APPELATE COURT FINDS IN OUR FAVOR

BUT IT AIN'T OVER TILL ITS OVER!

SEE THE DECISION BELOW, YES THE COURT FOUND IN OUR FAVOR BUT CAN THE CITY STILL AMEND OR CHANGE TITLE 12 SECTION 126 OF THE NYC ADMINISTRATIVE CODE? YES!, THEY CAN!

And they will unless we really turn on the juice now. Just think how much progress we have made with all of you behind the front lines calling City Council Reps, especially, yeah you know her, our Favorite Contact at the City Council, the one the only Miss Adrienne Adams-oh what you forgot her number??! CALL HER EVERYDAY at (718) 206-2068. Yes now the city is really backed into a corner and they will go to every means possible to change 12-126. Keep the momentum going. CALL, WRITE, TALK TO THEM IN PERSON. Marianne Pizzitola, President of the NYC Retirees wants us to keep up the pressure.

Go to our ACT NOW PAGE by clicking on "FIND OUT MORE">>>>>>>>>>

CALL, CALL, CALL!

Keep those letters going in and keep calling your City Council Rep. Click on FIND OUT MORE. It's all up to all of us.

Let's make it a real HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

We hope to see you all at our Meeting on 11/29/22 at the Brooklyn Location.

Happy Thanksgiving to all from your FDNY RMA

Executive Board...

Find out more

SEND, EMAIL or CALL THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE INFO BELOW:

** Don’t change administrative code 12–126. Proposed change will force retirees into a Medicare Advantage Plan. ** Any change removes equal protection under the code permitting the city/MLC to diminish benefits and pass costs and premiums onto any different class of individuals they determine different benchmarks for. **Forcing people into Medicare Advantage passes drug costs onto them because it prohibits coordination of other insurance that currently protects them for their individual needs. It would also force seniors out of stepped care facilities, burdens them with prior authorization, narrow networks, and administrative burdens to appeal denials. The Office of the Inspector General, and Congress, are fully aware of these in stated reports from 2018 and 2022. ** Protect the code from amendments, keep the city promise to retirees for a choice of premium free health plans that they earned and paid for and were promised.

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FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH AN EMAIL ADDRESS YOU WILL BE RECEIVING THE FILE ABOVE WHICH WILL CONTAIN 4 COPIES ON ONE SHEET. AFTER YOU PRINT IT OUT CUT THE PAPER INTO 4 COPIES AND SEND EACH COPY TO EVERY CITY COUNCIL PERSON. YOU CAN ATTACH IT TO A POSTCARD WITH SCOTCH TAPE AND THEN SEND IT ALONG,

OR CUT AND PASTE IT INTO AN EMAIL TO ANY CITY COUNCIL REP.

TO ACQUIRE THE ADDRESSES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REPS.

GO TO OUR ACT NOW PAGE AND CLICK ON THE APPROPRIATE LINK TO FIND OUT THE ADDRESS OF EACH REPRESENTATIVE.

>YOU CAN ALSO CLICK HERE<

IF YOU DO THE POST CARD WAY, TRY AND SEND FOUR PER DAY OR AS MANY AS YOU LIKE OR EMAIL CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES. THIS INFORMATION COMES TO US BY WAY OF MARIANNE PIZZITOLA AND THE NYC PUBLIC RETIREES. AND YES BY ALL MEANS KEEP CALLING ADRIENNE ADAMS at 718-206-2068 AND READ HER THE INFO. ON THE CARD AND DO IT ASAP!

Find out more

MOST RECENT UPDATE FROM "THE CHIEF"

CITY COUNCIL IS NOW CONSIDERING AMENDING 12-126

PICTURED ABOVE: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, addressing the media ahead of the Council’s Nov. 3 meeting, said talks regarding an amendment to the municipal code that would allow the city to charge retirees for continued enrollment in their traditional

Medicare were ongoing.

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[Posted Wednesday, November 9, 2022 1:46 pm BY RICHARD KHAVKINE]

A contentious amendment to the municipal code that would allow the city to charge retired civil servants for continued enrollment in their traditional Medicare could be finding some traction within the

City Council.

