My Nokia cell phone doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. I can’t snap photos with it at the family reunion or use it to post Facebook updates while standing in line for ice cream at the D.H. Hill Library.

So I was surprised to discover that – much like a double scoop of Howling Cow – my slender little phone is making me fat.

I discovered this inconvenient truth at the NC State wellness fair last week, when I stepped on a computerized scale to get my body mass index (BMI) checked. As I stood on the scale in my bare feet, waiting for the computer to analyze the percentage of my body fat, it occurred to me that I probably should have removed any and all unnecessary baggage first. The technician kindly agreed to let me retake the test after I removed my cell

Smoke and MirrorsStop smoking and drop that cell phone: Adventures with the State Health Plan.

Article by David Hunt

Bulletin | October 8, 2009 2

phone from my belt and tossed it on a nearby table.I didn’t really think it would make a big difference. After all, the

cell phone weighs just a few ounces and it certainly looks lean. If anything, I expected to find that I had a slightly higher percentage of body fat without the phone on my hip.

Not so. With the phone, my body is 18.6 percent fat; without it, I’m a svelte 18.4. I never did get my actual BMI (which is slightly different than percentage of body fat); the machine malfunctioned before it could finish the calculation – both times.

None of this would matter much except starting in 2011 you could face higher deductibles and higher health care costs under the State Health Plan if your body mass index is too high. When an outside vendor comes through your office to conduct random

tests, you’ll be glad you know to remove your cell phone before stepping on the scale.

It’s not just fat that can get you in trouble with the State Health Plan. Starting next July, the plan will institute changes affecting people who use tobacco products.

For those looking for the silver lining, there’s some good news. If the new regulations prompt state employees to stop smoking and start exercising, that could result in a healthier, less stressed workforce, and long-term savings for the state.

That was the idea behind the new wellness Initiatives when they were adopted by state legislators and signed into law by Gov. Perdue in April. Here’s how they work:

1. Every year, starting next July, health plan members will have to attest that neither they nor any of their covered dependents use tobacco products. If you meet the requirement, you’ll be able to enroll in the standard 80/20 plan. But if you or any of your covered dependents use tobacco, you’ll be limited to the basic 70/30 plan.

2. Every year, starting in July 2011, members will have to attest that neither they nor their covered dependents have a BMI that exceeds a certain number. In 2011 that number will be 40; the next year it will drop to 35. If you meet the requirement (in addition to the tobacco requirement), you’ll be able to enroll in the 80/20 plan; otherwise you’ll be limited to the 70/30 plan.

BMI is a formula that measures your weight divided by the square of your height. If you’re a middle aged woman who stands 5’5” and weighs 215 lbs., for example, you have a BMI of about 36.

Random Testing PlannedTo keep us honest, the State Health

Plan is going to pay a company to conduct random tests in the workplace: a saliva test for tobacco and a BMI test like the one I did at the wellness fair to verify body mass.

You’ll have a financial incentive to avoid

tobacco and keep your BMI under the limits set by the new regulations. Starting next year, families on the 80/20 plan will face an annual deductible of $1,800 plus an out-of-pocket maximum of $8,250 (in-network) for the year. But families on the 70/30 plan will face an annual deductible of $2,400 plus an out-of-pocket maximum of $9,750. Failing to meet the wellness requirements could cost you as much as $2,100 a year if you’re covered with your family and as much as $700 a year if you’re covered as an individual. If that happens, the financial implications will feel more like a penalty than an incentive.

The new rules apply to all state employees and retirees, as well as their covered dependents. They don’t apply, however, to employees and retirees who are covered by Medicare as their primary insurance. There are no plans, yet, to conduct in-home tests of retirees.

If the new regulations seem more stick than carrot, there may be a good reason. The State Health Plan, which is self-funded by the state of North Carolina and administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, had a net loss of $80 million in fiscal year 2007-08.

3 Bulletin | October 8, 2009

The reason, according to the state auditor, is simple: the plan spent more on both administrative expenses and claims than it projected. The number of new health plan members grew, but so did the number of claims. With the phasing out of the indemnity plan, more members came into the PPO plan with its more generous benefits.

