This Carmen De La Rosa is a hack. This is horrifying already -- comment on twitter
We are on a slippery slope here. If we allow the city to make sub-minimum contributions to our health care, it's not likely to end there. The MLC, with the full support of our union leadership, made a short-sighted cost-cutting deal with the de Blasio administration. Though Mulgrew assured us in 2018 copays would not go up, some have doubled since then. Where can they go from here? The sky's the limit.... Arthur Goldstein, NYC Educator, -- Tell the City Council to Vote NO and RETAIN the City's Minimum Contribution to Our Health Care
Watch the hearing live but have nausea pills ready: https://council.nyc.gov/livestream/. The people from the city are testifying and something the woman said caused the audience to break out in laughter - she might as well be a saleswoman for Aetna.
Jan. 9, 2022
Blogs to check out:
Arthur: Tell the City Council to Vote NO and RETAIN the City's Minimum Contribution to Our Health Care - Including Bennett Fischer's great testimony - a few lines of which I have stolen for mine (below).
Nick -New Action – UFT The Case for Tier 6 (and later Tier 4) Members to Oppose Changes to Our Healthcare -
10:40 AM -
I'm still home because I knew it would be a zoo and just got a message there are 150 people waiting outside to get in. I will get there this afternoon when things lighten up. My written and hopefully spoken testimony is below but first I just received this from a friend's city council member Shahana Hanif, district 39. I've told you that the left and the right are our most adamant supporters. Actually, I see more issues on a broader basis coming - even the House insurrection crew offers interesting possibilities which I will explore -- sort of an anti-corporate mentality counter to mainstream Republican and Democrats.
Stand With Our Retirees
This week, I was proud to stand with our City’s retirees in opposing changes to the City's administrative code (specifically admin code 12-126). In a callous “cost-saving” effort, the Mayor is attempting to strip hard-earned healthcare from thousands of our retirees. After months of court cases, arbitration, and back-and-forth between the City and unions, legislation has been introduced in the City Council to allow the City to privatize healthcare for thousands of retired City workers. Moving from the City health plan to Medicare Advantage will increase costs for retirees and lead to worse health outcomes for individuals across the board. As a City employee myself, I cannot in good conscience support legislation that will strip hard-earned benefits from our public employees. I believe healthcare is a human right, from Medicare-For-All to the New York Health Act, and I will only vote to support legislation that moves us in that direction.
At the moment, this legislation has simply been introduced, but there is a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, January 9th, at 9:30 AM (you can register to testify here or watch on this link). I will keep you updated as this legislation moves and the efforts by those opposed to ensuring our City’s retiree healthcare is protected!
All you right wing readers remember Shahana.
Friday night's Marianne video.
Testimony Info for January 9, 2023
City Council hearing on health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents.
The New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor will hold the legislative hearing on Monday, January 9th, at 9:30 AM in City Council Chambers, City Hall, New York, New York
The hearing is posted online HERE
If you are planning on testifying live in person or via video conferencing, YOU MUST register in advance of the hearing at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/
Please Pledge to Share Testimony To City Council To NOT AMEND CODE 12-126If you are a city worker, retiree, or have a loved one that will be impacted by the change to code 12-126, submit testimony in-person, virtually, or written, this Monday, 1/9/23!----------------------------Testimony Info for Monday, January 9, 2023The New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor will hold the legislative hearing on Monday, January 9th, at 9:30 AM in City Council Chambers, City Hall, New York, New YorkThe hearing is posted online HERE If you are planning on testifying live in person or via video conferencing, YOU MUST register in advance of the hearing at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/• If you plan to testify in person, it is recommended that you bring twenty (20) copies, double-sided, of your written testimony to the hearing.• FACE COVERING MUST BE WORN• In-person testimony instructions: there is a 2-minute time limit on oral, in-person testimony.• Please include your name, address, and district, if applicable, on all written testimony.• Written testimony may be submitted without registration by emailing it to: Testimony@council.nyc.gov or via the Council’s website at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/ up to 72 hours after the close of the hearing.The entrance to the hearing and restrooms at City Hall is fully accessible: there is no access to snacks or drinks inside the chambers, so come prepared.For questions about accessibility or to request additional accommodations, please contact Nicole Benjamin, NBenjamin@council.nyc.gov, or 212-482-5176 at least 72 hours before the hearing.All other questions about the hearing can be directed to Elizabeth Arzt, EArzt@council.nyc.gov, and Nicholas Connell, NConnell@council.nyc.gov.------------------------RSVP: MAKE A PLEDGE TO SUBMIT ORAL, VIRTUAL, PHONE, OR WRITTEN TESTIMONY NOWThis Monday, January 9, 2023, beginning at 8:30 am, the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and other allies will gather at City Hall to get through security, followed by a press conference at 9 am.We need as many who can make it *in-person* to show up at CIty Hall this Monday! This is THE DAY.If not, please be prepared to give testimony over the phone or on Zoom. And, of course, written testimony will be accepted as part of the public record, also.Then, beginning at 9:30 am, in the Council Chambers at New York City Hall, the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, chaired by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, will be holding a public hearing on proposed legislation to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents.You can make your pledge here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScxie9oEoH.../viewform...
