Free Service Has Been Helping Delaware Medicare
Recipients For More Than Twenty Years

Dover, DE–Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart is pleased to announce that the ELDERinfo program will now be known as the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau or DMAB. ELDERinfo has been providing free, local assistance to Delaware’s Medicare recipients for 21 years, and it will continue to offer the same great services just with a new name. Commissioner Stewart stated, “With this new name we hope to reach more of the nearly 28,000 Medicare recipients in the state who are under age 65 and on Medicare due to a disability. Many of the younger Medicare recipients think the service is only for people age 65 and older. Additionally, many of the people today who are 65 and older do not feel ‘elderly’ and they reject terms that make them feel old. The new name better reflects the services that the program provides to the public. We think the new name will be a win-win for the staff and the public.”

As of September 2013, Delaware was home to 167,538 Medicare recipients which includes almost 28,000 individuals who are under the age of 65 and on Medicare due to disability. The program assisted 5,864 individuals in 2013 and helped Medicare recipients save more than two million dollars in prescription drug costs and $492,000 on Medicare Part B premiums. Approximately 18% of Delaware’s population receives Medicare benefits and that number is only going to grow as the Baby-Boomer generation turns 65.

According to Lakia Turner, director of the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau, the new name will hopefully reduce some confusion among the public because ELDERinfo often received calls from people who thought the program was a resource for all senior-related programs in the state. “DMAB is a free resource for Medicare recipients who have questions about Medigap plans, prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage, financial assistance programs and anything else related to Medicare,” said Ms. Turner. “Our phone number will remain the same: 1-800-336-9500. You can also send e-mails to DMAB@delaware.gov or find information on our updated website, www.delawareinsurance.gov/DMAB.”

The Delaware Department of Insurance and the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau are taking this time to remind disabled Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65 that with the passage of Senate Bill 42, SB 42, in 2013 there are new Medigap (Medicare supplement insurance) options available to them but time to purchase the plans is limited. SB 42 became effective on January 1, 2014, and requires insurance companies that offer Medigap policies to people 65 and older to also offer the same policies to anyone under the age of 65 who qualifies for Medicare due to a disability.

Commissioner Stewart noted, “Existing Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65 who had Medicare prior to January 1, 2014, only have until June 30, 2014 to purchase a Medigap plan under this law. Newly enrolled Medicare recipients under age 65 have six months to purchase one of these plans, from the time benefits begin. It’s very important that these individuals not wait until the last minute to compare plans or sign up, if they are interested. That’s why I encourage anyone with Medicare due to a disability under age 65 to call DMAB at 1-800-336-9500 today to get more information before their time to act expires.” The DMAB website, www.delawareinsurance.gov/DMAB, also has information about Medigap plans, including the 2014 Delaware Medicare Supplement Insurance Shopper’s Guide, which was just released yesterday.

The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau also offers free info sessions for people who are turning 65 and want to learn about the basic concepts of their Medicare coverage. Other info sessions are offered during the annual open-enrollment period (October 15-December 7) to help recipients review their prescription drug coverage for the upcoming year. Sessions are held at various counseling sites throughout the state. See the website, www.delawareinsurance.gov/DMAB, for a list of sites or call 1-800-336-9500. Volunteers are a vital part of the DMAB program and any individuals who would like to volunteer with DMAB are encouraged to call for more information. There will be volunteer training sessions hosted in July 2014.

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Delaware Department of Insurance: “Protecting Delawareans through regulation
and education while providing oversight of the insurance industry to best serve the public.”

Memorial Day weekend DUI and seat belt enforcement

Dover – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is wishing everyone a safe start to summer with their celebrations this Memorial Day weekend.  Officers will be working overtime to keep everyone safe as they travel by reminding motorists to buckle up and removing impaired drivers from the roadways.

Impaired driving overtime enforcement will be conducted over the weekend by Dover PD, New Castle City PD, New Castle County PD, Newark PD, Rehoboth Beach PD, Wilmington PD, and Delaware State Police.  The Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign began May 12^th and continues through Memorial Day weekend with 35 police departments and Delaware State Police participating statewide.

To stay safe and arrive alive, OHS has some road safety tips for Memorial Day weekend.

1. Check your speed. Plan your route in advance and be prepared to spend more time reaching your destination rather than speeding to get there faster.
2. Obey intersection safety rules. Motorcyclists, pedestrian, and bicyclist traffic also increases during the weekend. Traffic signals and stop signs are in place to maintain safe roadways for drivers, passengers and pedestrians sharing the road.
3. Buckle up. All passengers in the vehicle should use seat belts to keep them safe in the event of a crash.
4. If you are drinking, do not drive. Designate a non-drinking driver or plan for alternative transportation.

