March 2008

Ten Minutes to Be Added to the School Day Next Year

Under the terms of our current contract (Art.26 B.1) the length of the workday for professionals will be increased by ten minutes to seven hours and twenty minutes starting next year. The contract also states that these additional ten minutes can be used for instruction and the school board has decided to extend the student day by ten minutes to allow for that possibility. The start and end times of the school day are not included in the contract and, therefore, the LMEA could only consult with the district on its decision to add the ten minutes to the end of the current schedules in the elementary, middle, and high schools. The LMEA will insist, however, that the additional time not come at the expense of current employee lunch or preparation time.

Retiring this June?

If you plan to retire this coming June the LMEA urges you to let us know and schedule an exit appointment with Human Resources as soon as possible. There is a financial advantage to submitting your paperwork to PSERS early and understanding your retirement entitlements and benefits in advance of your retirement.

LMEA Spring Banquet is Approaching!

This year the annual LMEA Spring banquet will be held on Thursday, May 29, at the Eviva Restaurant located on Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore. Please avoid scheduling events that will conflict and mark your calendars to attend what promises to be a spectacular event. Please come and celebrate the [happy] end of another year and honor our departing retirees as they embark on life’s next great adventure. The cost per ticket will be $32.00. Parking may be limited so those attending are encouraged to carpool. Anyone attending who plans to retire at the end of this year should inform Lisa McDevitt at Cynwyd ES so that the LMEA can make arrangements to honor them at the banquet.

Save $$$ on Your ATT Cell Phone Account

Aimee Avellino, our Professional Vice President and Member Benefits Chair, has tracked down an NEA cell phone discount offered through ATT (formerly Cingular). Members can save 18% on their existing cell phone plans by calling ATT and providing the following foundation sponsorship number: 00113662.

Protect Yourself by Making Annual Credit Reports a Priority

Credit protection has become more and more of a necessity as identity thieves are increasing their abilities to steal your good name and credit and leave you with costs in both time and money to regain your ability to borrow. One way to protect yourself is to check your credit report once a year to see if anyone (other than you) has been attempting to apply for credit under your name and Social Security number. In 2005, the Fair and

Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) took effect, enabling credit holders to contact a single number (or website) to request their credit reports from the three major credit bureaus at no charge once a year. You can obtain your free credit report by calling 877-322-8228 or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form found online at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Compensation Awareness:

This month we will look at employee health plans and understanding the difference between three basic plan options under our current contract:

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)…. Currently offered as IBX PC 10/20/70 as our “core” plan and PC 15 as a “buy up” option. These plans manage costs by negotiating contracts with health providers who become part of the IBX network. Members are free to choose any doctor or hospital within the network (no referral necessary) for full coverage or copay 30% of the cost (20% for PC 15) if the choose a provider outside of the network.
POS (Point of Service)…. Currently offered as buy up option called Keystone POS. This plan requires a referral for some specialists and does not cover as many medical costs as the PPO. It does offer a better prescription benefit with $5 copay for generic and $10 copay for name brand medications. The plan will also cover 80% of the costs for treatment out of network.
HMO (Heath Maintenance Organization)… The district offers two plans in this category. They both require your primary physician to be in the Keystone network and referrals to see a specialist. Some medical expenses are not covered at all, but the copay for a visit to your primary doctor is just $2 during normal office hours. The Keystone Formulary HMO includes the higher prescription copays found in the PPO and is a lower premium than our core plan. The Keystone $2RX HMO has essentially the same coverage as the other HMO but with just $2 copay for prescriptions it has the highest premiums and is the most expensive buy up for our members.

Which plan you choose will probably depend on you or your dependent’s current health situation. Without an otherwise “qualifying event” the only time an employee can change plans is during the open enrollment period in May. Details of plan coverage and costs can be found on the LMSD website under Human Resources – Medical Insurance Options.

Unit Meetings

Once each year the president of the LMEA holds a unit meeting in each of the schools and major departments. These meetings are an opportunity to share issues and have questions answered directly by the LMEA leadership. The schedule for the remaining 2007-08 Unit Meetings is as follows:

NEXT UP:

Welsh Valley …………Mar. 11 @ 3:15 Merion………………..Apr.24 @ 3:45

Penn Wynne…….…..Mar.27 @ 3:45 Harriton………………May 6 @ 2:45

A Few More Important LMEA Dates to Remember

March 13…………….LMEA Retirement Workshop @ 4:00

March 12…………….General Membership Meeting @ 4:00

March 25…………….Budget Committee Meeting @ 2:00

March 26…………….CNC Meeting @ 4:00

April 10…………….. LMEA Retirement Workshop @ 4:00

April 14………………Executive Council Meeting @ 4:00

April 22………………VOTE in the Pennsylvania Primary!! (must register by March 20)

Did You Know This Is In Your Contract?

Provided they can certify coverage from another source, employees can waive health coverage under the LMSD plan and receive (in two installments) 25% of the premium for the plan in which the employee is eligible. (Article 44 B. pg.47)