NYC Retirees Press Release - Legislation Introduction with Council Member Christopher Marte to Protect Retiree Healthcare

 I'm just leaving to attend this event today. Here is a photo from last week:

 

COUNCIL MEMBER CHRISTOPHER MARTE, NYC RETIREES TO RALLY FOR LEGISLATION PROTECTING RETIREE HEALTHCARE

Marte to Reintroduce Legislation Protecting Municipal Retirees from Medicare Advantage, Increased Healthcare Costs and Reduced Access to Care

Who: Council Member Christopher Marte, New York City municipal retirees, Retiree healthcare advocates, Elected officials and supporters

What: Rally to Protect NYC Retiree Healthcare and Reintroduction of Retiree Healthcare Legislation

When: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 9:30 AM

Where: Broadway and Murray Street

New York, NY — On Thursday, August 13 at 9:30 AM, New York City Council Member Christopher Marte will join retired municipal workers and advocates at Broadway and Murray Street to rally for permanent protections for the healthcare benefits earned by New York City retirees.

Following the rally, Council Member Marte will formally reintroduce legislation at the City Council’s Stated Meeting to prevent the City from diminishing healthcare coverage for Medicare-eligible municipal retirees and their dependents.

While the City has stepped away from its previous effort to move retirees onto Medicare Advantage, retirees remain in limbo and vulnerable to future attempts to privatize their healthcare, restrict their choice of doctors, or impose new copays and other out-of-pocket costs. The legislation would ensure that the City cannot reduce retirees’ healthcare access or contributions below the protections they had as of December 31, 2021.  (The next day, the City imposed copays for the first time in 60 years that have amounted to a car payment to many, preventing them from accessing life-saving care or putting them in debt.)

For decades, New York City retirees have relied on healthcare benefits they earned through years of public service. The legislation seeks to ensure that a future administration cannot unilaterally force them into a privatized Medicare plan with limited provider networks or increase the costs retirees must pay to access care.

"Retirees are no longer in unions, although they used to protect us.  The Administrative Code states, 'The City will pay the full cost of health coverage up to the HiP HMO for every employee, retiree, and their dependent.'  Our Senior Care plan only covers the 20% of our bills Medicare doesn't, and it is well under the HiP HMO.  There was no reason to impose cost transfer on retirees.  We MUST fix this injustice and never force retirees into Medicare Advantage," said Marianne Pizzitola, President of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.  "We have this law because Mayor John Lindsay passed it when Medicare was created so he could give it to City workers. We kept our promise; the City must keep its promise." 

The legislation also explicitly protects collective bargaining rights. Nothing in the bill limits employee organizations from negotiating the terms and conditions of employment, including future retirement benefits, for the active employees they represent. Retiree healthcare protections have historically been established through City law, and protecting benefits for people who are already retired does not interfere with collective bargaining agreements covering current workers.

The rally will call on the City Council to act while it has the opportunity to provide retirees with long-term certainty and prevent another attempt to place their healthcare at risk.

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Media Contact:

Deb Schonfeld

dschonfeld@gmail.com

(310)985-4902