WELCOME! To the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees Newsletter!
Hello Retirees!
Today is Monday May 2nd. LOTS OF NEWS! (and videos!)
Last week, the Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General released a report after investigating Medicare Advantage plans and their denials of care. Click here for the Report 1 in 5 claims were wrongly denied by Medicare Advantage plans. (Yes, that includes Anthem, Blue Cross and Emblem!) Even the American Medical Association made a statement against this practice. They said, ” Surveys of physicians have consistently found that excessive authorization controls required by health insurers are persistently responsible for serious harm when necessary medical care is delayed, denied, or disrupted.” MAPs are not the same as traditional Medicare!
So to be told by the unions, “our money is running out and we have to do this to you, sorry!!” Is negligent. In all our decades of financial crises, we NEVER** diluted the care of a senior citizen/retiree- sister/brother. EVER. Our health plans were founded by Mayor LaGuardia in 1944 and the Employee Health Plan was created to provide affordable care to employees, retirees and their families. It is how HiP was born. In 1966, when Medicare began, Unions, retirees and politicians alike came together, to ensure that retirees would be protected and their insurance would remain paid for. That is how Medicare B reimbursement began, under Mayor Lindsay, and Admin Code 12-126, which sadly the City is trying to decimate. If the Unions agree to dismantle that protection, the HiP HMO rate benchmark and Medicare B reimbursement will go away… Mayor Lindsay is rolling in his grave. How can our former unions negotiate away benefits from under retirees and widows/widowers without our approval? Good question.
Today’s unions need assistance in negotiating a plan to stop negotiating away hard earned benefits. The Citizens Budget Commission playbook appears to have been adopted by OLR and being sold to the unions. Our rich labor history has been forgotten. Comptroller Gerosa said in 1961, he “wanted City employees to have a free choice of plan in medical and hospital care.” He called the free choice plans “practical, humane and long overdue.” By 1966, the City was paying for the full cost of employee care, and then Mayor Lindsay signed what is now known as 12-216 into law, a bill sponsored by two Council Members to cover retirees when Medicare was implemented. We will do a little video on that soon!
We are still working to educate the unions as the differences between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. This is something younger people, and those not on Medicare, are typically unfamiliar with and think they are the same. And, We found more retirees awaiting organ transplants that were previously approved by Medicare that got the same line as Firefighter Bentkowski from the Alliance, and we spoke with them. At no time could the Alliance guarantee their approvals would remain and their place on the list would remain the same. In the cases of live donors, Medicare approves the surgery and care of not just the recipient, but the donor. Would the MAP do that? Its anyone’s guess.
New YouTube videos
1. 4/22 DC37 PEP Irony
2. 4/22 Traditional Medicare v MAP
3. 5/2 Mabel & Lenny
We are advising that retirees continue opting out as long as the Alliance is accepting opt outs. This tells the City, “This plan stinks and we don’t want it!” If they ever do bring it back, the city will have to restart the implementation process.
If you need help please go to our website: OPT OUT
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Your friends, and retirees in SOLIDARITY…
The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees
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Donations are Needed!
TO DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND
Donation Instructions to Support Our Class Action Suit Against the City To Protect Our Retiree Healthcare:
We worked decades for our benefits! Let’s make sure the City and the MLC don’t take them away!
A suggested $25 Donation* will help start the fight to keep our current benefits. Give more if you can, and/or often! If you cannot meet the minimum suggested donation, we appreciate whatever you can give towards this fight for our benefits. We also added the option to make your donation recurring (monthly) as was requested.
The fundraiser group is incorporated as a Non-Profit. ALL proceeds go to fund the legal challenge and not to anyone in the Organization. Volunteer retirees are running this effort. Our 501C3 is pending.
TO DONATE, HERE ARE 4 SIMPLE WAYS!
1.Zelle using email NYCOrgofpublicserviceretirees@gmail.com
2. Make your check out to:
NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees PO Box 941
Venice, FL 34284 (our treasurer lives in FL)
3. Or click on this Paypal link:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Q4VWJEYVJ9HTW&Z3&fbclid=IwAR0pEOc51x9xhc-CBb8vqAIkX97Bgg1Z02f1r9gQh9S3dOsVmAdob5jBbw8
4. We Now Accept Donations viaVENMO
VENMO is a Phone App or can be used on a PC or Tablet.
You can download and install the Phone App from the Android Play Store or Apple App Store. Please follow the instructions to Sign Up. Please read and understand how VENMO works before you donate! There may be fees involved using this method.
Our ID is:@NYCRetirees
If you are on this list, it is because you subscribed to hear what we are doing as an organization that represents all NYC Municipal workers in protecting their Health benefits in retirement. Currently, we have a FACEBOOK page located here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/888622578669131
If you are not on FACEBOOK, we will be updating you here. And Check our website for FAQ www.nycretirees.orgThank you for signing up for our newsletter and pass this to a friend to sign up too!
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