The legislation would allow the city to move forward on a stalled plan to switch to a cost-saving, private sector Medicare Advantage plan and for the most part ditch the traditional Medicare preferred by municipal retirees. Speaker Adrienne Adams, during her press conference ahead of the Council’s Nov. 3 meeting, said discussions regarding the issue were “very much in motion.”

The city late last month gave municipal unions an ultimatum regarding health coverage: Get the Council to fast-track legislation that would permit the city to charge retirees for continued enrollment in their current plans or risk losing them altogether.

Mayor Eric Adams’ administration believes amending the municipal code would be a workaround to a March decision by a state Supreme Court justice who concluded that as long as the city offers the retirees their current plan — GHI Senior Care — it cannot charge them for it.

“This is such a complicated issue right now,” Adams said. “We are still discussing and we are still receiving briefings, I kid you not, on a daily basis, regarding this very, very critical matter.

So it’s still under consideration.”

The speaker said she could not say more given the issue’s changing dynamics. She spoke a day before a deadline set by city Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion.

In an Oct. 28 letter to Municipal Labor Committee Chairman Harry Nespoli, Campion stipulated that if there was no meaningful progress on Council legislation by Nov. 4, the city would ask an arbitrator to order the “immediate implementation” of a cost-saving Medicare Advantage plan and eliminate other plans.

The city, Campion wrote, is losing $50 million each month the new plan is not in place, “putting our shared goals in significant jeopardy.

Campion could not be reached for comment.

Support Unclear:
How much support the city’s plan can secure among Council members is unclear. Retirees are vehemently opposed to the proposed switch. They argue that a Medicare Advantage plan administered by a for-profit entity would by definition be vastly deficient compared to their current health plans, the most popular being Senior Care. Council Member Charles Barron, who late last month told attendees at a rally organized by the Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee that the city’s proposal was “a classic case of capitalism gone mad” and one that should not garner Council support, did not respond to a request for comment made through his office. Several other Council members, including Carmen De La Rosa, the chair of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, also did not reply to requests for comment on the city’s plan. Nespoli did not return a message seeking comment.

Retiree groups and their advocates say the city has not sufficiently sought other cost-saving measures. For instance, they said the city has not been diligent in seeking a more affordable Senior Care plan. They have also argued that the city has not conducted an eligibility audit since the Bloomberg administration.

They have an ally in the Professional Staff Congress, the union that represents faculty and staff at the City University of New York and the CUNY Research Foundation and is among the few city unions opposing the code change. In a Nov. 7 message to members, the union president, James Davis, said the PSC has asked the city to explore other cost-saving options, including self-insurance, collective drug purchasing, aggressive pushback on unreasonable hospital charges and formal requests for proposals for a benefits plan as a way of motivating the current provider

to charge less.

“The City must address the rising cost of health care without sacrificing quality or imposing premiums on employees and retirees,” he wrote.

But other unions, fearing that increased health-care costs will compromise wage negotiations come contract time, are backing the code change. In the wake of Campion’s letter to Nespoli, two prominent municipal labor leaders, the United Federation of Teachers’ Michael Mulgrew and District Council 37’s Henry Garrido, called on their members to urge their Council members to support the city’s legislation. “Without this change in code, we are facing the loss of retiree choice in health plans and the threat of health care premiums for all,” Mulgrew wrote his members.

Premium contributions also possible:

In late September, the arbitrator Martin Scheinman, who is also the chair of the Tripartite Health Insurance Policy Committee, which was formed in 2018 to address the delivery and cost of health care to municipal workers and retirees, noted in a letter to Adams and De La Rosa that “absent the proposed amendment” that would allow the city to collect $191 from retirees who elected to continue with their Senior Care coverage, he would “eliminate Senior Care as an option.”

The “sole available alternative,” he wrote, would be to “impose an obligation to contribute premiums” on current municipal employees ranging from $1,250 to $1,750 annually, a scenario he and city and union officials “have worked years to avoid.” It is unclear from the letter if retirees would be similarly burdened.

Chief reporter Crystal Lewis contributed to this story.

richardk@thechiefleader.com

ACT NOW!

It seems the City Council is now considering amending TITLE 12 Section 126 of the City Admin. Code-so we now have to put more pressure on the City Council Reps. We are waiting to hear if there will be a Rally at City Hall, when we know, then a "Call to Arms" will go out. In the meantime, "Who ya gonna call?" "THE CITY COUNCIL!"

AND CALL THE LADY PICTURED ABOVE; ADRIENNE ADAMS at (718) 206-2068. CALL EVERYDAY!

Find out more

400+ TURNOUT AT CITY HALL RALLY

The Rally at City Hall on Wednesday 10/12/22 was nicely attended. Over 500 retirees from all walks of life turned out at this Noon Time gathering. FDNY, NYPD, Sanitation, Teachers, DC 37 Retirees all came together to chant, speak out and march back and forth at the entrance to City Hall. Speakers included officials from DC 37, the UFT, the FDNY and of course the President of the NYC Retirees; Marianne Pizzitola. When she speaks she has everyone's divided attention. Today we learned that the city wants to lower the benchmark for the amount of the premium that the city would pay to cover your health care. Right now its $1,000.00 per month per member, which is guaranteed under Title 12, Section 126 of the NYC Administrative Code. The city wants to lower that amount to $7.50 per person per month, so you would have to make up the difference. If the City Council votes to amend 12-126, they could add that statement. That's why we have to continue to put pressure on the City Council everyday, even after the Appeal Hearing on 10/27/22.

Marianne will be on the war path for some time to come. She is looking into having a law passed in the New York State Constitution which would prohibit anyone from diminishing our Healthcare Benefits. Yes, just like our Pensions are guaranteed by the NYS Constitution, so hopefully one day so would our Healthcare, then we would only have to worry about it until the next CON-CON in 2037.

PLEASE GO TO OUR "ACT NOW" PAGE AND LEARN HOW TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE CALLED THEM, THEN KEEP CALLING THEM AND CONCENTRATE ON THE DEMOCRATS OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL US at 917-902-6689.

UPDATE ON THE RALLY:

AT THE RALLY ON 10/12/22, ALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL WERE

PRESENT FOR THE 1:30PM MEETING. THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE WORKING FROM HOME. WELL WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT ALL 51 MEMBERS OF THE CC WERE PRESENT AT THAT AFTERNOON MEETING. WE CHECKED THE MINUTES FOR THAT MEETING ON THE COUNCIL'S WEBSITE AND FOUND THAT ALL 51 WERE PRESENT.

SEE THE ROLLCALL:

The New York City Council City Hall New York, NY 10007

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 1:30 PM

Council Chambers -

City Hall City Council

Adrienne E. Adams, Speaker Members: Shaun Abreu, Joann Ariola, Alexa Avilés, Diana I. Ayala, Charles Barron, Joseph C. Borelli, Erik D. Bottcher, Justin L. Brannan, Gale A. Brewer, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Tiffany Cabán, David M. Carr, Carmen N. De La Rosa, Eric Dinowitz, Amanda Farias, Oswald Feliz, James F. Gennaro, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Shahana K. Hanif, Kamillah Hanks, Robert F. Holden, Crystal Hudson, Kristin Richardson Jordan, Rita C. Joseph, Ari Kagan, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Farah N. Louis, Christopher Marte, Darlene Mealy, Julie Menin, Francisco P. Moya, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandy Nurse, Chi A. Ossé, Vickie Paladino, Keith Powers, Lincoln Restler, Kevin C. Riley, Carlina Rivera, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Pierina Ana Sanchez, Lynn C. Schulman, Althea V. Stevens, Sandra Ung, Marjorie Velázquez, Inna Vernikov, Nantasha M. Williams, Julie Won and Kalman Yeger

AT THE 1:30PM MEETING, THE 12-126 ISSUE NEVER CAME UP.

SO DID WE WIN? WELL YES WE MAY HAVE WON A BATTLE BUT THIS ISSUE WILL GO ON INDEFINITELY EVEN AFTER THE APPEAL

HEARING ON 10/27/22.

PLEASE DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. CONTINUE TO MAKE CALLS, SEND LETTERS AND MAYBE EVEN DROP IN AT YOUR COUNCIL'S PUBLIC OFFICE LOCATION AND LET THEM KNOW YOUR OPINION AND DISPLEASURE CONCERNING TITLE 12 SECTION 126 OF

THE NYC ADMIN. CODE-

VOTE "NO" ON THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND IT!

