News

Fall Dinner Entertainment

Michael Sokol of the CSUS Music Department will be directing the entertainment at the November 6, 2009 Emeritus Fall Dinner. The special entertainment put together just for the dinner is titled, TO DO US PROUD: An American Songbook. The more experienced students from the CSUS Opera Workshop will be singing songs and ensembles by American composers: from Copeland, Bernstein, and Ives to Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser, from the operatic and concert stage as well as the popular and theater venues. The troop will be accompanied by Dr. John Cozza, CSUS Staff Pianist. To register for the Fall Dinner, CLICK HERE.

Peter Proclaims the Table Wines
by Anonymous

There he was, in the dark, fathomless recesses of a wholesale outlet store. Surrounded by row upon row of heartless glass bottles having been transported from who knows what Stygian shore to this forelorn place. It was not the sort of environment Peter was used to. His sensitivities would far rather find himself warming the stem of a pleasant glass of Chardonnay at a gaily-colored sidewalk cafe and appreciating a healing breeze from the Caribbean Coast. But this was not the time for daydreams -- he had a job to do.

For the thousandth time, Peter hefted another dusty bottle and struggled to puzzle-out the meanings inscribed on its inscrutable label. As he worked, he mumbled to himself: "15.5% alcohol . . mmmmm, too much. Tempranillo grapes from the land of Zamora . . . wrong side of the mountain." And on it went into the late afternoon until he could barely see through glasses burdened with the settling dust. And then, he had to blink twice and rub away a flyspeck, "What have we here? Yes. . . Argentinian Malbec, good year, excellent appelation, good winery. Well, maybe, we'll give it a taste." He places the bottle into the large basket alongside the last put there over two hours ago. It would be a long day.

Having thus sacrificed himself for the benefit of us all, Peter once again sought to solve the eternal equation that balances cost on one side with a sensitive palate on the other. Now he is finally able to proclaim the choice of table wines for the Emeritus Association Fall Dinner. (drum roll) Peter has chosen not two, but three table wines: a very acceptable, though somewhat presumptuous, Argentinian Malbec; a sultry Sanoma County Merlot with a smokey finish that could draw a tear; and a bright Napa Valley Chardonnay with xylophonic flavors and a background reminiscent of tubular bells.

The NEW Math of Membership

Membership in the CSUS Emeritus Association in 2010 will have new advantages -- it will pay for itself up to 2X in savings. We have priced the Spring Brunch and the Fall Dinner so that those who pay membership dues, and their partner, pay $10 less each. If you and your partner attend both events in 2010, you will save $40, more than the cost of your membership dues. In addition, 2010 members will receive a 50% discount in ticket price at the CSUS Emeritus Sacramento Symphony Night which is a savings of at least $15 each for you and your partner -- you just saved the cost of your membership again! These are "members only" discounts.

To register for membership in 2010, or register for the Fall 2010 dinner, or both, CLICK HERE.

Community Supporters of the CSUS Emeritus Association

Emeritus Association membership will benefit in 2010 from the support of our community. The Zinfandel Grille on Fair Oaks has long catered to the many CSUS emeriti that frequent the establishment. This year the Grille is providing our top door prize at the November 6 Fall Dinner: Dining for 2 up to a value of $75.

The Sacramento Symphony will provide up to 100 half-price tickets on an evening set aside for our members: The CSUS Emeritus Night at the Sacramento Symphony. Similarly, the B-Street Theatre is enthusiastically negotiating with us for a CSUS Emeritus Night at the B-Street Theatre which may charge the standard price, but donate much of the money toward a CSUS Emeritus/B-Street Theatre Intern Program that will support 1 or more interns chosen from the Theatre Department on campus.

We have learned from these negotiations that many of the businesses in the Greater Sacramento Area are very keen to receive the support of the CSUS Emeriti. In the future we should expect to see more evidence of their support. If you know of business that might like to work with us in this manner, please send an email to jansteve1@directcon.net

Commissioner Poizner Urges Seniors to Protect Themselves from Predatory Insurance Agents
Press release for the California Department of Insurance

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today urged California seniors to protect themselves from agents and brokers who routinely seek to take advantage of seniors.

