WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM IS NOW FULLY FUNDED!

BARASCH McGARRY IS VICTORIOUS

Today marks a historic and hard-fought victory for the 9/11 community, an achievement that will save lives. Congress has finally passed a bill that assures long-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, ensuring continued access to free monitoring, treatment, and cancer screenings for years to come. Had this funding not been secured, the Health Program would not have been able to accept new patients after 2027.

Full funding means stability. It means certainty. And most importantly, it means that those whose health has been impacted in the aftermath of September 11th will not be abandoned.

Securing support from members of Congress outside of the New York area was a challenge. Justice did not come easily. It is the result of years of relentless advocacy by the 9/11 community, responders, survivors, families, doctors, union leaders, and advocates; all who refused to accept broken promises or temporary solutions.

Our firm is proud to have stood alongside you in this fight. Our partners and staff proudly made dozens of trips to Washington in 2025 to make sure that the voices of both responders and civilians in the 9/11 community were heard loud and clear. We reminded legislators of their promise to “never forget.” Fortunately, this time they listened!

As we approach the 25th remembrance of September 11, 2001, today’s news carries special meaning. While this is a major milestone, our work is not finished. We must now press Secretary Kennedy to restore the 120 NIOSH positions mandated under the original James Zadroga Act, reinstate coverage for heart and autoimmune diseases, and fully restore research funding.

A special thank you to those who heeded our call to action and called your legislators and demanded their support. Your involvement and advocacy made a difference.

With deep respect,
Michael Barasch

WE ARE STILL ALIVE, DON'T LISTEN TO HERESAY

COURT CASE UPDATES

Copays from January 1, 2022- January 12, 2023 - if you were on Senior Care ONLY this pertains to you! You must start putting proof of copay payment together. We are nearing a settlement with the city to pay us back the copays they illegally charged to senior care retirees during that time. Proof is a receipt, cancelled checks, medical records that show payment. Please put these in a folder.

There are no other updates. The lawyers are still going back and forth. We are still fighting the Copay Case, and the Bentkowski case to stop the city from forcing us into Medicare Advantage was sent back to the Supreme Court. Some of you emailed us thinking this was over because of a Florida group spreading disinformation. IT IS NOT OVER. While the court overturn the lower courts stating they did not believe we proved a promise was made that they can force the city to uphold, they DID NOT overturn the lower court findings that many retirees would not have access to their doctors and hospitals who don't accept Medicare Advantage and that they would also not get the care their doctors ordered due to prior authorization. The Court determined Medicare Advantage is a diminished plan! We still need the support to fund the organization's mission to fight these cases! We have been successful 11 times in court. We are also still working on city and state legislation for codify protecting your healthcare.

FIRST LOSS IN THE BATTLE TO SAVE OUR PROMISED HEALTHCARE (6/18/25)

After 4 years and 11 court wins, today, marked our first loss. Below our attorney explains. We are still working with a large team of advisors on our next steps.

Nothing will change soon, and may not change at all. Just because the court did not agree with the two lower courts does not mean they will force us into Medicare Advantage. This is why this entire time we have prepared for alternative solutions other than litigation - legislation.

Stay tuned - next week after the election we should have more information on what we will be doing to move Intro 1096 in the Council.

In the meantime, focus on our election site, www.retiredlaborstrong.nyc for election guidance for the NYC Primary for Mayor, Comptroller and Public Advocate and some more council races.

Do not vote for ANYONE who does not support us!

Here below are City Council incumbents who support us. You have the power to help elect Retiree friendly candidates. Stay tuned, next week we will lay out our next strategy. This fight is NOT over! Stay calm, and rest up for next week!

The entire Board of the NYC Retirees

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BELOW READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE THAT WAS SENT TO US:

Retiree Healthcare Battle Shifts from Courts to City Council and City Hall

NEW YORK, June 18, 2025 — Today, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the City of New York can deny retired firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other municipal workers the health insurance it has promised and provided them for over 50 years. Specifically, the Court held in Bentkowski v. City of New York that the City can force its 250,000 elderly and disabled retirees off of traditional Medicare—the high-quality health insurance it assured them they would have in their final years—and onto an inferior type of insurance called “Medicare Advantage.”

If forced into a Medicare Advantage plan, retirees will lose access to many of the doctors they depend on for life-saving treatment and will routinely be denied coverage for medical care. That is because, unlike traditional Medicare (a publicly run program), private Medicare Advantage plans limit access to medical providers and medical care in order to maximize profits.

Today’s heartbreaking decision reverses previous rulings by the New York State Supreme Court and Appellate Division, both of which unanimously held that the City must honor the healthcare promise it made to its retirees for the past half-century. These lower courts found, based on extensive, unrebutted evidence, that:

(1) City officials recruited and retained the retirees by telling them that they would have access to traditional Medicare plus a Medicare supplemental plan in their old age;

(2) retirees have detrimentally relied on that promise in countless ways; and

(3) denying retirees this insurance now would imperil their lives.

Today’s Court of Appeals decision does not change those facts. Indeed, the Court of Appeals does not make findings of fact; it only decides questions of law. The Court of Appeals simply held that the City’s oral and written assurances were not clear enough to satisfy the strict requirements of promissory estoppel, the legal doctrine on which the retirees prevailed below.

For the past four years, retirees have successfully protected retirees’ access to traditional Medicare through litigation. Now it is time for our elected officials—City Councilmembers and our next mayor—to step up and continue this fight. The lives of hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled retired City workers depend on it.

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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.

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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

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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.
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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:
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Baldwin, NY 11510 [Add Payment for the Lapel Pin(s)with your Dues Check]

(see Lapel Pin above-left)

Both Life and Annual Members will receive Critical Instant Updates as long as New Member provides a credible E-mail Address.

Retired Member's Association,
Fire Dept.City of NY

OUR NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY FEB. 24th @ Our NEW HYDE PARK Location @11:00am

WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM IS NOW FULLY FUNDED!

BARASCH McGARRY IS VICTORIOUS

WE ARE STILL ALIVE, DON'T LISTEN TO HERESAY

COURT CASE UPDATES

Download The 2026 RMA Application:

47 Turned out to attend the November Meeting in Brooklyn

FIRST LOSS IN THE BATTLE TO SAVE OUR PROMISED HEALTHCARE (6/18/25)

BELOW READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE THAT WAS SENT TO US:

RALLY FOR THE NEW HEALTHCARE BILL; 1096

WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE-

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America’s Seniors are gonna get screwed for Wall Street’s growing disenchantment with MAP

https://hc4us.org/americas-seniors-are-about-to-pay-a-high-price-for-wall-streets-growing-disenchantment-with-medicare-advantage-health-care-un-covered/

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Download The 2025/2026 RMA Application:

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