WE WILL LIVE AND DIE BY OUR HEALTHCARE RIGHTS

AS STATED IN 12-126 WHICH READS:

" b. Payment of health insurance costs. Except as otherwise provided in section 12-126.1 and section 12-126.2 of this chapter, for city employees, city retirees and their dependents:

(1) The city will pay the entire cost of health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents, not to exceed one hundred percent of the full cost of H.I.P.-H.M.O. on a category basis."

This statement in the NYC Admin. Code has been our guarantee for our healthcare since 1967. We all served the City of NY for whatever time we were employed by the NYC Fire Dept. We took the job for many reasons, but the main one was because it afforded us health and pension benefits for life. Yeah maybe we didn't make a lot of money but we knew we would be taken care of after we did our time, as well as our families. Our Pensions are guaranteed by the NYS Constitution. Our healthcare is guaranteed by the NYC Admin. Code.

Our Pensions were in jeopardy if a CON-CON were to occur in 2017. We defeated the CON-CON on Election Day in 2017-that was easy. We pulled the lever and voted NO and it was defeated-HOORAY! Now we have to defeat this resolution and this time it will be hard.

WHO YA GONNA CALL?

"COUNCIL MEMBERS!"

WHO?

"YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS!"

"EVERYDAY!"

KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. THEY ARE NOT OUR ENEMIES, THEY ARE OUR ALLIES IN THIS FIGHT TO SAVE OUR HEALTHCARE. PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE EVERYDAY. PUT IT IN YOUR FAVORITES. BOOKMARK US. I TRY TO UPDATE THIS SITE EVERYDAY. I APPRECIATE ANY ARTICLES YOU CAN SEND ME CONCERNING THIS MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE-THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP.

E-mail me: bill@fdnyrma.org

Find out more

BLOCKBUSTER RETIREES MEETING!

Jimmy Thanks All

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

President Jimmy Hayhurst thanked the crowd for the huge turn out after the Pledge of Allegiance. A moment of silence was observed for our recent departed brothers, 12 in all since our June 28th meeting. The crowd was poised to hear Marianne Pizzitola but first a few other speakers...

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

Everyone was attentive during each speaker's presentation. First Joe Minogue, spoke about the Stair Climb at Belmont Park on 10/16/22, then John Newman spoke about Building a Memorial at Paris Island in memory of the 17 USMC Members that were killed on 9-11-01

Marianne did not disappoint...

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

Marianne did not disappoint...

Marianne Pizzitola was our very special Guest Speaker. She started off by re-capping how we got here. She urged everyone to contact the city council and become pro-active. For more info on how to do this; SCROLL DOWN

on this page or visit:

https://www.nycretirees.org/

Q & A

Members Responded Immediately

Marianne did not disappoint...

Questions were then answered by not only Marianne but by our own Bill Schillinger who repeated a few times the importance of visiting our webpage everyday. https://fdnyrma.org/

Members Responded Immediately

A pre-printed letter was handed out to those members that lived in the confines of the five boros. They were directed to sign the letter and then take it in person to their respective City Council Members on Wed. 9/28/22 and make it known we do not want the Admin Code 12-126 changed! This can also be done electronically by scrolling down and printing out the letter, then taking it to your city council person in person. Do not send it US Mail, it won't get there in time. Go to Our Newest Page "ACT NOW" There it will give you up to date info on how to print it and also how to send it electronically

A CALL TO ARMS!

Members Responded Immediately

Marianne asked the crowd to be ready to come to City Hall In a moment's notice to pack the small City Council Chamber when its time to attend a hearing prior to a vote. GET READY!

CHECK THIS WEBSITE EVERYDAY. GO TO OUR NEWEST PAGE-ACT NOW!!! FOR UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS AND HOW TO CONTACT YOUR CITY COUNCIL REP<

Also on our newest page we have provided a link to send "the letter" electronically. Now there's no more excuses, that you don't have any time..."GET INVOLVED!!!"

The UFOA explanation of our MLC healthcare Vote

On Wednesday, August 31st, there was an emergency steering committee meeting to discuss and vote on proposed changes to the administrative code and proposed legislation that the MLC and OLR would support. We first saw the MLC proposed changes when we received them on Friday evening August 26th. The UFOA thought that we did not have enough time to research the changes and examine the possible consequences, whether intentional or not. We discussed the proposal with our attorney and formulated a plan for the steering committee meeting. We spoke to several unions and informed them that we planned to make a motion to table the vote for a week so we can examine the proposal. The leaders we spoke with agreed to vote for the motion to table. We also informed them that we would vote no if we were asked to allow the proposal to go forward to the membership meeting.

When the meeting on the 31st began, the discussion included many of the concerns of those in attendance. The UFOA made a motion to table the vote and it was seconded. The motion to table the vote was vehemently apposed by the presidents of the UFT and DC37. The discussion was ended after most of those in attendance spoke on the motion to table the vote. The vote was taken and the motion to table the vote was defeated. The next vote was to recommend the proposal to the membership. That vote passed 12 yes to 2 NO and 3 abstentions, the UFOA was one of the NO votes. The administrative code changes were recommended to the general membership meeting.

The UFOA spoke with other uniform unions and expressed our concerns about the wording of the administrative code change. We all agreed that the wording could be used to divide the membership into unequal classes or pit uniformed unions against civilian unions. We worked with our attorney and had the language changed to address our concerns. The new wording in the letter agreement between the City and the MLC, which will become part of the legislative history, will allow two types of classes in healthcare. There will be a plan for active, retirees and their dependents and the other plan will be for Medicare eligible retirees and their dependents. These two classes will be treated equally across all unions in the MLC. This new wording for the legislation, is what will be presented at the MLC membership meeting along with the change in the administrative code.

The special general membership meeting was scheduled for Thursday, September 8th. The UFOA had our monthly general membership meeting on that day, and we sent a former board member to attend and represent us. The proposed changes to the administrative code and the new legislation were on the agenda. There were specific instructions to vote no when the proposed changes to the administrative code were presented. There was a spirited discussion at the meeting and several unions, including the UFOA, expressed their concerns and opposition. When the ballot was taken, 85% of the votes approved the change to the administrative code and the new legislation. There were at least 8 unions that voted no on the proposed changes and a few more that did not vote or “refused to participate”. The changes to the administrative code were approved and the next step is to have the city council vote on those changes.

The UFOA continues to fight for fair representation and to be included in the discussions about the healthcare we will all be offered. We will fight to have our members rights protected and to get the best possible coverage for all of us and our dependents.

Sincerely,
UFOA Executive Board

THE FOLLOWING UNIONS & ASSOCIATIONS VOTED "NO" AT THE SEPT. 8th MEETING:

THE UFA

THE UFOA

CORRECTIONS CAPTAINS

THE LIEUTENANT'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION (NYPD)

THE CAPTAIN'S ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION (NYPD)

THE SERGEANT'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION (NYPD)

THE DETECTIVE'S ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION (DEA-NYPD)

THE DOCTOR'S COUNCIL (SEIU)

PROFESSIONAL STAFF CONGRESS (PSC)

DC-37 LOCAL 924-NYC LABORERS

DC-37 LOCAL 2507-EMT'S, PARAMEDICS & FDNY FIRE INSPECTORS

FURTHER THE PBA ABSTAINED CITING NUMEROUS LAWSUITS ALREADY IN MOTION AGAINST THE CITY AND THEIR QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES TO GET THIS THRU THE CITY COUNCIL-ONE OF THOSE LAWSUITS CAME TO FRUITION ON 9/23/22-SEE ABOVE<

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ITS TIME TO GET INVOLVED!!!

IF YOU LIVE IN THE CONFINES OF NEW YORK CITY, YOU MUST HELP US TO HELP YOURSELF-

>CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHO YOUR CITY COUNCIL PERSON IS<

WHEN YOU GET THE INFORMATION, EXPRESS TO HIM or HER YOUR DISMAY OVER "YOUR HEALTHCARE" via A TELEPHONE NUMBER, AN EMAIL ADDRESS or BETTER YET IN PERSON. FIND OUT THE ADDRESS OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL OFFICE AND JUST GO THERE.

(CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD A LETTER EXPRESSING YOUR DISMAY ABOUT CHANGING THE CITY ADMIN CODE 12-126)

THEY MAY NOT BE IN THE OFFICE BUT THEIR STAFF WILL BE THERE. YOU CAN EXPRESS TO THE STAFF YOUR CONCERN OVER CHANGING THE WORDING OF THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATIVE CODE IN ORDER FOR YOURSELF TO BE PLACED IN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN-SEE BELOW OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN TO YOUR HEALTH CARE-*PROPOSED HEALTHCARE CHANGES IN THE NYC ADMIN. CODE*. IF YOU PREFER TO SPEAK TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL PERSON DIRECTLY, ONE ON ONE, YOU MAY HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO DO SO. THEN BY ALL MEANS SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT THRU THE EFFORTS OF THE STAFF. HOWEVER THEY MAY INFORM YOU THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IS via E-MAIL, THEN DO IT THAT WAY. EITHER WAY DROP OFF THE LETTER AND TELL HIM or HER YOU WANT TO BE KEPT UP TO DATE ON THIS ISSUE.

THERE ARE 51 IN THE CITY COUNCIL. THE VOTE WOULD HAVE TO BE A MAJORITY FOR THE RESOLUTION TO PASS, SO THEY NEED 26 MEMBERS TO VOTE YES. WE DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN, SO GET UP, GET INVOLVED AND WE WILL SEE THIS DEFEATED. WHEN WE CALLED ON YOU TO DEFEAT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, WELL NOW WE NEED TO DO IT AGAIN. CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY FOR UPDATES ON THIS ISSUE.

SINCERELY,

THE FDNY RMA EXECUTIVE BOARD

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What the Proposed Healthcare Changes in the NYC Administrative Code Mean for our Members:

First, you need to read the 9/9/22 message to members from James Davis, President of the PSC. It explains the PSC position (and opposition to the code changes), providing context and a clear, comprehensive analysis of what this means prospectively for

members’ healthcare insurance.

Below is a secondary interpretation members might also find useful. The proposed change to the city administrative code is written in somewhat dense legal language. However, Robert Nelson, a member of the PSC Retirees Executive Committee, wrote a short description, of the proposed NYC administrative code changes for healthcare coverage for municipal employees and reirees. The interpretation is Nelson’s, but his retiree EC colleagues found it illuminating in translating the legal implications of the code changes into everyday, understandable language.

**********

Some have indicated they don’t entirely understand what the MLC and the City have agreed to regarding health insurance for both active and retiree public employees. Here’s an attempt to make it plain:

The City and the MLC want to change the city law (known as the “administrative code”) that says the city must provide free health insurance to active and retired employees and their dependents. The change would allow the City, with the approval of the MLC, to create different classes (or tiers) of workers for the purposes of giving them health insurance, and the City could then give different free health insurance plans to each class.

Right now the city law does not allow different free plans. Once the change goes into effect, the City will change the free plan for retirees to a Medicare Advantage plan from the current traditional Medicare plan. The City will be allowed to offer the traditional Medicare plan and charge a premium. The City tried to institute such a change over the last year, but was blocked by a judge’s ruling. The City has appealed,

and the case will be heard in October.

The MLC voted to support the change in the law on Thursday, September 8. The change in the law must now come before the City Council, which must first hold two hearings about it before it votes. The City wants the hearings and the vote to be in September so that the law case will be moot when it is heard.

Right now the class the City is aiming at is its retirees. But this change in the law allows the City and the MLC in the future to designate other groups of workers as classes that would get different “free” health insurance plans that would certainly be inferior.

Divide and conquer.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GO TO OUR "ACT NOW" PAGE BY CLICKING ON "FIND OUT MORE"

Find out more

THIS WILL BE THE LETTER YOU USE TO SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL:

I am deeply concerned about the Mayor’s latest attempt to extract health care savings from City workers by amending the City’s Administrative Code section 12-126, which establishes the monthly HIP-HMO rate as the City’s minimum contribution to the cost of health care for City employees, retirees and their dependents. I urge you to vote No on the proposed change.

The amendment would not only clear a path for the City to begin charging substantial premiums to retirees who opt to remain in their traditional Medicare program, SeniorCare; it would also open the door for the City to increase health insurance costs or reduce benefits for in-service employees.

