Wednesday, May 05, 2021

MEDICARE OR MULGREWCARE?

We predicted how yesterday's UFT Retiree Town Hall would function.

This is what this blog said on Monday:

UFT Town Halls in the age of COVID-19 are basically like call-in radio shows. President Mulgrew gives a lengthy monologue saying whatever the UFT is doing at the present time is the greatest thing ever and then some screened questions are allowed. The questions usually start with something like: "Hi Michael, thank you for the wonderful, amazing job you are doing..." My wife and some friends have tried to get through and have never had a challenging question answered live by Mulgrew

We were almost completely on target. Yesterday at the Town Hall for Retirees, Mulgrew gave a long speech saying how switching from traditional Medicare to the Municipal Labor Committee's Medicare Advantage would be the greatest healthcare system in the country. We're calling the privatized system that could be coming soon "Mulgrewcare" although all Medicare-eligible NYC municipal retirees, not just UFTers, will be part of the program if it goes through. 

The Mulgrewcare pledge: Under Mulgrewcare, retired city employees are being promised the same or better health benefits at the same price as now with the same reimbursements for Part B. Better still, the savings we get from this privatized benefits program would come back to us through the health stabilization fund. Whatever insurance provider that wins the contract will get more money from the federal government only if we consumers are satisfied. Does this sound too good to be true?

After Mulgrew finished selling the program, there were the softball questions coming one after another. I was not entirely correct in my forecast, however, as one rather difficult query did get through that of course Mulgrew could not adequately answer.

Bennett Fisher asked: What is to stop doctors who do currently take traditional Medicare from not accepting this plan at their discretion?

Mulgrew Answer: The fact is most doctors accept Medicare because there are federal and state incentives for them. That would be a problem even if we stay in our same plan. If something like that were ever to occur, if it is on a small scale, we would use all of our abilities and whatever companies we are working with to get that fixed. If it is a large scale, then it becomes a legislative issue at a state or federal level.

Mulgrew offered no guarantee that doctors will take Mulgrewcare.

This is from eHealth:

Medicare Advantage plan networks must include hospitals, dialysis centers, primary care physicians, specialists, and other health-care professionals and suppliers.

However, Medicare Advantage plans don’t have to contract with every Medicare provider in their area. Instead, they contract with Medicare providers who agree to coordinating patient care, improving the quality of patient care, and accepting the Medicare Advantage plan’s reimbursement schedules and administrative rules.

To be fair, my guess is Mulgrew will be right for the majority of NYC retirees since 250,000 city retirees is such a large pool of patients so most doctors would continue to take the city's privatized Mugrewcare. However, if doctors are receiving less of a reimbursement or slower payments from the privatized insurer, who knows? There is no certainty.  

As for the long term, I would still like my two questions from yesterday answered:

Medicare Advantage or part C is privately run healthcare. If 250,000 NYC retirees go from a public into a privatized program, don't we run the risk of weakening traditional Medicare significantly which will make it less likely that we will get Medicare for all in the long run which is what we should be striving for and that is the only way to really control prices?

Also, I may have attempted to sneak this in:

How are we going to be opposed to privatizing schools (charters-vouchers) when we are privatizing our own healthcare?

If 250,000 city retirees are strengthening the current United States privately run healthcare system that Mulgrew conceded is out of control in terms of costs, then Mulgrewcare is bound to fail in the long run. One retiree I spoke to today said he recommends that people buy health insurance company stocks. Insurance companies will be the big winners if 250,000 NYC retirees are pushed into privatized Mulgrewcare.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your report confirms what I’m hearing, municipal workers are getting put into the Advantage plan. I’m also hearing that the early retirement incentive is not tied to this deal. In the end, municipal workers get a sub par retirement insurance and no early retirement incentive. What’s next? More deferrals next year, perhaps even layoffs, and no pay increase in the next contract? But to be fair, Mulgrew is not in this alone. The Municipal Labor Committee supports the Advantage plan, are playing dead when it comes to the early retirement incentive, and won’t fight for a decent wage. I’m convinced that the unions, Mayor, City Council, etc., are all full of it when they praise municipal workers for their outstanding contributions and keeping NYC operating during the pandemic. Their actions tell us what they really think of us. Since the Mayor received all this stimulus money, he has gone wild spending it all on incentive programs to bring business and tourists back to NYC while ignoring those who kept the ship from sinking.

