It seems Michael Mulgrew hasn’t done his homework. A few days ago, he sent us an email saying that Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) was about to end its partnership with Anthem if it didn’t have an agreement in effect by January. Here’s an excerpt from that email:
MSK may start mailing letters to all current patients with Anthem coverage (GHI-CBP, GHI Senior Care and all other Anthem NYC health plans) notifying them that MSK facilities may become out-of-network on Jan. 1, 2025, if they are unable to reach an agreement.
That’s accurate, to a point. The fact is private plans have contracts with health providers. They sunset at a certain point. For example. the Aetna plan that Mulgrew adored and promoted until Retiree Advocate kicked Unity’s ass in the election contains an agreement for fewer pre-approvals. If anyone believes that agreement would not have expired had Mulgrew succeeded in dumping us into that plan, well, contact me about purchasing a very fine bridge in Brooklyn.
If you use Medicare, this contract does not apply to you. You may continue to use MSK whether or not Anthem comes to an agreement with them.
A great advantage of Medicare, government-run health insurance, is that just about everyone takes it. There are no contracts to expire. It pays doctors better than Emblem/ GHI, and the doctors who dumped us while we had Emblem are far less likely to do so now. In fact, the single doctor I retained who’d refused Emblem takes Medicare as full payment.
Of course we should continue to pressure MSK and Anthem to come to an agreement. Our brethren who are in-service or pre-Medicare eligible are still imperiled. It’s unconscionable that MSK would put those of us who serve the city in this position.
You may email the CEO of MSK, Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS. Send him a tweet. Send MSK a tweet as well. Let them know how you feel.
Meanwhile, Mulgrew made an egregious error, panicking senior citizens for no good reason. Or perhaps he simply lied to us. Either way, that renders him unfit to lead. He and his Unity Patronage Cult need to be evicted from 52 Broadway with all due haste.
And lest you think I’m some genius for figuring this out, that’s not the case at all. Marianne Pizzitola of NYC Retirees did all the heavy lifting. She called directly to find out what was going on. The very best way to thank her is by sending a donation.
Hear it from Marianne directly, below:
Garrido just sent a message or should I say scare tactic to us about this as well. I forwarded to Marianne so she would be aware even though she probably already was aware of Garrido as well, thank goodness for people like you and Marianne who speak truth to power. She removes any fear tactic we face.
Mulgrew’s “very smart people” told retirees at a Town Hall that medigap or Medicare supplement policies are subject to the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) or ObamaCare and that they could not be denied coverage. This is totally false. Medigap or Medicare supplement policies are expressly excluded from the ACA. They are regulated by the respective states and in most jurisdictions can deny coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions.
I asked Mulgrew to issue a correction. He did not.