For more information visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.BuckleUpDE.org and follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

Deputy Secretary David Small To Be Nominated for Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

 (Wilmington, DE) Governor Jack Markell today announced he will nominate Deputy Secretary David Small to be Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).  He will succeed Collin O’Mara, who will become President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation in July.  The nomination is subject to confirmation by the Delaware State Senate.

“David’s depth of knowledge and leadership on environmental issues has helped improve the quality of life for residents and visitors of our state for nearly three decades,” said Governor Markell. “His work at DNREC to make our state safer, cleaner and healthier has earned the respect of many, both in and out of State government, and his wealth of experience makes him an ideal fit to build on our efforts to address Delaware’s energy and environmental challenges.”

Small has spent the last 13 years as Deputy Secretary. He has served six cabinet secretaries during his DNREC career, which spans 27 years. Small also worked as Executive Assistant to the Secretary from 1998 until 2001, having joined the department in 1987 as Chief of the Office of Information and Education. During his tenure at DNREC, Small has led, coordinated and supported the development and implementation of many initiatives, including: establishment of the state’s aboveground storage tank program; enhancements of public reporting of environmental releases; development of the state’s Dam Safety program, assuring the safe operation and maintenance of regulated dams; coordination with agriculture and business communities on a wide range of state and federal regulatory updates; creation of the Inland Bays Pollution Control Strategy to reduce nutrients and improve water quality; and passage and implementation of universal recycling.

“I am incredibly honored to be nominated by Governor Markell to serve as Secretary,” said Small. “If confirmed, I look forward to working with our many partners and the DNREC team to build on the successful foundation of this administration by making Delaware more resilient to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, protecting our air, land and water quality, providing diverse and quality recreational opportunities for our citizens and visitors and preserving our open spaces and biodiversity.”

Small is a former State of Delaware Employee of the Year.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of Wilmington’s Riverfront Development Corporation, on the Board of Directors of the Greater Dover Boys and Girls Club, and has represented Delaware on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  He is a past president of the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Information and Education Association. Small, 57, is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and resides with his family in Dover.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control employs 900 full-time professionals in 74 locations around the state and is comprised of seven Divisions:  Air Quality, Energy and Climate, Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, Waste and Hazardous Substances, Water and Watershed Stewardship. It is responsible for protecting and managing the state’s  natural resources, protecting public health and safety and providing quality outdoor recreation.

German flooring company aims to move into 53,000-square-foot plant by April 2015

Dover, Del. (May 20, 2014) – Germany-based flooring company Uzin Utz AG broke ground on its first U.S.-based dry mortar plant Tuesday, adding to its 113-year legacy of success while also contributing to the bright future of manufacturing in Delaware.

Gov. Jack Markell, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, joined company officials in a ceremonial moving of the dirt at the future site of the 53,000-square-foot facility, which will anchor the Garrison Oak Technical Park in Dover.

Gov. Markell thanked Dr. Werner Utz, Chief Executive Officer of Uzin Utz, and Philipp Utz, President of subsidiary Uzin Utz Manufacturing North America Inc., for choosing Delaware as the site for their expansion.

“Since coming into office five years ago, my goal has been to have Delaware compete and win on the global playing field. Today, we’re celebrating yet another win,” Gov. Markell said. “Uzin Utz is the textbook definition of an anchor tenant. With more than a century of excellence, the parent company is both stable and secure. And in Philipp Utz, the company’s subsidiary is led by a fourth-generation executive who will merge Uzin Utz’s tradition of excellence with its ideas for tomorrow.”

Founded by Georg Utz in 1911, Uzin Utz AG is a family-run company that specializes in professional installation systems for all types of floor coverings, leveling compounds, damp-proofing systems, adhesives for textile, resilient coverings and wood flooring. Once complete, Uzin Utz’s 53,000-square-foot plant will also house a research and development center and an application area for testing and customer training.

“We are very excited about the groundbreaking today. With this manufacturing plant we demonstrate our strong commitment to U.S. customers, the State of Delaware and the City of Dover. It has taken only seven months to get to the groundbreaking, which shows that Dover is a great place to set up new businesses,” Philipp Utz said. “Dover is strategically located to our core customer markets, and Garrison Oak Technical Park provides an ideal location, with access to a skilled work force and modern infrastructure that will allow us to expand the plant in the future.”

Uzin Utz was awarded a Delaware Strategic Fund Performance Grant and a Capital Expenditure Grant, and plans to create 23 jobs at its new facility in Dover.

