The de Blasio administration was the first to propose the switch of retirees’ traditional Medicare coverage to a private plan. City officials were saying it would save the city almost $600 million each year. But not so fast. Lawsuits under Adams have flown thick and fast as the retirees have fought back hard, knowing that under the flowery promises was the reality that they would lose access to, as the New York City Organization of Public Service put it, “the doctors they depend on and the medical care they desperately need.” Now, major player UFT has withdrawn the union’s support for ongoing negotiations regarding the new benefits plan. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “This administration has proven to be more interested in cutting its costs than honestly working with us to provide high-quality healthcare to city workers.”
