Vermont Retirees Block Effort to put them in Medicare Advantage; NY City Retirees Continue Their Fight
On July 31, Joni Eisenberg, Co-Host of the Washington DC Radio Show, “To Heal DC,” featured the fight against the privatization of Medicare and the movement to stop retirees from being forced into private, for-profit, Medicare Advantage plans or lose their hard-fought retirement health benefits.
Featured on the show were Steve Howard, Executive Director of the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA), and Marianne Pizzitola, President of New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees. Kay Tillow,from the All Unions Committee For Single Payer also participated.
The VSEA has stopped Vermont's governor from putting 10,000 state retirees into a for-profit Medicare Advantage plan. Marianne Pizzitola's group is leading many rallies and actions and has won a number of court cases, that have, so far, stopped the city from forcing the retirees into a Medicare Advantage plan run by the insurance giant Aetna.
The radio program is archived here:
https://archive.wpfwfm.org/mp3/wpfw_230731_100000tohealdc.mp3
Marianne Pizzitola, New York City, at 15:40
At about 15:40, Marianne Pizzitola tells of the New York City struggle. https://www.nycretirees.org/
The organization recently brought 70 people to DC for a press conference against Medicare Advantage. They have a motivated grass roots movement, and they are fighting for their lives! Please check out their facebook page and website. https://www.nycretirees.org/
Steve Howard, Vermont State Employees Association, at 30:40
At the 30:40 minute mark, Steve Howard tells how their union won the battle against Medicare Advantage. The union learned about the threat to their retiree health benefits in September of 2022. By May of 2023 they had defeated Medicare Advantage. It's a success story that should be shared.
https://www.vsea.org/
One of the early news articles is here:
https://vtdigger.org/2022/09/23/state-employees-gear-up-for-fight-over-cost-cutting-medicare-advantage-plans/
Unions for Single Payer would like to hear from others who are confronted with being placed into Medicare Advantage. Please send to nursenpo@aol.com
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Distributed by:
Kay Tillow, Coordinator
All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
P. O. Box 17595
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org
https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer
8-4-2023