“Manufacturing in Delaware is growing by changing. Companies and organizations in that sector are redefining what it means to be a traditional manufacturer and training employees to use the most current technology and practices. Uzin Utz selected Delaware in large part because it recognized our commitment to fostering this growth and change,” Levin said. “Uzin Utz is also one of several companies that chose Delaware because of its well-trained workforce. Nowhere is this more true than Kent County, where the company will have no problem finding a stream of prepared individuals who are ready to work.”

In addition to Uzin Utz, Garrison Oak Technical Park will also soon be home to The Garrison Energy Center, Calpine Corp.’s 309-megawatt combined-cycle electric generating facility, which will enhance reliability for Delaware and the regional power market. The facility is slated to be ready for commercial use by June 2015.

About the Delaware Economic Development Office
The Delaware Economic Development Office is an executive state agency responsible for attracting new investors and businesses to the state, promoting the expansion of existing industry, assisting small and minority-owned businesses, promoting and developing tourism and creating new and improved employment opportunities for all citizens of the State. Visit dedo.delaware.gov.

About Uzin Utz AG
Since its foundation in the year 1911, Uzin Utz AG has developed from a regional adhesives manufacture to a globally active full-range system supplier for flooring systems. The family-run business, currently in its third generation, and its some 900 members of staff are leading in the development and manufacture of special products and machinery for floor treatment. With their long-standing experience and the comprehensive flooring competence of the product brands Uzin, Wolff, Pallmann, Arturo, codex and RZ as well as the advisory service UFloor Systems, the company offers its partners practice-oriented products, systems and services for the installation, renovation and value maintenances of floors of all kinds. The company’s subsidiary, Uzin Utz Manufacturing North America Inc., was founded in 2012 and will be located in Dover, Delaware, when its new dry mortar plant and research and development facility are built in 2015. Visit www.uzin-utz.ag.

Photos here.

Dover, DE-  As motorists take to the roads this Memorial Day holiday, law enforcement officers from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be out in full force, taking part in the 2014 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.

Today, May 19th, officers from Delaware State Police, Delaware River and Bay Authority, Maryland State Police, New Jersey, Pennsylvania State Police, Selbyville PD, and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department will be teaming up and joining forces to mobilize the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) “Border to Border” enforcement operation from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Agencies will be providing increased seat belt enforcement at border sites sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.  A total of eleven states are participating along the northeast including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Colonel Richard Arroyo of the Delaware River and Bay Authority police department.  “We want to make this the safest summer possible. Buckling up is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death in a crash.  That’s why we’re out here enforcing the law.  Click it or Ticket, every time, day or night.”

At a press event held earlier today at the Delaware Memorial Bridge to announce the Border to Border enforcement operation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) representatives from Region 2 (PA, NJ), Region 3 (DE, MD), and a crash survivor stressed the Click It or Ticket campaign message to buckle up day and night.

NHTSA Region 2 Administrator, Tom Louizou focused on drivers most at risk across the nation, “Our younger motorists—young men in particular—are most at risk.  62 percent of those killed in crashes were NOT buckled up—the highest percentage of any age group”, said Louizou.

Elizabeth A. Baker, Ph.D, NHTSA Region 3 Administrator commented on when most unbelted crashes happen.  “Most law-abiding citizens have gotten the message to buckle up. But the same is not true for nighttime drivers and passengers”, said Baker.  “Of those killed in nighttime crashes in 2012, 62% – two out of three – were not wearing their seat belts.”

Firsthand experience of what could happen to a person when involved in a unbelted crash was shared by Chris Weersing of Pennsylvania.   Chris was driving with a friend and involved in a single vehicle crash in 2005.   The friend was wearing a seat belt and hit his head on the windshield, Chris was not wearing his seat belt and his head hit a tree.  His friend walked away with a minor concussion, Chris was in a coma and not expected to recover.  Today Chris lives with the effects and injuries of an unbelted crash including traumatic brain injury, memory loss, and having to re-learn daily living activities.

Delaware is seeing a decrease in unbelted fatals compared to this time last year. At this time last year 56% of the fatal vehicle occupants were not wearing seat belts compared to 42% currently.  There have been a total of 33 vehicle occupants killed in a fatal crash this year in Delaware.  Delaware’s seat belt use rate is 92% compared to the national seat belt use rate of 86%.

Delaware law requires drivers and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt.  An officer can pull over a driver if he sees any person in the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, even if there is no other violation. The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, totals $83.50.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.  And unbelted fatalities are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.

For more on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov or for Delaware information please visit www.buckleupde.org.  For pictures of the Border to Border press event please visit www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE .