Delaware
Group recommends discontinuing Medicare Advantage for state retirees
A working group charged with addressing state retiree healthcare benefits recently recommended that Delaware no longer consider a Medicare Advantage plan moving forward.
The General Assembly established the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee a year ago in response to concerns about retiree healthcare benefits for current and retired state workers, and how to address a growing unfunded liability for those benefits. A 2022 attempt to transition from a publicly managed Special Medicfill Supplement Plan to a Delaware-specific Medicare Advantage plan generated strong opposition from state retirees and an ensuing court challenge to the plan by RISE Delaware.
The group’s other recommendations include:
• Continue contributing 1% of general fund from the prior year to the Other Post Employment Benefit fund
• Increase OPEB pre-funding from 0.36% of payroll to 0.5%, then increase by an additional 0.25% of payroll each fiscal year until it reaches 10%
• Ensure that current Medicare-eligible and pre-Medicare state retirees and state employees who retire prior to Jan. 1, 2025, will be entitled to Special Medicfill/Rx benefits with no changes to the state share percentage of payments when they are Medicare eligible
• Limit changes to plan design, eligibility requirements or contribution share/percentage to workers hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025
• Solicit public comment before the State Employee Benefits Committee holds a public vote to adopt the final proposal for retiree healthcare plans
• Research and measure the cost of state-sponsored healthcare benefits for three subgroups: current workers, and eligible pensioners who are ineligible for Medicare and those who are eligible for Medicare
• Address the issue of healthcare pricing in Delaware, including statutory, regulatory and administrative changes in 2024 to bring more transparency, consistency, affordability and sustainability to healthcare prices and price growth.
Looking for a new furry friend? Over 1,000 pets will be waiting to meet you at Brandywine Valley SPCA’s Mega Adoption Event in Delaware.
The event will take place Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware in Newark.
Organizers said dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens from BVSPCA and participating partner organizations will be available throughout the event for $35 in adoption fees.
All pets available at the two-day event will be spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations.
The event is supported by Best Friends Animal Society, a national nonprofit organization whose goal is to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and make the country no-kill. No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter.
“Our Megas are such inspiring events, providing a lifeline to so many pets who have lost everything. Seeing these dogs and cats chosen by families eager to give them a new life full of love is what it’s all about,” BVSPCA CEO Adam Lamb said in a news release. “As the largest adoption event in the country, our goal with the size and format is to save even more lives by reaching folks who might not otherwise consider coming to a shelter to adopt.”
“We’re proud to support Brandywine Valley SPCA’s Mega Adoption Event and the incredible impact it has on pets and the community,” said Aurora Velazquez, East Regional Director, Best Friends Animal Society. “Events like this bring people together around the shared goal of helping more dogs and cats find loving homes.”
Organizers said a limited number of early-access fast passes will be available for purchase. If you are a fast pass holder, you will receive entry one hour before general admission on Saturday, June 20.
If you are considering adopting a new pet, please bring a leash and collar for dog adoptions, a carrier for cat adoptions, a valid ID, and the adoption fee.
This event will celebrate the BVSPCA’s 22nd Mega Adoption. Over the years, more than 22,000 pets have been adopted into loving homes.
More details and volunteer opportunities are available at megaadopt.com.
Dewey Beach restaurants and bars on gloomy Memorial Day weekend
As they say at The Starboard, “When it rains, we pour.”
No, Taylor Swift was not in Dewey Beach this weekend.
However, there was a little truth to the rumors that pervaded social media.
Travis and Jason Kelce were invited to a wedding in Dewey this weekend, Starboard owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery said.
“The groom played football with them at Cincinnati and is close with those boys,” Montgomery said.
The Starboard is one of Dewey’s most iconic bars and restaurants and has offshoots across town, such as Starboard RAW and Starboard Sauced.
Montgomery said he did close Starboard RAW for the wedding party May 29, but the professional football-playing brothers and Travis Kelce’s ultra-famous fiancée, Taylor Swift, did not end up attending the wedding.
Reach Shannon Marvel McNaught at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.
MUNCIE, Ind. — Indiana State Police is investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place in Muncie early Sunday morning.
According to ISP, around 12:13 a.m., officers from multiple agencies were called to an event in the area of Bunch Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on reports of a person shot.
A Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived at the scene and approached on foot. While the deputy was walking, he made an encounter with a vehicle and discharged his sidearm at the vehicle.
The circumstances and reason behind why the deputy fired his weapon remain under investigation.
The gunfire struck the vehicle, but no one was injured during the course of the incident.
The ISP Criminal Investigations Division is investigating the deputy’s use of force. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be used by the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
The investigation remains active and ongoing; no additional information is available at the time of this article’s publication.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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