Fix Retiree Medicare NOW!

Let's support 1096-2024, and let's drag Unity along with us.

We can debate Unity’s intentions, but we all know the what the road to hell is paved with. Let’s put their intentions to the test, and give them at least a chance to help us achieve what we’ve been battling for.

You are what you do, not what you say you will do. ~Carl Jung

Wednesday night, at LeRoy Barr’s urging, we resolved that UFT will not place retirees in Medicare Advantage (MA). The only hiccup is the city has a lawsuit in place to do just that, with the explicit support of MLC (including Unity). If the city wins, LeRoy and all his Unity BFFs can say, “Gee, sorry, but we didn’t do it. The city did.”

That doesn’t get them off the hook. Michael Mulgrew spent years peddling MA plans. Unity initiated this. They hyped the first version as the best thing since sliced bread, and when that fell apart, hyped the next one as the best thing since sliced bread. (Even if you aren’t carb-averse, you can’t live on bread alone.)

New and improved! Now with fewer pre-approvals!

Unity’s temporary moratorium on some pre-approvals didn’t fly with retirees, who overwhelmingly voted the Unity Caucus out. Unity now claims to oppose MA, and made a grand show of placing their opposition into a resolution. It’s now official UFT policy. One sticking point is rules don’t apply to Unity Caucus, as Mulgrew demonstrated at that very meeting.

When Mulgrew failed to muster the votes to extend the meeting, it appeared there would be no chance for Unity to push their faux-heroic amendment. Mulgrew ignored the vote, and unilaterally extended the meeting anyway.

I voted for the resolution, and I voted for LeRoy’s amendment. That said, the resolution is not retroactive, nor is the amendment. We’re still left facing a court case with an uncertain outcome, and hoping for the best. If we win, Unity happy talk will have influenced it not at all. If we lose, it will be 100% Unity’s fault.

Furthermore, since Mulgrew abandoned the NY Health Act after the DA voted for it, and openly defied the vote that failed to extend the meeting Wednesday, we know Unity abides by no rules.

Rules are for the little people (like us).

Unity added one more amendment—some kind of permanent health care committee with representation from all caucuses. Imagine, for example, 20 Unity members, 2 MORE members, and 2 New Action members voting on whatever. It passes 20-4, and Mulgrew claims a mandate to do whatever. I voted against that amendment, but it passed.

It’s on us to be proactive. It’s on us to do everything within our power to protect our health care. Read Intro 1096-2024. It’s quite simple. Nice though it may feel to hope for the best, it behooves us to do more.

That is why, on Tuesday, I will bring the following resolution to the floor of the Retired Teacher Chapter meeting:

Resolution to Lobby for and Pass Intro 1096-2024

Whereas, Intro 1096-2024 is before the City Council;

Whereas, Intro 1096-2024 requires the City to offer Medicare-eligible City retirees and their Medicare-eligible dependents at least one Medigap plan with benefits equivalent to or better than those available to City retirees and their dependents as of December 31, 2021;

Whereas, it is now official UFT policy to oppose Medicare Advantage for retirees; and

Whereas, Intro 1096-2024 provides precisely what we voted for in the last RTC election, be it therefore,

Resolved, that the Retired Teacher Chapter will organize a movement to lobby local council members via letters, phone calls, email, and social media; and be it further

Resolved, that we demand UFT use all its lobbying resources to support the passage of Intro 1096-2024

Arthur Goldstein, Vice-Chair, Retired Teachers Chapter

Unless Unity wants an option to degrade our health care, they will support this. Please come out, or call in, and support this resolution. If we don’t pass this on Tuesday, there won’t be another RTC meeting until March. By then, we could be facing an adverse court decision.

We can’t afford to wait.

Thanks to Daniel A. for the graphic.