Three months ago, SEANC members and community leaders forced Wake County commissioners to pump the brakes on the proposed Atrium Health takeover of WakeMed.

What happened in the months since? Atrium and WakeMed executives briefed small groups of commissioners in private — deliberately keeping the groups to three at a time to avoid North Carolina’s open meetings law. The public was told to attend listening sessions. The insiders got the contract details. Now the 90-day delay is over, and the vote that could send your State Health Plan premiums up by $100 a year is coming.

Here’s what you need to know right now: Wake County commissioners hold a public hearing Monday (details above). No vote is expected Monday, but commissioners could act as soon as their September 8 meeting.

This deal cannot close without commissioner approval. The transaction is conditioned on commissioners amending WakeMed’s articles of incorporation and transfer agreement. Without that vote, Atrium doesn’t get WakeMed. Commissioners still have the power to say no.

SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins explained SEANC’s opposition to this merger in a joint opinion piece with State Health Plan Vice Chairman Brian Miller.

This week on The SEANC View podcast, we spoke with Nathan Foster of the NC Justice Center and Anthony Pope of Men of Southeast Raleigh — 80 community men from the neighborhood surrounding WakeMed’s main campus — about what this merger would mean for the people who depend on WakeMed most.

If you can get to Raleigh, please show up. Sign up to speak before 9 a.m. Monday at the Wake County commissioners website. If you can’t make it, contact your commissioner directly by clicking the button below.

This merger affects state employees across all 100 counties — not just Wake. The State Health Plan covers 748,000 of us. When WakeMed loses its independence, every one of us pays more.