Anonymous said...

I'm retiring in 4 years. My only concern is that I do not want to pay more for insurance than what is now being offered to current retirees. Under Mulgrew's plan, will new retirees be paying more?

Shelley said...

Why aren't all wages and other compensations, for in-service and retirees, negotiated at the same time?

ed notes online said...

Simple: Medicare for all eliminates almost every issue. I'm in my 12th year in Medicare and don't want to leave it for a privately managed plan which has 12-15% admin costs, high ex salaries, loads of paperwork that many docs hate to do, lower pay to docs, a lower paid and often transit staff, all issues that save us money on regular medicare. Not to say there aren't issues in medicare that can be improved to save money. Get rid of lobbyists. Public health managed by a professional bureaucracy works. Those of us on medicare know that very well. Unions moving us in the opposite direction towards more privatization. And we know how that movement in education is turning out.

waitingforsupport said...

And in spite of this treatment some continue to do the bidding for this corrupt system. The city plans to hire more teachers from the Fellows program. They are fast tracking paras onto the teachers track. Unfortunately the writing has been on the wall for too many years. Too many colleagues chose to believe they were above being sh#^ upon by the powers that be. C'est la vie.

waitingforsupport said...

I think medicare Advantage was initially for people 65+ who never paid into Medicare. Now the powers that be have put lipstick on it for us Working class folks and saying "it's different because it's a GROUP plan not an individual plan. If you buy that BS, I have a sweet tempered honey badger for you. Medicare is what we've paid into, Medicare (traditional)is what i want. Rise up people. If this happens you need to fight bqck by using the only power you have: your grade book. They expect you to fold. Fight back by sticking together and doing what you know is right. Good luck peeps

Anonymous said...

SO, um, when is arbitration opening?

Anonymous said...

@11:14

on June 1, 2021

Anonymous said...

If the retirees hate their new healthcare, Unity starts losing. Does anyone think otherwise?

Anonymous said...

My understanding, per information presented at a different NYC municipal retiree zoom, is that only DC37 and the UFT of all the municipal workers unions support this backroom deal to change from traditional Medicare to a lucrative for profit private Medicare Advantage plan.

Anonymous said...

Oh, is that true? Great. When will the spring break issue be heard? Seems like a 1 day thing once it's heard. Wouldn't it be nice if the uft didn't leave us twisting in the wind?

Anonymous said...

Just hoping Mulgrew doesn’t give away Healthcare affordable in the same fashion Weingarten gave away seniority rights in 2005.

Anonymous said...


Mulgrewcare is a gift to NYC from the UFT retirees.

Why should any retiree accept lower quality healthcare with fewer choices?

retirees, Mulgrew is ready to betray you and cheapen your post-retirement healthcare.

Just an endangered CL said...

...and then they came for the retirees...

Shelley said...

Why wouldn't Mulgrew continue to do what Weingarten has been doing? The focus here is on smashing Mulgrew, as easy target, but the problem is the union, not one man with power. Look at what happened in other states where the AFT has been doing this. This isn't anything new, or something that Mulgrew is responsible for. He's just a salesmen.

Shelley said...


Take a look at AFT in CT. They brag about what they have done for workers.

https://aftct.org/


But what they have actually done is Concession Bargaining, the MO of the AFT. The Unions are constantly "saving" the City, and/or the State by bargaining away worker wages, benefits, working conditions and job security while increasing their membership and dues.

The big membership numbers and money are, as I've been saying on this Blog for nearly one year, a weakness not a strength because it weakens workers rights while it strengthens the unions hold on power, a power they abuse to keep themselves in power while they bargain away the workers wages and pensions and healthcare and job security and work conditions.

When do we ever keep what we've got and get a raise? When do we ever increase what we've got across total wages? Why must we always give back? This needs to stop.

We should start by saying no to all givebacks and concessions. No more. We keep everything we have and move to regain what we have given back and lost.



waitingforsupport said...

@7:44am...
Per Mulgrew If you decide that you want Traditional medicare (what you've paid into since you began working. The federal program) you can keep it. However you will have to pay for your own Part B. If I understand correctly.
Now retirees have Traditional Medicare A and the union/city pays for B.
This new medicare Advantage plan encompasses Medicare A&B.
It allows the union to keep any extra money for its coffers. Now I ask myself, how can they make this money? Answer by my receiving medical care that is less than optimal.

TJL said...

Sounds an awful lot like "If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what."

Anonymous said...

Sounds a lot like...
Retro held for 12 years with no interest.
Still waiting for spring break 2020 pay.
Still no open market.
Still no summer applications.
17 year with 11% raises.
No discipline code.
Grade fraud.

Anonymous said...

The UFT says it is negotiating for the same or a better healthcare plan than Medicare, but at a lower cost. The for-profit health insurance companies also negotiate for lower costs, that’s how they mine their profits. Why would a for-profit insurance company give away their profits? They nickel and dime doctors and hospitals, and cut corners on healthcare which eventually drives up the cost that doctors and hospitals charge patients. This becomes a vicious cycle with no real improvement in healthcare services. Moreover, this leads to the undermining of Medicare while buttressing the privatization of healthcare with its diminishing services. The US with its private for profit insurance companies rank 11 out of the top 10 industrialized nations in medical cost and delivery of services. Don’t you think you are leading us in the wrong direction? And if not please provide evidence to substantiate your opinion. (Sorry, that’s the teacher in me).




The Mayor is calling upon retired municipal employees, living on a fixed income, and demanding they make sacrifices, in order to pay the city $600 million dollars in 2021. The $600 million will come from the Medicare fund the government set aside for the yearly cost medicare per subscriber. This is wrong on so many counts.i) Morally and ethically it is wrong. You are taking tax payers money geared for medicare and giving it to a for-profit insurance company that will use anywhere from 10 cents to 30 cents on the premium dollar for their profit. 2) Retirees can least afford to pay more and get less for healthcare. Who would have thought the UFT would take away our Medicare? Why is the MLC giving away our Medicare? If the Mayor wants $600 million then why don’t you demand he get it else where? For example, demand that he fully tax all those national and international investors he pursues promising tax abatements and tax give-aways. Not only can they afford to pay the full tax, they can pay it without skimping or sacrificing their own personal healthcare and still have have millions squirreled away somewhere. They can afford it, we can’t.



























Prehistoric pedagogue said...

Why do we have to save the city hundreds of millions at a time when BILLIONS are given outright
to illegal immigrants. Calling all warriors for social justice; this seems pretty unjust to me

Anonymous said...

It's seriously time for a joint labor strike with all the city unions. Shut this frigging city down till tweed respects the many years that we kept it running.

Anonymous said...

Hey James, I know this is a hot button issue worth fighting for rightfully so however, any news on the ERI? What's the deal with DeBlasio? So many are waiting to know. The Medicare thing is big for sure but the ERI is on timeline, must be announced/offered by deadline, May 31st.

Anonymous said...

The Medicare thing seems to be distracting the ERI so many are depending on as an option toward moving to retirement until it passes us by by a deadline.

James Eterno said...

7:38, When we have information on the ERI, we post it. I know nothing more than what is UT there.

Anonymous said...

We need a strike to fight back against possible vaccine mandates.

Anonymous said...

Mandate vaccine so the conspiracy theorists here will be forced to get a shot or stY home.

Anonymous said...

Strike. Lol. You must be joking. I went on a dues strike.

Anonymous said...

@9:52
while I am on the fence about a vaccine mandate- im certaniley not going to strike against something that I did voluntarily. im sure many other teachers feel the same. good luck with that one

ATRocity said...

The UFT intentionally misleads its members on many levels when it comes to health care. I recall them telling folks during the Janus hearings that if they dropped out they would lose their healthcare - as it is union paid. I heard them say the same thing concerning dental and eye care. The Uft does not pay for any of this - the city does. There seems to be an undercurrent of guilt prodding by the Uft towards retirees to save money for the UFT. Using a private healthcare provider does not save the Uft anything. what it does is create leverage that the UFT can use somewhere else. ‘Listen Bill deBlasio we just saved you a ton of money, so now you can let all these worn out teacher/slaves retire early and we can hire many more tier 6 folks who will only stay five years or less and never get a penny in pension or healthcare!’ This will also allow the UFT to greatly grow their cash reserves while diminishing their workload to only the active temporary teacher.

Anonymous said...

9:52: Are you kidding? You must be an administrator to make such a dumb statement.