“As Insurance Commissioner, I want to be sure that California seniors do not become the victims of aggressive or deceptive sales practices which are too common during open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program,” said Commissioner Poizner. “Seniors and their families should arm themselves with as much information as possible, and if anyone has a suspicion that they are being taken advantage of, I urge them to call the Department of Insurance immediately at 800-927-HELP.”

Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program begins on November 15, 2009. Between now and the end of the open enrollment period, many insurance agents will engage in vigorous marketing and sales efforts.

Consumer education is the key to fighting unscrupulous and illegal sales practices. To that end, Commissioner Poizner has reached out to seniors facilities, requesting that administrators and staff join CDI in a statewide effort to protect seniors by posting and distributing useful tips for combating these illegal tactics. By sharing some simple tips, Commissioner Poizner aims to greatly reduce improper Medicare-related sales practices aimed at seniors.

Commissioner Poizner offers the following tips to help seniors protect themselves against predatory insurance sales practices during open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program:

· Make Sure They’re Licensed: Not all people marketing Medicare Advantage plans are insurance agents. If the person you are dealing with claims to be an insurance agent, contact the California Department of Insurance or visit www.insurance.ca.gov to verify license status. Insurance agents are required to print their license number on all business cards, quotations, and advertisements. Also, verify that the insurance company is licensed to do business in California.
· Cold Calls Prohibited: Federal regulations prohibit "cold calls" which may take the form of uninvited sales calls, door-to-door visits, unsolicited emails, telephone calls or any other type of sales contact without your express invitation.
· Be Stingy with Personal Information: Never give out personal information such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card information over the phone. Verify that the person you are dealing with has proper authority to act on behalf of the plan before you provide your Medicare number. This is a good time to seek assistance from a trusted relative, friend or advisor.
· Medicare Has No Official Sales Reps: Be wary of any salesperson who says that he/she is a Medicare representative. Medicare does not send "representatives" to solicit your business.
· No Marketing in Educational or Care Settings: Federal regulations prohibit the marketing of Medicare products in places where health care is delivered (such as a doctor's office, clinic, or pharmacy counter) or at an educational event.
· No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: Federal regulations prohibit offers of free meals for listening to a sales presentation or for signing up in a particular plan.
· Don’t Let Them Oversell You: Federal regulations prohibit selling additional insurance products during any sales or marketing presentation for a Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan.
· Read and Understand the Plan: Be sure that the plan that you choose matches your needs and that you can continue to see your current health care providers if you wish. It may be very difficult or even impossible to "undo" your selection later.
· You have rights! Contact the California Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-HELP (4357) or visit our website at www.insurance.ca.gov if you have any questions about an insurance offer, scheme or agent.
· Additional Info: Information about Medicare is available at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or www.medicare.gov or the California Department of Aging Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 1-800-434-0222 may be able to assist you.

A Note Added by Mark Shapiro of the CSU-ERFA Board: Our members get their Medicare supplemental and Medicare Advantage plans through CalPERS. They should not be enrolling in Medicare Part D under any circumstances, and they have no reason to be talking to an insurance agent about the CalPERS plans.

SilverBulletin Goes Online Spring 2011

What are the reasons for putting the Silver Bulletin online? The cost savings are more than significant -- they are nearly the total cost of publishing, printing, and mailing that our organization bears today -- in round numbers, about $1,200 per issue. The reduced timeline and certainty of a publication date are more reasons. As soon as we are satisfied with the copy, you will all receive it almost instantly -- no lost time waiting to be processed at the printers or post office.

What are the objections? The most important objection to taking the Bulletin online is that some of our members want to receive a paper copy of the Bulletin that they can comfortably read -- they don't like reading from a computer screen. But there is an easy answer to that objection. If you want a paper copy of the bulletin, just hit the "print" button and the Bulletin will print out on your printer just like the printed copy you received in the past.

