the priority
number2018-3181-1538-8003-90676.
Many people ask what they get for their membership in our organizations. By using these services, you can save a great deal
of money.
What to do when things go awry - Health BenefitsJudi Ruff, NJREA Health Benefits Chairperson
Change no matter how well planned is never without a glitch. In the last two years, NJREA/SEHBP retirees have faced changes
in their prescription drug coverage carrier as well as movement into an Aetna Educators’ Medicare Plan.
For many members, it has been a smooth, uneventful transition. For others, there have been issues with physicians, office staff,
precertification, as well as prescription denials resulting in stressful interactions with subsequent appeals. It is this second group
that contact NJEA/NJREA to receive some assistance.
It is important to understand that it is not NJEA but the State of New Jersey / Division of Pensions and Benefits providing the
benefits for eligible retirees and their dependents. NJEA staff can provide guidance to the member when issues arise, but they
cannot deal directly with the members’ physicians. Members need to be their own advocates and that includes reaching out for
assistance when needed.
In order to provide meaningful as well as timely assistance, a procedure was developed last year. We ask members to use the
procedure whenever possible. The information can be found on the NJEA/NJREA website and is as follows:
New process for benefits questions
In an effort to allow members to access health benefits information that is accurate and efficient, the NJREA Health Benefits
Committee is deploying a new communication model. This approach will help the committee better serve NJREA members and
allow for more effective communication with the NJEA Research staff.
Should you have any questions regarding your state-paid, post-retirement medical benefits, please direct them to your respective
county REA presidents. The presidents and NJREA Health Benefits Committee members (listed below) receive frequent, up-
to-date information about retirees’ benefits and are aware of the latest issues and how they are being handled. Should the
county REA president not be able to answer your question, he/she will contact the health benefits committee member
assigned to your county.
Members of the NJREA Health Benefits Committee include:
Joseph Fleischner (Essex, Hudson, Union) [email protected]
Ron Giordano (Bergen, Passaic, Sussex) [email protected]
Linda Chororos (Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset) [email protected]
Bette Kirk (Mercer, Middlesex, Salem) [email protected]
Susan Jakob (Cape May, Gloucester) [email protected]
Barbara Satz (Hunterdon, Morris, Warren) [email protected]
William Sia (Atlantic Camden, Cumberland) [email protected]
Judith Ruff (Burlington) [email protected]
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