Instead, the City should be going after the hospitals for exorbitant charges, addressing the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, and auditing current insurance providers, not balancing the budget on the backs of workers and their dependents. There are other ways to contain costs, and the City should seriously consider them. Some cities in the United States self-insure. Some use the huge purchasing power of their municipal workforce to engage in collective drug purchasing. Some deal much more aggressively with hospitals that charge exorbitant rates. New York City is doing none of the above.

For nearly 80 years, municipal workers have been able to rely on the City to meet its obligation to cover their health insurance costs in retirement, and SeniorCare has done it well, without premiums, co-pays, or prior authorizations. The proposed Administrative Code change breaks this compact. Further, it opens the door to weakening the quality and increasing the cost of active employee health insurance.

Please do the right thing and reject the proposed change to Administrative Code 12-126.

Sincerely, your constituent,

THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS

YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD IT BELOW, PRINT IT THEN BRING IT TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE-AGAIN, DO NOT MAIL IT, BRING IT TO THIER OFFICE YOURSELF, WE ARE DEPENDING ON YOU!

-THE CITY'S PLAN IS TO GET THIS IN THE DOCKET BY THE END OF THE MONTH, SO WE NEED YOU TO GET INVOLVED-NOW!!!

(For Updates on the progress of the resolution visit our newest page, "ACT NOW")

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARIANNE PIZZITOLA EXPLAINS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE 12-126

IN A SHORT VIDEO, CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT

EDUCATE YOURSELF, REMEMBER "KNOWLEDGE ITSELF IS POWER"

THIS WAS A QUOTE USED MANY TIMES BY THOMAS JEFFERSON.

ORIGINALLY SIR FRANCIS BACON USED IT IN 1597, he most likely wanted to transmit the idea that having and sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of reputation and influence, and therefore power; all achievements emanate from this.

Find out more

A MESSAGE FROM: Marianne Pizzitola:

Hello Retirees!

A lot has happened in the last week. Let me summarize… ·

It was revealed that the City had lied to us, the Supreme Court and the Appellate court. We are currently reviewing our options to address. Stay tuned. https://nypost.com/2022/06/18/retirees-accuse-nyc-of-lying-to-judge-in-health-benefits-battle/ ·

As I write this, the MLC is drafting legislation to modify 12-126 of the NYC Administrative Code. See below for the explanation. If this statue is modified or rescinded, or they remove all plans offered except one, (what we call the Nuclear Option) We will ALL** pay more including Premiums, deductibles, and COPAYS, and in some cases with our health. It was revealed that the MLC (unions) and the City released a RFI (Request for Information) seeking to replace our current health plans. This isn’t an RFP (request for proposal) see this listing to understand what they are seeking, but it is the first step! Our Senior care, is carved out of the GHI CBP plan. If they kill that plan, we lost our Senior Care. If they do away with HIP HMO,

we lost the benchmark.

What is the benchmark?

The BENCHMARK: NYC Administrative Code 12-126 is how we won our lawsuit in March. The code states, that the CITY WILL PAY THE FULL COST OF INSURANCE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, RETIREES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS UP TO THE HIP HMO RATE ON A CATEGORY BASIS OF INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY. That means that whatever the cost of HIP HMO (today it is about $860 per month for individual) the City must pay for whatever plan you choose up to that benchmark. A retiree on Medicare, OUR plans are cheap if you are on GHI Senior Care its under $200 even if you add in the cost of our Medicare, ($170.10 per month) Our plans cost under $400 per month. So do not believe someone that says we are bankrupting the funds or cost them a lot.

12-126 also provides us with Medicare B reimbursement. https://www.nysfocus.com/2022/06/15/city-cost-cutting-health-plan/ · The RFI: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/olr/downloads/pdf/rfp/rfi-health-benefits-program.pdf ·

Our appeals Case is still awaiting assignment of a date and lead Justice. NEITHER have been assigned yet. The City has to file its remaining documents by mid July, ours by August, and we will hopefully be on the calendar in September or October. ·

We are also working on the Co pay issue. This WAS in our Supreme Court case, but the City is ignoring the ruling.