What’s Driving Up Costs?The rise in claims may also be tied to the

fact that only a quarter of the health plan’s 666,000 members are the dependents of current state employees. That’s a problem, Rep. Wil Neumann told the Associated Press in April, because there are too few young and healthy families paying into the system. While the average age of plan members is 46, retirees and their dependents make up fully 25 percent of the membership. A study prepared for the State Health Plan in 2006 found that retirees covered by the system would eventually cost the state nearly $24 billion. The study estimates that an annual contribution of $2.4 billion is required to support the retiree medical benefits.

On a side note, the State Health Plan’s

Even a marathon runner can develop a spare tire. Photo above was taken during a client’s fitness assessment at the Carmichael Recreation Center.

budget crisis earlier this year need not have been a surprise at all. The state auditor found – and health plan Executive Administrator Jack Walker acknowledged – that the plan’s management, “failed to inform the legislature in a timely manner about the plan’s financial status.” By the time legislators learned of the budget shortfall in January, the plan needed a cash infusion of $250 million to keep it afloat, and state officials were told they’d have to take fast and dramatic action to rein in spending.

To bring the plan back into budgetary balance, the state has a few options; it can reduce administrative expenses or reduce claim-related expenses, or both.

Reducing administrative expenses, it turns out, is problematic. In a recent performance audit of the State Health Plan, State Auditor Beth Wood noted that Blue Cross Blue Shield keeps some administrative information confidential.

“Consequently,” she wrote, “the State Health Plan has agreed to a contract that requires the plan to reimburse BCBSNC [Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina] its costs, but does not allow the plan to verify those costs or even know what they are. Therefore, BCBSNC could charge the plan for expenses and overhead that plan management might not agree were true costs of the plan.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield not only receives reimbursement for its administrative expenses, but also a guaranteed profit.

If administrative expenses aren’t on the chopping block, that leaves the health plan with the other option, looking for ways to cut claim-related expenses. That’s exactly what the wellness initiatives will help do.

Anne Rogers, director of integrated health management for the State Health Plan, says the wellness initiatives will save the state about $13 million in 2011. That short-term savings will come as a result of some plan members picking up more of their health care costs when they’re forced to move from the 80/20 plan to the 70/30 plan – either because they don’t meet the wellness requirements or because they fail to file the paperwork attesting that they qualify for the 80/20 plan. Rogers doesn’t

know how many people that will be, but says an estimated 70,000 members use tobacco and up to 14 percent have a BMI of 35 or more.

Linda McCrudden, the health plan’s director of communications, says the changes are designed to benefit employees, not just reduce expenses.

“It’s not about tricking people or tripping them up,” she says. “It’s about improving people’s health.”

Exemptions Soften ImpactIn fact, the new rules provide some

leeway for health plan members who make a good-faith effort to comply. Members who participate in a tobacco cessation or weight management program will be allowed to enroll in the 80/20 plan if they submit a form signed by their physician.

The state is also offering programs and other assistance for health plan members who need help with smoking or weight management. For tobacco users, the plan covers nicotine patches, cessation counseling, coaches and prescription medications to reduce the craving for

nicotine. The NC HealthSmart Worksite Wellness Toolkit includes a resource book called, “Quit Now.” For members struggling with obesity, the state reduced the cost of participating in its 15-week support program, “Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less,” to just $30. Members who complete 10 of the 15 classes will receive a refund of $25. Classes will be offered on campus after the first of the year, according to the benefits office. The Bulletin will publicize the schedule as soon as it’s finalized.

NC State employees can take advan-tage of weight management programs on campus, like Weight Watchers at Work, and fitness programs offered by Campus Recreation.

Dr. Carolyn Dunn, a professor and nutrition specialist in Family and Consumer Sciences, says the wellness initiatives may prompt people to examine their health status, even if they’re not directly affected by the new regulations.

“It’s a wake-up call to examine those aspect of our lives that have a cascading effect on every aspect of our health,” she says.

Tobacco users face higher deductibles and health care costs next year due to changes in the State Health Plan.

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5 Bulletin | October 8, 2009

Putting the Freeze On BottlesDramatic ‘Bottle Freeze’ focuses on keeping plastic bottles out of landfills.

Article by D’Lyn Ford

Instead, the Office of Sustainability, Campus Recreation and the Union Activities Board passed out reusable NC State containers and compostable cornstarch cups. Rented water filtration trucks dispensed 575 gallons of water.

As participants tossed their trash, they were coached on sorting it into bins for composting, recycling and disposal.

“A five-hour concert with 5,500 people attending generates a lot of trash,” says TJ Willis, assistant director of Campus Activities. “We were working with vendors and participants to reduce the need for plastic and keep bottles out of the landfill.” A waste analysis showed that only 18 percent of trash was bound for the landfill, he added.

Rec Fest used the same strategies to reduce waste and kick the bottle habit.

“We hope the idea spreads,” Willis says. “Parents and Families Weekend picked up the compostable containers and water trucks, and we hope it will happen again.”

While special events help highlight the changes, organizers say that handling the bottle ban will be a campuswide, year-round effort.

Campus building liaisons can find online educational

presentations about recycling and the new regulations. Facilities Operations has plans in place for diverting oil filters and wooden pallets, other items banned under the new regulations.

Fulghum urges faculty, staff and students to continue to recycle their plastic bottles, using one of 2,000 bins across campus. Just remove the cap, rinse the container and toss it into the bin. If you can’t empty the bottle and it still has liquid inside, it’s OK to leave the cap on.

When a whistle sounded on the Brickyard last Thursday, silence and stillness interrupted the normal hubbub between classes. Dozens of people abruptly froze, clutching plastic water bottles, diet soda containers and juice jugs that were officially banned from the state’s landfills, starting Oct. 1.

One student struck a chugging pose, bottle aloft. Another paused in mid jump shot, sporting a bottle tucked in his backpack. Others clustered with friends as if interrupted in conversation, bottles in hand.

When time expired on the bottle freeze at 11:40, the crowd scattered, recycling bins filled up, and Analis Fulghum, education and outreach coordinator for Waste Reduction and Recycling, breathed a sigh of relief. Participants had signed up via Facebook for the event, a brainchild of the North Carolina Department of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance.

“I was pleased that the 280 people who signed up followed through with their commitment. It demonstrated NC State’s commitment to recycling on campus,” Fulghum says. “Overall, our office has been very pleased with the response from campus in support of the new law.”

The bottle freeze wasn’t the first attempt to focus campus attention on the new environmental regulations, which allow landfills to fine waste haulers like NC State if trash is contaminated with recyclable items.

Mindful of the bottle ban, Wolfpack Welcome Week organizers teamed up. At Friday Fest, you could find a glut of funnel cakes and fried candy bars, but no bottles of water.

Bulletin BoardWolfline Fall Break Service

During fall break, Wolfline’s night service will end at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and resume on Monday, Oct. 12. The following service will be offered Thursday, Oct. 8 and Friday, Oct. 9:

> Route 6 (Carter Finley) will run every 30 minutes starting at 7:08 a.m; service ends at 6:08 p.m.

> Route 7 (Wolflink Shuttle) will run every 20 minutes, with the first pickup at Wolf Village at 7:28 a.m. and service ending at 6:01 p.m.

> Route 8 (Southeast Loop) will run every 36 minutes beginning at 6:58 a.m. and ending at 6:05 p.m.

Regular service resumes Monday, Oct.12. Visit http://www.ncsu.edu/wolfline for more information and links to service times. Questions? Call 515-3424 or contact Kim Paylor, Wolfline transit manager, at kim_paylor@ncsu.edu.

Fabulous Faculty SeriesSample a pie made with Tang and gain

a broader perspective on 19th and 20th century American eating habits. Bring your curiosity and appetite to the D.H. Hill Library assembly room on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m., to hear Dr. Sarah Ash from the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences speak about the social and economic factors that drove Americans to consider graham crackers a health food and cook with Tang in support of science. Audience members will have a chance to try Tang Pie and sample Spam Party Loaf. The event is part of NCSU Libraries’ Fabulous Faculty Series.

Roundtable on Health Care ReformHear resident experts address health

care reform from their perspectives as political scientists, sociologists and economists during a roundtable at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Riddick Hall, Room 325. A question and answer session will follow. For more information, contact Amanda Ross Edwards at aredwar2@ncsu.edu.

Open HouseNC State will hold its annual Open

House for prospective students, families and high school counselors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. More than 7,000 people are expected to attend. Students can tour the campus and learn about specific majors, admissions, housing, dining, arts, athletics and more. Student groups will entertain the crowd.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.ncsu.edu/openhouse.

Home Movie DayTake a trip back in time on Home

Movie Day, sponsored by the film studies program, on Saturday, Oct. 17. Bring a movie in 8mm, 16mm or Super 8 format to share during the screening from 1 to 4 p.m. in the North Carolina Archives auditorium, 109 E. Jones Street.

You can learn how to preserve your home movies and enjoy everyone else’s. For details, contact Dr. Marsha Orgeronat mgorgero@unity.ncsu.edu or visit Home Movie Day Raleigh 2009.

Short Story ContestsIf you’ve written a short (or short-short)

story, make your final edits. Monday, Oct. 19 is the postmark deadline to enter your work of fiction in the creative writing program’s short story competition, open to North Carolina residents.

The competition will be judged by science fiction author Samuel Delany. Delany, professor of English and creative writing at Temple University, has written memoir, criticism and essays as well as science fiction.

Wachovia Lecture SeriesAlexander Cutler, CEO of Eaton

Corporation, will speak on organizational transformation and leadership at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, in the College of Management auditorium, 3400 Nelson Hall. Admission is free and free parking is available in the Dan Allen Parking Deck.

Golf ClassicPlay golf without guilt when the Office for

Diversity and Inclusion hosts the 2009 NC State Golf Classic on Monday, Oct. 19, at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. Proceeds will benefit diversity programs at NC State. The tournament format, which features an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, allows both experienced and inexperienced players to have a fun-filled day at the links. The $100 rate for faculty, staff and students covers cart/green fees, range balls, breakfast, snacks, lunch and registration. You could win a prize for longest drive, most accurate drive or ball closest to the pin. Raffles, auction items and special hole-in-one prizes will be offered. For details, visit http://www.ncsu.edu/diversity/Golf.php.Golf scholarships are available. For information, contact Jo-Ann Robinson, assistant vice provost for student diversity, at 513-3222 or joann_robinson@ncsu.edu.

Using Cloud Computing to Strengthen

Bulletin | October 8, 2009 6

Health SystemsFaculty and students with an interest

in global health issues are invited to a discussion of how cloud computing could improve health systems. The free breakfast session from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park is the first of a monthly series on global health. NC State is involved through the Triangle Global Health Consortium. Friday, Oct. 9, is the deadline to RSVP.

Guest Poet Patricia SmithMeet award-winning poet Patricia Smith

at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Caldwell Hall lounge. Smith’s Teahouse of the Almighty was a National Poetry Series winner, the Best Poetry Book of 2006 on About.com, and a 2007 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and Paterson Poetry Prize honoree. Her fifth book of poetry, Blood Dazzler, chronicles the human, physical, and emotional toll of Hurricane Katrina.

Wolfpack Service DayJoin NC State alumni across the country

who will volunteer in their communities for Wolfpack Service Day, Oct. 24. Preregister to work at one of six sites in Wake County, and you’ll receive a T-shirt and lunch.

* Pullen Park * Yates Mill * Lake Crabtree * Harris Lake * Blue Jay Point * Habit ReStore

IBM Expert at Computer Security DayJeff Crume of IBM will deliver the

keynote address for Computer Security Day on Monday, Oct. 26. Faculty, staff and students are invited to hear Crume’s speech, “Secure Thinking,” and learn cybersecurity self-defense during the event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Talley Student Center.

Crume, a distinguished engineer and IT security architect for IBM’s World Wide Tivoli Tiger Team, is the author of Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don’t Want You To Know. He has written articles on cryptography, virtual private networking and identity management. Computer Security Day activities include general and technical discussions about social networking, current privacy issues in legislation, Web application security, antivirus protection, disk encryption, mobile device security, tools for desktop security, identity theft prevention, identity management and access control. For details, visit the Computer Security Day 2009 Web site.

Pink will be the new black on Wednesday at two special events benefiting breast cancer research. Indulge in treats for a good cause at the Chocolate Festival, sponsored by the Women’s Center, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the Talley Student Center ballroom. And check in with Susan G. Komen On the Go on the Brickyard from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring an interactive kiosk, graffiti wall, volunteer opportunities and free pink ribbon stickers and backpacks.

Think Pink!

7 Bulletin | October 8, 2009

BulletinThe Bulletin is published weekly, except during the summer and holidays, by North Carolina State University News Services. To subscribe to the online version, visit www.ncsu.edu/bulletin.

Please submit news and announcements one week in advance of publication.

News ServicesCampus Box 7504Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone (919) 515-5863E-mail bulletin@ncsu.eduWeb www.ncsu.edu/bulletinFacebook: http://tinyurl.com/c2ewk9

Editors: D’Lyn Ford David Hunt

Wolfram Honored for Linguistics Outreach

Dr. Walt Wolfram, director of the North Carolina Language and Life Project, received the Linguistics, Language and the Public Award from the Linguistic Society of America (LSA). This award honors a body of work that effectively increases public awareness and understanding of linguistics and language, including books, documentary films and articles in periodicals. Wolfram will accept the award in January during the annual meeting in Baltimore.

Wolfram, the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of English Linguistics, has pioneered research on social and ethnic dialects since the 1960s. He has been involved in producing television documentaries on dialect diversity, constructing museum exhibits and developing dialect awareness curricula for the schools and general public. He is a former president of both LSA and the American Dialect Society.

Celebrate with ‘Tar Heel of the Week’Mike Giancola, director of the Center

for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service, was named the Tar Heel of the Week by the News & Observer for his work with projects such as the University Million Meal Event.

This fall, university students and volunteers raised $16,000 and packaged 1,031,766 nutritious dehydrated meals that will reach lunch and food programs around the world.

Celebrate with Giancola and CSLEPS at the men’s basketball game on Thursday, Nov. 12. The University Million Meals group will be recognized at halftime. Please RSVP with CSLEPS at 515-9248 by Monday, Oct. 19 to reserve a ticket.

Combined Campaign UpdateAfter five weeks, NC State contributions

to the State Employees Combined Campaign have reached $375,007. Total participation by the University’s 7,735 employees is at 23 percent thus far. NC State, a leader among the universities for the last several years, has set a goal of $525,000. To help reach it, turn in your completed pledge form. Your contribution can help meet many community needs. And if you pledge, you’ll have a chance to win a free parking permit for one year. If you lost your pledge form, talk to your unit coordinator or go to http://www.ncsu.edu/secc to print a pledge form. Additional

Faculty and Staff Notes information is on the Web site, including a list of prize winners and totals by colleges and units.

Confrey Appointed to CommitteeDr. Jere Confrey, the Joseph D. Moore

Distinguished Professor in Mathematics Education, will join 24 other experts on a national school standards committee. The Common Core Standards Initiative Validation Committee, announced by the National Governor’s Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, will review college and career readiness standards and make recommendations that will be used in K-12 development. The goal is to ensure that school standards are based on research and evidence, aligned with college and workforce training program expectations, reflective of rigorous content and skills, and internationally benchmarked.

Confrey, a senior research fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, said 51 states and territories have signed on to the initiative, which is essential to remain competitive in a global economy based on innovation in science and technology.

Annual Enrollment for BenefitsNeed to make changes to your

insurance? Through Friday, Oct. 30, you can add, change or cancel the following benefits:

* Dental * Vision * Cancer * Critical Illness * NCFlex Group Term Life * Flexible Spending Accounts * Accidental Death & Dismemberment * NCSU-MetLife Group Term Life * Liberty Mutual Long Term Disability * Legal ServicesAny changes you make will take effect

on Jan. 1, 2010. For more information about changes and benefit changes and additions in 2010, visit the Human Resources benefits page.

Know an Interesting Student?Each semester, Registration and

Records produces a list of interesting graduates to be recognized during commencement. To nominate undergraduate students who are good candidates for recognition from the chancellor, e-mail their names to emily_brooks@ncsu.edu. The students must not only be interesting but also in good academic standing. The deadline for suggestions is Wednesday, Oct. 14.