Norm Scott Testimony regarding changing administrative code 12-126
Jan. 9, 2023
My union’s (the UFT) attempts to lobby the city council to change the administrative code comes from the top leadership, not the rank-and-file working members or retirees. At no point have we had a vote or any say in the decision.
I retired from the NYC Department of Education 20 years ago after 35 years of service as a teacher. I’ve been on traditional Medicare for almost 13 years I attribute my relatively good health to having a solid, supportive medical plan. Medicare pays 80% and my supplemental 20% has been paid for by my city managed Senior care. So far, I’ve had no denials of medical service and every doctor I go to accepts my current plan.
Amending the code would give me the “choice” to pay almost $400 a month for my wife and I for the same plan we’ve had. I understand the desire to save money but why on the backs of retirees? Working to cut healthcare costs should be the goal. Attempting to change the admin code is being sold as offering retirees an option, for a fee, but also taking away any option for the numerous retirees who cannot afford the fee to opt out of a Medicare Advantage plan: In essence, not having an option at all, but only an option for the well-off, turning the delivery of healthcare services into a means test: Medicare Advantage for the disadvantaged who would have no real choice at all. A two-class system.
In addition to having the security of a strong healthcare safety net through traditional government managed Medicare, I also support the concept of traditional Medicare as one of the few public options available, unfortunately, only to retirees. Medicare is a government run program like social security and is supported by taxes we pay into both plans throughout our lives. Medicare has much lower administrative costs compared to private plans and a professional civil servant unionized workforce that can focus on addressing the needs of patients. Medicare sets standards of payments to control costs.
The advantages of Medicare for higher efficiency and control over rising costs should be extended to all Americans. Every month I get a statement where a physician or hospital might input an enormous charge and Medicare only pays a fraction. Yet almost every doctor and hospital accept what Medicare pays. Medicare is one of the best ways to control runaway healthcare costs.
Medicare Advantage plans are privately owned and managed profit-making operations, with much higher administrative costs than Medicare and with shareholder value being of higher value than patient care. We see expensive and extensive advertising with highly paid spokespeople for these plans and exorbitant executive salaries, dividends, and stock buybacks, often at the expense of patient care though denial of certain procedures and creating delays in gaining access to some procedures. Add the massive cost of lobbying politicians and even union leaders.
Recently, the mainstream press, led by the New York Times, has taken up the cudgel of exposing Medicare Advantage plans. The City Council is urged to reject all attempts to expand privatized Medicare Advantage plans and shrink highly successful traditional Medicare.
2 comments:
Watching the council meeting. Seems that the issue is really with the healthcare system and their ability to charge whatever they want. You will never fix this system by throwing retirees under the bus!
Thank you Norm for all you do. That’s a great letter you wrote. Mulgrew/UFT does not give a crap about us. When some of us become seriously ill and some of us and our spouses become terminal, these for profit plans, will ensure there are less of us. This is another attack in a long list of betrayals. Certain death of members -working or retired- has and is no longer off the list with the Uft. What makes it slightly more abject is the openness and the lack of their usual covert operations, other than their paid opinionated expert. Disgusting!!
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