We are further pursing this. Stay tuned. ·

We did a story about the Fire Widows last fall as the City and MLC plan would have affected them. (see attached PDF) ·

Many say I have AETNA or another Medicare Advantage plan (MAP). Well, you are not entirely safe! Here is why…The reason the City/MLC tried to dump us into a MAP was because the Federal Government pays the FULL cost of the plan… this removed the burden of the cost to them. With the Feds subsidizing the plan, if that subsidy every reduces, the insurer will ask the City for money. If the City refuses to pay, but passes the cost to us, WE PAY. If the City refuses to pay, and doesn’t pass the cost on to retirees, the Insurer will REDUCE our benefits. And you know what? The City and MLC did this before. 2017, the HIP VIP plan was subsidized by the Feds. When the subsidy reduced, and the city would not pay, HIP ended the drug plan, made retirees pay $150 per person per month a drug plan, and added co pays, and in some cases doubled them. And added more prior authorizations. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANY**

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. ·

Many healthy retirees have no issue with the MAP. Many do. The Federal Health and human Services office did yet another study and found that MAPs wrongly apply criteria not consistent with Medicare to the detriment of the senior. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/OEI-09-18-00260.asp

Knowledge is Power. Let's get our unions to understand and protect retiree benefits, so they are here when they retire!

Marianne Pizzitola

President NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

Find out more

About Us

Who We Are

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We are Retired NYC Firefighters of all ranks. We meet five times per year at two locations; 901 Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park and 3051 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn, NY. Through our Newsletter and this website we hope to keep you informed about your pensions.

Get Involved

Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our organization better for our members. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!

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Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help

of supporters like you.

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

RETIRED MEMBER'S ASSOCIATION, INC
Fire Department, City of New York
ORGANIZED JANUARY 1ST, 1946

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
We offer two types of Membership.

Life Membership- one time payment of $250.00 gives you a gold RMA Membership Card and our periodic newsletters.

Annual Membership-Annual dues of $25.00 gives you 1 year of membership with associated Card, and one year of issued Newsletters.
Once you have decided on
the type of Membership you desire,

download the PDF Application above,

fill out and send with your check
made payable to the RMA
and send via US Mail to:
The RMA
PO Box 1332

Baldwin, NY 11510

[Add Payment for the Lapel Pin(s) with your Dues Check]

(see Lapel Pin above-right)

Both Life and Annual Members will receive Critical Instant Updates as

long as New Member provides a credible E-mail Address.

Lapel Pin, pictured above available for sale: PRICE: $6.00 for one pin or two for $10.00

THIS IS THE RMA Our Next Meeting: Tues. 11/29/22 in Brooklyn

APPELATE COURT FINDS IN OUR FAVOR

BUT IT AIN'T OVER TILL ITS OVER!

CALL, CALL, CALL!

PDF Viewer

M. A. P. IS A MESS!

Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges

by Medicare Advantage plans(MAP)

-CLICK ON FIND OUT MORE TO READ THE STORY-

DO THE MATH-FACT CHECK CONSEQUENCES:

SEND, EMAIL or CALL THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE INFO BELOW:

MOST RECENT UPDATE FROM "THE CHIEF"

CITY COUNCIL IS NOW CONSIDERING AMENDING 12-126

ACT NOW!

RALLY AT CITY HALL & at the UFT Hdqtrs 10/12/22

400+ TURNOUT AT CITY HALL RALLY

BLOCKBUSTER RETIREES MEETING!

Jimmy Thanks All

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

Marianne did not disappoint...

185 turned out for Our Biggest Meeting Ever!

Marianne did not disappoint...

Q & A

Members Responded Immediately

Marianne did not disappoint...

Members Responded Immediately

Members Responded Immediately

Members Responded Immediately

A CALL TO ARMS!

Members Responded Immediately

Members Responded Immediately

The UFOA explanation of our MLC healthcare Vote

*What the Proposed Healthcare Changes in the NYC Administrative Code Mean for our Members:*

THIS WILL BE THE LETTER YOU USE TO SEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL:

LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL: (PDF)

A MESSAGE FROM: Marianne Pizzitola:

NEW LOCATION AND PHONE NUMBER FOR FIRE PENSIONS

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Download The 2022 RMA Application:

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

What the Proposed Healthcare Changes in the NYC Administrative Code Mean for our Members: