April 4, 2023
Municipal retirees opposed to Mayor Adams‘ plan to migrate them into a for-profit Medicare Advantage scheme were out in force again last Friday. The chilly weather didn’t deter a couple hundred of them from rallying outside of City Hall and then walking around its perimeter before delivering a big stack of mail to the Mayor. Thousands of letters, mostly signed by retirees, were handed over to City Hall aides who then carried them into the building as activists outside the gates cheered.
At issue is the City’s decision to forego “Option C” which would essentially allow the retirees to maintain the coverage they currently have. Benefits of the new plan are said to include a lower deductable, a large network of participating providers, and no pre-approval for certain treatments will be required for the first two years. The retirees counter that some people will lose access to the doctors that have treated them for years and know their medical history. The City’s position is that costs must be controlled and this is how they’ve decided to do it, claiming the move will save $600M of the City’s $100B budget. The decision will impact roughly 250,000 current and all future retirees if it stands. The retirees organization has vowed to keep fighting and challenge this new development in court.
“Our administration has never wavered in our commitment to provide retirees and their dependents with high-quality, sustainable coverage while allowing us to rein in the skyrocketing costs of health care and the strain it is placing on our city’s budget,” said Mayor Adams. “This plan improves upon retirees’ current plans, including offering a lower deductible, a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, and new benefits, like transportation, fitness programs, and wellness incentives. We also heard the concerns of retirees and worked to significantly limit the number of procedures subject to prior authorization under this plan. This Medicare Advantage plan is in the best interests of both our city’s retirees and its taxpayers.”
*qphotonyc is a retired NYC public employee.