Another important objection is that some of our members do not have a computer or do not have internet access. From our surveys, we have determined that of the 1,200 retires to whom we mail the bulletin twice each year, about 30, and certainly no more than 50, have that problem. Though their numbers are small, they are still important to us. We have decided to continue to print and mail the Bulletin to those retirees who cannot receive it online. If you must receive a print copy of the Silver Bulletin by mail, phone me, Steve Gregorich, at (530) 621-4505.

Our board has decided to begin exclusive online publication of the SilverBulletin in the Spring of 2011. We have been aggressively gathering email addresses for all the faculty and staff retirees. If you are a retired faculty or staff of CSUS who has not been receiving occasional email from the Emeritus Association, please send an email to me, Steve Gregorich, at this address: jansteve1@directcon.net Indicate in your email that you want to be added to the Emeritus email list.

What security do we offer for your email address? The security we offer for your email address is absolute. We do not publish your email address unless you specifically request us to. We do not share your email address with anyone.

What email will you send me? If you are on the Emeritus Association email list, you will receive an occasional (no more than once per month on average) email from the Association that lets you know about new articles on our website. The email gives you quick links to the articles so that you can go only to those for which you have an interest. You will also receive an email containing the Silver Bulletin twice each year.

Can I receive Emeritus email and the Silver Bulletin even though I am not a dues-paying member? Yes. Just send me an email and indicate you want to be on the Emeritus list and you will receive our occasional news items and the Silver Bulletin. Send your email to me, Steve Gregorich, at this email address: jansteve1@directcon.net

Volunteers Needed

The Emeritus Association is entirely run by volunteers. Occasionally, one of our volunteer jobs becomes vacant or we add a volunteer role that was never there before. Following are some jobs for which volunteers would be most appreciated. If you are interested in one of them, call Steve Gregorich at (530) 621-4505 or email at jansteveg@directcon.net to arrange for a meeting in which you may learn the details of a volunteer position before volunteering.

Events Photographer. The Events Photographer is part of the SilverLink staff. He/she takes photos at each of our events and publishes them a few days later on our Photo Pages. Experience taking photos, processing them with PhotoShop and publishing them online with Dreamweaver is required. Steve Gregorich is managing the job this year and will assist a new volunteer learning the job.

Membership Manager. The Membership Manager works closely with the treasurer and secretary of the board and the membership chair. The membership manager receives membership applications and registrations for yearly events, records the information on a membership spreadsheet, and uses the information in the list to make name tags, membership cards and reports for the treasurer and membership chair. Solid experience with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word is required. Steve Gregorich is doing the job this year and will assist a new volunteer learning the job.

Events Manager. The Events Manager works closely with the Emeritus board to plan the menu, entertainment, and other arrangements for each of the two yearly events: the fall dinner and spring brunch. Joe Gibson is managing our events this year and will assist a new volunteer learning the job.

Member Benefits Manager. The Member Benefits Manager negotiates special member benefits with community agencies. Joe gibson is managing the job this year and will assist a new volunteer learning the job.

Breaking News: Alan Wade's Daughter in Tragic Accident

Alan Wade's daugfhter, Lucia Wade, age 38, is a patrol officer in Santa Rosa. On Sunday October 11 she was chasing a suspect alongside the highway at dusk and was accidentally struck by an oncoming vehicle. Her head collided with the windshield and she received many facial fractures, spinal fractures, head contusion. She was in a coma for several days and in intensive care for a week. She is having surgery today (Oct. 16). Her fellow officers have setup a "Help Lucia" website. It provides more details about the accident, a news video, and a link for donations. To go there, click on the link below:

http://luciawade.com/

Join the New Sacramento Chapter of the World Affairs Council

The vision of the Sacramento Chapter is to become the most highly respected and trusted impartial forum for discourse and education of international issues in the Sacramento region. The Chapter values engaging, entertaining and intellectually stimulating discussion from authoritative and influential figures in foreign affairs. It values a cordial, open and nonpartisan atmosphere where productive dialog can occur between those with differing opinions. It also values sincere steering committee members, program coordinators, and volunteers who work collectively to foster a culture of sustainability, vibrancy and integrity.

You can read about past and future programs, and get information on how to join the Sacramento Chapter by clicking here.

Emeritus Association Book Group 2009-2010 Schedule

The Emeritus Association/Friends of the CSUS Library Book Group continues to meet on the second
Wednesday of each month. The Reading dates and topics are also posted on our Public Calendar. Following is the schedule:

2009

Sept. 10: The Post American World, by Fareed Zakaria. WW Norton, 2008*

Oct. 8: The Straight Man, by Richard Russo. Random/Vintage, 1998

Nov. 12: Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3 by Annie Proulx. Scribner, 2008 **

December: No Meeting

2010

Jan. 14: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, by Annette Gordon-Reed. Norton, 2008

Feb. 11: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Jonot Diaz. Riverhead, 2007.

Mar. 11: White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson by Brenda Wineapple. Random House, 2008

Apr. 8: Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War. Vintage Books, 1997

May 13: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War On American Ideals. by Jane Mayer Random House, 2008

June 10: All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. Vintage, 1993

July 8: The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, by Jeffrey Toobin. Doubleday, 2007

August 12: American Rust, by Philipp Meyer. Speigel and Grau, 2009

Sept. 9: Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever, by Walter Kirn. Doubleday 2009

Oct. 14: The White Tiger, by Aravind Adega. The Free Press, 2008

Nov. 11: The Evolution of God, by Robert Wright. Little Brown, 2009

*Starting with Post American World because it is short, easily attainable, and you have short notice of scheduling.

** Two fiction books in sequence to allow for the Hemingses to be read over December, as it is our longest book.

You can get information about a free Emeriti library card, access to the Emeritus Room, and scheduling computer or library data base instruction by contacting Dr. Mary Reddick at mreddick@csus.edu or (916) 278-4045. You can get information about the Emeritus/Friends of the CSUS Library Book Group by contacting Lou Lower at lcohan@saclink.csus.edu or (916) 456-5879.

Who Will Fill Bob Bess' Shoes?

A large vacancy was left in the Emeritus Association when Bob Bess passed away on August 20th. For many years Bob made all the arrangements for the two major Emeritus events each year, the Fall Dinner and the Spring Brunch. Bob also worked with the Music and Theater faculty to provide entertainment for those events. And finally, Bob was one of our Association's representatives on the CSU-ERFA Board and served as Director of Legislative Affairs.

Legislation and other services from ERFA regarding pensions and health benefits are the Association's most important function at this time. ERFA's key function is working in the legislative and administrative arena's to protect our pensions and health care. Alan Wade has accepted ERFA President Dieter Renning's request to replace Bob as Director of Legislative Affairs and Executive Committee member.

Alan has asked Joseph Gibson, who has a fine reputation in the Sacramento community for managing similar events, especially those dealing with the arts, to take Bob's place as "Events Chairman" for the Emeritus Association. Joe has served on the Board in the past as its Alumni Representative, developed the highly successful Martin Luther King Celebration a few years ago, and is presently spearheading the Robert Bess Fund for the Arts project.

Health Benefits Report:October 26, 2009
David F. Humphers

The year began with scary rumors that health benefits administered by the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) might be terminated or transferred from CalPERS to the Department of Personnel Administration. The rumors vaporized after a few months as we observed that the PERS board of directors and staff did not appear to be panic- stricken.

The Calfornia Regional Health Information Organization, the non-profit effort to organize a statewide health information exchange system, remains in the planning stage, according to the August 18 report to the PERS Health Benefits Committee. A statewide health information exchange offers the possibility of significant savings. It appears that all of the health plans are willing to sign agreements to participate in the information exchange; however, some are not willing to share in the cost.

California Hospital Assessment and Reporting Taskforce (CHART), a collaborative effort led by the University of California, San Francisco and the California Health Care Foundation, publicly reports hospital clinic quality and patient experience measures. The purposes are (1) to encourage improvement in the quality of hospital care, and (2) to provide consumers and purchasers with information to identify hospitals providing the highest quality care. A quarterly report was presented to the PERS Health Benefits Committee at the August 18 meeting.

Two hundred and forty (240) California hospitals are participating, and as of May 2009, only 40 hospitals were eligible for the Certificate of Distinction for Outstanding Performance. Certification requires that a hospital must have at least one superior or above average rating in at least five of eight categories with no below average or poor scores in any performance measure. The categories:

ICU Mortality
Heart Failure
Coronary Artery Graft (CABG) Mortality
Breastfeeding
Overall Patient Experience
Patient Safety (hospital acquired pressure ulcers or surgical care improvement project)
Pneumonia (Mortality, Quality or Preventive Care

About 14 percent of California hospitals are not participating. All of the University of California hospitals are participating; none of them have earned the Certificate of Distinction for Outstanding Performance.

CalPERS Cost Trends. At the September 15 Health Benefits Committee meeting, CalPERS staff presented a report on CalPERS cost trends 2005 to 2008. The staff identified muscle/bone disorders as the top ten cost categories. Muscle/bone disorders accounted for 14 percent of total basic plan costs in 2008. Osteoarthritis was the highest cost condition at 29 percent of category costs. Low back disorders ranked second highest cost at 12 percent of the category. Joint disorders 11 percent; fracture/dislocations upper extremities 10 percent; fracture/dislocated hip, 4 percent; the other category, 34 percent, includes other fractures, other spine disorders, bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Annual cost increases, 2005 to 2008, ranged from 26 percent for joint disorders to 39 percent for osteoarthritis. The top four cost conditions--osteoarthritis, low back disorders, joint disorders and fractures/dislocations upper extremities--account for 62 percent of the total muscle/bone disorder costs.

Long Term Care. Over the past year, the PERS Board has held a series of meetings dealing with the Long Term Care Program--all “closed sessions.”
The September PERS Health Benefits Committee meeting began with a “closed session” on Health Plan Contract Negotiations and Long Term Care Program Competitive Strategy and Rates. Gregory Franklin announced that staff will present a Long Term Care evaluation at the November Health Benefits committee meeting. The PERS Board is expected to announce Long Term Care Program changes at the December meeting.

An informal report from a PERS staff member suggests there will be important changes in the Long Term Care Program in 2010: (1) a Long Term Care (LTC) premium increase of about 20 percent; (2) no open enrollment in 2010; and (3) big changes in 2011--for example, possible preparation to sell the Long Term Care plan. No confirmed details are available about the future of the Long Term Care Program.

Alternative Health Plan Benefit Design. The PERS October Constituent Work Group meeting focused on the low-premium, higher co-pay health plan options that have grown significantly over the past decade. The Mercer Consulting Firm representative defined the focus on Alternative Health Plan Options which expand choice to meet the economic needs of members; increase flexibility for PERS participating employers; and, allow members to reduce premiums in exchange for greater out-of-pocket costs when medical services are needed. Possible unintended consequences include (1) increased premiums for higher cost plans, (2) increased participant share of costs over time, and (3) higher levels of member cost sharing that may deter participants from seeking needed care.

Professor Kyna Fong of Stanford University reviewed research on consumer responses to alternative health plan options. She pointed out that members value health plan benefits highly relative to take-home pay. Employees are much more willing to give up one dollar of additional take-home pay than to have one dollar’s worth of health benefits removed.

She explained that increasing cost-sharing may alter behavior. Consumers in high-deductible health plans were more likely to forego medical care due to cost, resulting in the following risky consumer behavior:

Decide not to go to the doctor when you should;
Delay or decide against having a medical treatment or surgery;
Decide against having a lab test;
Take a lower dose of Rx drug than recommended;
Avoid filling an expensive Rx prescription.

Fong concluded that (1) increased cost-sharing reduces both necessary and unnecessary care and (2) increased cost-sharing may lead to care disruption such as fewer outpatient visits. She recommended a “value-based” benefit design that waives cost-sharing when appropriate (for example, patients with chronic illness).

Members who spoke in response to the low premium/high co-pay health plans recommended either prohibition of these high risk health plans or significant regulations to reduce risk. The low premium/high co-pay health plans are presumed to have contributed significantly to the growing number of bankruptcies due to health care costs.

The ERFA State Council (October 17,2009) voted unanimously to recommend that CalPERS require an annual cap on out-of-pocked costs and a lifetime cap on out-of-pocket cost for all low premium/high co-pay health plans.

2009-2010 H1N1 Vaccine Coverage. The federal government has paid for development of the vaccine; it will be available at no cost. There may be costs for administration. All CalPERS health care plans provide for both vaccination and treatment of H1N1 influenza. All of CalPERS' Medicare Health Plans (Anthem Blue Cross, Medico, Blue Shield of CA, Kaiser Permanente) cover the H1N1 vaccine 100 percent with no co-pay.
PERS members are encouraged to consult their health plan or primary care physician regarding the vaccine for H1N1.

2009 Health Plan Utilization. PERS staff reported increasing medical and pharmacy utilization by state employees this year. Swine flu was one explanation. Another explanation: furlough days have provided employees time to have health and dental issues taken care of.

Administrative Appeals Process. The PERS legal office submitted an “information only” description of the Application and Administrative Appeals Process to the PERS board. This document contains useful information for our members and will be available from the CSU-ERFA office.

Patricia Macht, CalPERS Director of External Affairs, announced at the September 15 Health Benefits Committee meeting a new initiative aimed at correcting erroneous media reports. Log on to www.CalPERS.ca.gov and find Setting the Record Straight on the left side column.

Ellen Badley was appointed Interim Assistant Executive Officer for Health Benefits, replacing Gregory Franklin. Franklin accepted the Deputy Director for Strategic Planning position, California Department of Health Services.

What The Future Holds. Our pensions and health benefits are safe--for the time being. At the September PERS Health Benefits Committee meeting, PERS board member Tony Olivera warned that we face strong efforts to convert our defined benefit pensions into 401's, even as employers across the country are legally dumping 401's. Olivera opined that flagrant pension spiking in California will be used against us. He stated further that most of the pension spiking in California is by executives at local (city, county and regional) government levels. Currently, legislation prohibiting pension spiking applies only to state employees. Olivera urged “Tell your colleagues to read Frances Hawthorne's Pension Dumping and be prepared to speak up in defense of public employee benefits....”

Historical Faculty Photo Album Available Here

In 1963 our fledgling campus published a photo album of its faculty, in order of the year they were hired, from 1957 to 1963. The document was titled Faculty Profiles, SSC 1963. Our colleague Rod Sime kept a copy of it all these years. Thank you, Rod, for loaning it to us.

We have painstakingly scanned the document and converted the files to PDF so that you can download it. Once you have the file, you can print a copy just like the original. The file size is just over 13Meg, which will take only a few minutes with hi-speed internet service, but it will take awhile to download over a telephone modem. When you are ready, just click HERE to start the download.

The Alliance for the CSU includes all those who care about the future of the state and its state university system. We are students, alumni, faculty, CSU staff, administrators, parents of CSU students, employers, church leaders, labor union members, and people who depend on and enjoy the many assets the California State University adds to our communities and cities.

To learn about the Alliance, click on this link: http://www.allianceforthecsu.org/

Each year the Emeritus Association makes donations to the campus in the name of its members. In the past two years, those donations totaled $10,750:

2006 - 2007
CSUS Theatre - $1000
CSUS Library Annual Fund- $2000
CSUS Faculty Endowment Fund - $1500

2007 - 2008
CSUS Music Department - $1000
CSUS Library Annual Fund - $3000
CSUS Faculty Endowment Fund - $2250