We got word from inside the Municipal Labor Committee meeting yesterday that there was a vote of the MLC Steering Committee after the regular meeting. This was only supposed to be an information session about the proposed privatized Medicare Advantage Plan with Aetna. Sources tell us a motion was made to table (delay) any MLC vote on Aetna until the many questions unions had were answered.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew's side actually lost the initial Steering vote but only by a single vote. At that point, Mulgrew was apparently outraged saying his over 100,000 UFT members were being silenced (as if he represents our wishes) and a union leader who was not there named Meeks was called to vote to make it a tie. Then, Harry Nespoli (sanitation union leader and chair of MLC) voted to break the tie. The motion to table failed.
The result means there will be a weighted MLC vote on Thursday, March 9 where Mulgrewcare with Aetna will pass and Medicare-eligible retirees will have only two choices according to our sources: Aetna's Mulgrewcare or HIP-VIP. GHI Senior Care will be out. That means traditional Medicare is done for City retirees unless retirees want to opt out of the City's coverage and not get reimbursed for Medicare Part B premiums and IRMAA.
If you are interested in hearing one of the greatest sell jobs in history, then attend the UFT Retired Teachers Chapter meeting on Monday at 1:00 P.M. if you are a retired UFT member. Of course, there will be no UFT vote on the biggest change in retiree policy in decades. Mulgrew is the decider. Our source tells us the MLC will vote without having seen the Aetna contract.
Marianne Pizzatola's latest video.
Stand by, the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees aren't giving up.
Mulgrew now has blood on his hands. Time for a vote of no confidence and we need to alert the media that he does NOT represent the rank and file. How many more gold cars does he need? He is making huge coin off of us and will not suffer the results of his policy.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I really like and respect Marianne. That is, of course is in complete contrast to those that run the Uft. It’s frustrating after all these years and after one incident after another of treachery from Mulgrew and Weingarten, and the rest of them, that they still continue on the same path, undeterred by those who could stop them. It’s well past time that everyone gets together and put a stop to them once and for all. Soon there won’t be anything left to trade. It reminds me of when I was teaching, right before they closed our school, our union rep Ernie Useful-Not told us all to follow all the principal’s directions, even though they directly broke the union contract. I should say the principal wasn’t a bad guy, and he had good intentions. Good intentions, notwithstanding, never work out. ( I think most people learned that lesson after Bill de Blasio.) Ernie screamed from the rafters that it would save the school from being closed. It didn’t, of course, and gave false hope to the staff. False hope can truly devastate most people. I’m thinking maybe Mulgrew is using the same kind of tragically flawed logic. Perhaps he thinks by selling off everything we have, piecemeal, that it’ll save the profession. All it actually does is hasten and harken its end. I just read on Norm’s blog that we could all go down to 52 Broadway (Dr.Evil’s lair) on Monday, at least if you have the day off and you’re retired. I think we’re at the point that it behooves all of us to get as directly involved as possible. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew and Weingarten are playing games with your health benefits.
ReplyDeleteBy selling you out , they advance their career prestige with the party bosses in the Democratic party. Watch out! The Medicare disadvantage plan administrators at Aetna will deny you the medical care you must have when your life depends on receiving coverage.
You will lose the doctors who know your medical history; the doctors that you need to receive the correct medical treatments.
Medicare Advantage means bad medical care. You paid for original Medicare through payroll deductions throughout your entire working careers. You are legally entitled to get what you paid for and what was promised to you. Mulgrew is a criminal.
Mulgrew’s description of negotiations and one wrote back this:
ReplyDeleteHi. I am apprehensive about this. Putnam- Westchester school union accepted Aetna Medicare Advantage about 5 years ago. We were assured that there would be minimal changes and that all decisions were open to appeal. Slowly, requirements for prior authorization were installed. Medications were placed on tiers with only the generic accepted automatically. Medications one had taken for years now had large payment requirements. Just THIS YEAR they ceased allowing 90 day prescriptions. Now only 1 month are allowed which means if one gets a 90 prescription, the charge us tripled. Doctors who not accept Medicare are not required to inform patients and so if you get a new doctor, then YOU have to ask the question. Otherwise, you will have to make up the 20 percent payment. There is no benefit to Medicare Advantage!
....a long-time Medicare counselor.
Mulgrew is acting as a fascist.
ReplyDeleteThe consequences of his cruel autocracy will predictably be the denial of critical medical care to thousands of sick and elderly union retirees.
Medicare Advantage is profitable for Aetna through their denial and delay of medical procedures. Specifically, those medical procedures that are very costly and absolutely needed by the sick, elderly retirees. Retirees have made known that they do no not want Medicare Advantage. Retirees want to keep their GHI Senior Care with original Medicare. Retirees expect NY city and the Office of Labor Relations to keep their commitment to Union retirees.
GET THE WORD OUT!
CONTACT EVERY UNION RETIREE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT TOMORROW'S RALLY.
WE NEED TO HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RETIREES FROM
ALL UNIONS PROTESTING IN FRONT OF 52 BROADWAY TOMORROW AT 1:00 PM.
Mulgrew is acting as a fascist.
ReplyDeleteThe consequences of his cruel autocracy will predictably be the denial of critical medical care to thousands of sick and elderly union retirees.
Medicare Advantage is profitable for Aetna through their denial and delay of medical procedures. Specifically, those medical procedures that are very costly and absolutely needed by the sick, elderly retirees. Retirees have made known that they do no not want Medicare Advantage. Retirees want to keep their GHI Senior Care with original Medicare. Retirees expect NY city and the Office of Labor Relations to keep their commitment to Union retirees.
GET THE WORD OUT. CONTACT EVERY UNION RETIREE THAT YOU KNOW.
WE NEED TO HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RETIREES FROM
ALL UNIONS PROTESTING IN FRONT OF 52 BROADWAY TOMORROW AT 1:00 PM.
@5:43
ReplyDeleteis this a lawsuit in the works?
as you/we (im still an active teacher) have paid for medicare already.
TWO POINTS: 1) Mulgrew is not telling in service members that if retiree healthcare is changed, that means we are next. 2) If he "gives" this to the city, what do we get in return in regard to our working conditions? We we gat ANYTHING back? (Besides a sign on bonus)
ReplyDeleteFor educators, it’s hard to get a doctor after our work hours unless it’s urgent care. AdvantageCare hours are horrible, and they have few doctors due to a high turnover rate, and in my experience the Advantagecare-UrgentCare doctors suck.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I had to take my daughter to City MD because she injured her ankle during Gym. They took x-ray which showed not only was it sprained but she’d fractured it. Since she is still growing they needed a specialist to confirm the fracture so a boot could be prescribed. Within 24hours, they had researched in-network pediatric orthopedic doctors, spoken to me about my preferred location and schedule, confirmed docs available, and scheduled the appointment for the following day. This saved me hours of trying to find one by myself, reduced the number of phone calls and the amount of time in getting an appointment, and I didn’t have to call out of work. The doctor was great!.
On the other hand, the response by AdvantageCare and AdvantageCare-Urgent care would have been a misdiagnosis since they don’t have the technology on hand, and/or taken weeks and would’ve required me to call out of work to see doctors, specialists, and get X-rays.
As a single mom, and due paying member, I’m beyond livid. Mulgrew needs to Really support for the Rank and File not Mayor Adams/Adam initiatives (MedicareAdvantage). He needs to stop his bullshit push for Mulgrewcare/MedicareAdvantage and improve relation with current healthcare GHI and Seniorcare because now his actions are affecting CityMD prices. I can’t believe this is what it’s come to getting medical care or feed my family.