NYC RETIREES RALLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CHRISTOPHER MARTE AS HE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION PROTECTING THEIR HEALTHCARE
Editor’s note: According to Physicians for National Health Program NY, “Today we rallied with NYC Retirees to welcome new City Council bill, Intro 1096, that could block attempts by the Adams admin to deny city retirees promised Medicare benefits & quality Medigap plans & to push them onto profitized Medicare DisAdvantage plans.”
Marianne Pizzitola said: ” Cm you are an attorney and told me to negotiate my healthcare last year! NYC Retirees are RETIRED and don’t negotiate! We have no union representation and the mayor went to take a federal public health benefit from us. We won in court 10 times with 2 unanimous appeals decisions! When are you going to stand with retirees? And protect the benefits earned? Intro 1096 was introduced. As a lawyer, you should be on this bill. I know if Edafe Okporo was in your seat HE WOULD BE! Housing is important, but so are people’s lives. You didn’t get on our bill last year, now that you know better, we hope to see you on board. The law is on our side.”
New York, NY– Council Member Christopher Marte held a rally alongside New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees at 12pm on City Hall Steps prior to the Council Stated Meeting to advocate for the safeguarding of healthcare choices of New York City’s retired municipal employees.
At the Council Stated meeting, Council Member Christopher Marte introduced the legislation, which responds to growing concerns regarding the City’s ongoing efforts to transition retirees into a Medicare Advantage plan, which will limit access to necessary healthcare services and increase out-of-pocket costs as has been affirmed in the retiree’s litigation. This bill mandates that nearly 250,000 city retirees keep the healthcare they have been promised by mayoral administrations for decades instead of being forced onto a private Medicare Advantage plan that has prior authorizations that wrongly delay and deny care, smaller networks, and higher copays. This bill preserves their ability to stay in traditional Medicare as promised.
This comes after legal challenges from retirees and growing opposition to the city’s plan, which retirees say would limit their ability to see their trusted doctors and impose unnecessary financial burdens. The Retirees have won ten favorable Supreme Court Decisions including two unanimous appeals decisions affirming the lower court determinations that the City had to honor the promise made to the retirees and forcing them into Medicare Dis-Advantage would diminish their access to care and doctors. Even though the City lost 10 times, it continues to appeal its losses, forcing the Retirees to spend their pension to seek justice.
This legislation is introduced as retirees continue their legal battle against the City’s new Medicare Advantage plan. Council Member Marte’s office has stood firmly with retirees, advocating for their rights to maintain comprehensive healthcare that doesn’t force them to navigate restrictive networks or burdensome pre-authorizations. Last week, even the
Permanent Senate Investigations Committee found that
Aetna denies prior authorization at rates much higher than other insurance companies, including 19.7% for skilled nursing, 25.9% for post-acute care, 48.1% for inpatient rehabilitation, and 72.5% for long-term acute care. This Majority staff report reveals how Medicare Advantage insurers are intentionally using prior authorization to boost profits by targeting costly yet critical stays in post-acute care facilities.
A March 2024 survey of health systems revealed that 19 percent had stopped accepting one or more Medicare Advantage plans in 2023, and that 61 percent of health systems are either considering ceasing to accept all Medicare Advantage patients within the next two years, or will definitely do so. The movement spans multiple municipal unions, and has garnered widespread support from retirees and healthcare advocates. As the healthcare landscape for retired city workers remains uncertain, this legislation is seen as a crucial safeguard against further erosion of retiree benefits when those who loyally served this City should not have to fight to protect what they earned decades ago – especially a Federal Public Health Benefit.
NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees rallies outside City Hall during introduction of a bill that can protect retiree healthcare. Image Credit – NYC Retirees
NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees rallies outside City Hall during introduction of a bill that can protect retiree healthcare. Image Credit – NYC Retirees
NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees rallies outside City Hall during introduction of a bill that can protect retiree healthcare. Image Credit – NYC Retirees
NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees rallies outside City Hall during introduction of a bill that can protect retiree healthcare. Image Credit – NYC Retirees
Banner Image: NYC Retirees rally alongside CM Marte. All Images Credit – NYC Retirees
About The Author
On August 13th, 2021, a group of retirees from many different city agencies got together to form an organization to fight the impending changes to our healthcare. Two and half hours later, five people volunteered to form the Board and one became an advisor to the Board. In the next few weeks, we grew to five officers, four Trustees, five Advisors, started our Facebook group, filed for NYS incorporation, opened our PayPal fundraising account and were approved by the State to conduct business.
Six weeks later we met our initial fundraising goal to pay the attorney's retainer and had filed our article 78 petition. Our Facebook page has over 18,000 members and we have an email list of almost 10,000 and both continue to grow. This is a major accomplishment! But we need to grow larger. We need to reach 250,000 retirees!
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