Photo Credit: "Eiffel Moon" by John Torell | |
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2025 BOARD OF RETIREMENT ELECTION RESULTS
RETIREE OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS OCT 31
PRE-RETIREMENT WORKSHOP WEBINAR
OFFICE CLOSURE DATES
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Also in this edition...
- 2025 COLA Tracker
- September 2025 Investment Results
- September 24, 2025 Board of Retirement Meeting Draft Minutes
- October 22, 2025 Board of Retirement Meeting Agenda Available
- CareCounsel Information
- RESBC Membership Information
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2025 BOARD OF RETIREMENT ELECTION RESULTS | |
In September 2025, SBCERS held elections for General Second, General Third, Safety Seventh and Alternate Safety Seventh Members of the Board of Retirement.
Michael T. Daly (Clerk-Recorder, Assessor & Elections Office) and Julius Abanise (County Counsel) were elected to serve as the General Second and General Third Members, respectively, having received the highest number of votes in their elections. Paul Uhl (Sheriff's Office) was elected as the Safety Seventh Member. In accordance with the Trustee Elections Policy, the runner-up Frederick Tan (Fire Department), was selected to serve as the Alternate Safety Seventh Member.
The Board of Supervisors approved the certification of results at its October 21, 2025 meeting. Julius Abanise’s term begins on November 1, 2025, while the next terms for Michael T. Daly, Paul Uhl, and Frederick Tan begin January 1, 2026.
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RETIREE OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS OCT 31 | |
Retiree Open Enrollment ends October 31. All change forms must be received by SBCERS by Friday, October 31. Forms and Open Enrollment books for the 2026 calendar year are available for viewing online at www.sbcers.org/openenrollment.
Attend the virtual health fair! Videos from a variety of health and wellness vendors are available to view online by clicking the button below. At the end of each video, you will be prompted to enter into the raffle for prizes. Watch at least 10 videos before Sunday, October 26 and be eligible for our raffle to win a variety of amazing health & wellness prizes.
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Click the button above to start watching!
Password: sbcers26
2026 Plan Changes include:
- United Healthcare is offering PPO Medicare Advantage plans for retirees, replacing the current HMO options. This change offers more flexibility in choosing your healthcare providers. Not applicable for Superior Court retirees.
- Blue Shield prescription benefits manager will change from Express Scripts to Navitus.
- Digbi Health is a new health program offering in 2026 designed to help individuals manage chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and digestive issues.
All rate sheets and summaries of benefits can be found online at www.sbcers.org/openenrollment.
Not making changes to your health benefits? No action is needed.
Questions? Email info@sbcers.org or call 1-877-568-2940.
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PRE-RETIREMENT WORKSHOP WEBINAR | |
SBCERS is hosting an online Pre-Retirement Workshop Webinar on Thursday, October 23 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. The workshop will discuss topics such as reviewing the retirement process, best practices for retirement readiness, understanding the COLA, and more. Sign up for the webinar by clicking here.
If you are unable to attend this workshop, SBCERS will be hosting two in-person Pre-Retirement workshops in November. Registration for the Santa Maria and Goleta workshops will be available soon.
Questions? Email info@sbcers.org or call 1-877-568-2940.
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SBCERS will be closed on the following dates:
- Wednesday, November 5th for staff training.
- Tuesday, November 11th for Veterans' Day.
- Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th for Thanksgiving.
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2025 COLA Tracker
The latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) data is not yet available due to delays in the release of inflation figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). We will provide updated information as soon as it becomes available.
For August 2025, Los Angeles Area Inflation (year over year) was 3.34%. The average monthly increase for 2025 to date is 3.16%.
View monthly inflation figures compared to last year.
Want to track the COLA on your own? On the 15th of each month, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics releases CPI data for Los Angeles.
Read the current Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
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September 2025 Investment Results
For the month of September, the Total Fund returned 1.23%. Since the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, 2025, the Fund has returned 3.49% generating over $165 million for SBCERS retirees and beneficiaries.
Read the September 2025 Investment Report.
| | WANT HELP WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE INQUIRIES & CONCERNS? | | |
Looking for a stress-free solution to your healthcare inquiries and, or concerns? CareCounsel is our health advocacy partner and is a service offered as part of your benefit package. CareCounsel works independently from your insurance carrier and is a completely confidential resource.
It’s easy, call: (888-227-3334), or email staff@carecounsel.com Monday through Friday 6:30 am to 5:00 pm PST. After hours, you can leave a message and they will get back to you the next business day.
A few examples of why you should contact CareCounsel:
- Education
- Making Sense of Medicare
- Benefits and Coverage Questions
- Claims and Billing Assistance
- Eligibility Status
- Quality Concerns
- Grievances and Appeals
- Assistance with Locating Healthcare Providers
| | RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY (RESBC) | | |
RESBC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of county retirees by providing information on critical retirement issues and offering educational/cultural social opportunities. Membership in RESBC is $2.50 monthly. Dues are deducted from the member’s Santa Barbara County pension payment. County employees may join RESBC by completing the RESBC Membership Deduction Authorization form at the time of their retirement exit conference.
Retirees may join at any time by requesting a membership form from SBCERS, 130 Robin Hill Road, Suite 100, Goleta, CA 93117, 1-877-568-2940 or, by clicking HERE and sending the completed form to benefits@sbcers.org.
RESBC Membership benefits include:
- 4 issues of the RESBC newsletter per year.
- 4 subsidized luncheon meetings per year held at various county locations.
- Opportunities to participate in subsidized day trips and special events.
- Attendance at special presentations on critical issues such as health insurance, pension litigation, pension-related court decisions, etc.
- Opportunity to socialize and have fun with former co-workers and friends.
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Have a question about an item in this newsletter?
Call a Benefit Representative at 1-877-568-2940. We are ready to help you!
Want to look at prior newsletters?
Click HERE to visit the SBCERS Newsletter Archive.
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