Dozens of retired public service workers gathered at City Hall Park on Monday, June 23, for a celebratory press conference organized by Council Member Christopher Marte.
Braving the intense 90-plus degree heat, elderly and disabled former New York City employees chanted and waved banners, expressing their gratitude for a recent announcement made by Mayor Eric Adams.
On June 20, Mayor Adams revealed that the city would no longer pursue a plan to mandate that retirees switch to Medicare Advantage for their healthcare coverage.
In a statement, Mayor Adams acknowledged the concerns raised by retirees and indicated that the administration is committed to maintaining New York City as an affordable place to live.
“We have heard concerns from retirees about these potential changes at numerous older adult town halls and public events,” he said.
He added that alternative approaches to managing healthcare costs would be explored while ensuring retirees retain quality healthcare coverage.
This decision comes in the wake of a controversial attempt to transition retirees from traditional Medicare and supplemental plans to a Medicare Advantage plan earlier this year.
In March 2023, New York City aimed to enter into a five-year contract with Aetna to enroll roughly 250,000 retirees into its Medicare Advantage PPO plan, which the city claimed would help reduce healthcare costs and save approximately $600 million.
However, this move faced significant pushback from retirees and organizations like the Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee (CROC).
Many argued that the Aetna plan would limit their access to preferred healthcare providers.
Marianne Pizzitola, retired FDNY EMS member and president of the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees, celebrated the announcement at the rally.
She thanked Mayor Adams for his decision and emphasized the potential risks involved in transitioning to a Medicare Advantage plan.
“How do you think that would have turned out when it came to deciding whether a procedure was medically necessary?” she asked the crowd.
Pizzitola expressed that the retirees’ collective voice was instrumental in achieving this victory but acknowledged the need for legislative protection to ensure the sustainability of their benefits moving forward.
Council Member Marte has sponsored a bill aimed at permanently safeguarding the healthcare choices of current and future retirees, preventing automatic enrollment into Medicare Advantage plans.
Many retirees at the event criticized City Council Speaker Adrian Adams for not advancing this legislation.
“There are over 250,000 retirees, plus their loved ones, plus their extended families that rely on this crucial health care plan,” CM Marte stated passionately.
He emphasized the life-or-death stakes that many faced due to the uncertainty surrounding their healthcare.
“This was literally life and death for many people, and throughout this struggle, which took a really, really long time, for no reason at all, it brought mental stress on many of our most vulnerable,” he noted.
Marte highlighted the necessity for the City Council to address this issue without further delay.
“This is something that the city council should do,” he concluded.
He urged movement on Intro 1096 as a vital step towards codifying the needed protections for those who had dedicated their lives to public service.
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