City retirees push Council v. Medicare Advantage

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Jul 14, 2023 View in browser   By Madina Touré and Hajah Bah Retired municipal workers are ramping up pressure on city lawmakers to back legislation that would allow them to choose their health insurance instead of switching to a Medicare Advantage plan the Adams administration hopes to implement this fall. The pressure campaign follows a recent legal victory that temporarily paused the switch. The administration is exploring an appeal. "I think the judge's decision was direct enough that it should move any City Council person that's just sitting on the sidelines," said Marianne Pizzitola, president of the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees, in an interview. Close to 200 former municipal workers, including Pizzitola, rallied near City Hall Thursday. The event brought together two members who are often at opposite ends of issues – socialist Charles Barron, who introduced the bill last month, and his Republican colleague Ari Kagan. The legislation — which would amend the administrative code to maintain health insurance choice for retirees —has 14 sponsors, including Kagan. That’s still far short of the majority needed to pass, but momentum is building. Council Members Robert Holden, a moderate Democrat, and Erik Bottcher, a more liberal Democrat, signed onto the bill recently. Council Member Gale Brewer also said she’ll back it. Council Members Sandy Nurse and Oswald Feliz said they need to review the court ruling. Jake Gardener, counsel to the retirees, said: “We’ve been fighting our own battles for two years and we've been successful so it would be great if the City Council stepped up.” Council Member Joe Borelli — co-chair of the Council’s Common Sense Caucus that includes Republicans and moderate Democrats, filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit. But Borelli said members should wait for the court to issue a final ruling before making a decision on the bill. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has said she doesn’t want to "unilaterally intervene in a process that intersects with collective bargaining." A Council spokesperson declined to comment. Barron insisted the bill will not hurt collective bargaining.  “Now that this judge ruled in our favor, hopefully…they can follow the same path as the judge,” he said in an interview about council members’ potential support. District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union, and the city’s teachers union, oppose the bill. Dick Riley, a UFT spokesperson, said the union believes the Medicare Advantage plan "offers the best chance to maintain high-quality, premium free health care for our retirees." Jonah Allon, a City Hall spokesperson, said the bill would interfere with the collective bargaining process. He said the Medicare Advantage plan improves upon retirees' current options. HAPPY FRIDAY:  WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and delivering a shark safety announcement at Jones Beach. WHERE’S ERIC? Delivering remarks at a Bahamian flag-raising ceremony, visiting Riverstone Senior Life Services, meeting with United Arab Emirates officials, hosting a roundtable discussion with Japanese business leaders and presenting a proclamation at flag-raising ceremony for Puerto Rico. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The fact that we have to override a veto is incomprehensible to me,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, referring to the four bills that she argued would help prevent people from living in homeless shelters.   SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     ABOVE THE FOLD Flood warning – Gov. Kathy Hochul warned Thursday about an increased risk of severe thunderstorms through Friday morning in the Capital Region, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and the North Country. “These storms bring the potential for damaging winds, downed trees, power outages, hail, and even tornadoes.” said Hochul, who cautioned New Yorkers about additional flooding. – Hajah Bah WHAT CITY HALL IS READING When Signs of Trouble Appear, Mayor Adams Turns to His Religious Base, by New York Times’ Jeffery C. Mays: “Midway through his second year as mayor, Mr. Adams has come to rely more heavily than ever on the religious segment of his multiethnic, outer Manhattan base for support, especially when signs of trouble arise, as they have in recent weeks.” NYC Council overrides Adams’ veto of housing voucher plan; legislation could cost city $17B, by New York Post’s Nolan Hicks, Bernadette Hogan, and Rthvika Suvama: “The council and housing advocates have argued that ending the 90-day rule would make it easier for people to move from shelters to permanent homes – a key factor as NYC continues to reel from the ongoing migrant crisis. To date, more than 54,000 migrants are being housed in over 180 shelters.” Mayor Eric Adams discusses race, religion and press coverage, by NY1’s Emily Ngo Dialed In: City Hall Set to Supply Free Phones to People Newly Released from Rikers, by The City’s Reuven Blau: “[T]wo decades later, the city has failed to meet those basic requirements, according to the monitor overseeing the case. It grew out of a 1999 lawsuit that accused the city of violating state law by releasing mentally ill people from jail in the middle of the night with little more than $1.50 and two subway tokens.” WHAT ALBANY'S READING New York State bill would put moratorium on property tax foreclosures, by Newsdays’ Jonathan LaMantia: “A bill that recently passed the State Legislature would keep Nassau and Suffolk counties from foreclosing on properties when homeowners fail to pay their taxes. The bill, which is focused on so-called in rem tax foreclosure, still needs to be signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul before it becomes law. A spokesman for Hochul said she is reviewing the legislation.” An Albany lobbyist who rides horses has become their fierce advocate, by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons: "Karin Carreau-Spencer, a lifelong equestrian and veteran lobbyist, has emerged as an influential figure in efforts in New York to protect equines." At NY's northern border, asylum seekers find hope in desperation at a rural mini mart, by Democrat & Chronicle’s Eduardo Cuevas and Robert Bell: “Yermain Piñango, 37, stood at the curb looking at the country road. Hours earlier, he, his pregnant wife, their sister-in-law and a few others took an overnight bus from Manhattan, where they were staying in crowded hotels and shelters with thousands of other asylum seekers.” FROM THE DELEGATION Mid-level court hands Democrats victory in New York redistricting case, by POLITICO’s Bill Mahoney: A mid-level appellate court sided Thursday with Democrats in their quest to take another crack at gerrymandering New York’s congressional district lines. A judicial panel said a redistricting process that would ultimately end up in the Democratic-dominated Legislature can start from scratch. This would result in new maps being drawn in time for the 2024 elections. State Sen. John Mannion to run for CNY House seat in 2024, by New York State of Politics’s Luke Parsnow: "‘I’m proud to officially announce my campaign for Congress to represent families across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley,’ Mannion said. ‘I grew up here, and Jennifer and I raised our kids here – but after three decades as a public-school science teacher and union president, I was tired of seeing our kids and our communities left behind.’" AROUND NEW YORK – Remembering NYC’s 1977 blackout, 46 years later. (Gothamist) – The city is seeking feedback from New Yorkers on Downtown Jamaica, Queens redevelopment. (Queens Daily Eagle) – Western New York will soon get its first state-licensed cannabis dispensaries. (Buffalo News)   UNLEASH THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE WITH POLITICO, A 7/20 INTERACTIVE EVENT: Imagine a future where rare genetic diseases are not only treatable, but potentially curable. Where our approach to chronic illness takes a monumental leap forward. That future is already taking shape in the form of next-generation health care treatments such as gene therapy. Join POLITICO on Thursday, July 20 and delve into the burgeoning field of gene therapies, which hold the power to redefine our health care landscape. Are you ready to explore this new frontier in health care? Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation. REGISTER NOW.     SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN HAPPY BIRTHDAY: ABC’s Devin Dwyer … WSJ’s Nicole Friedman … Caroline Kelly … (was Thursday): Tony Kornheiser … Katie Roiphe MEDIA MOVES — POLITICO is elevating Julia Marsh to editorial director for California as we expand our coverage of the biggest state in the nation. She currently is New York editor. MAKING MOVES – Heather Riley and Chris Vlasto are launching Haven Strategies, a new strategic comms and crisis management firm. Both are ABC News alums; Riley most recently was executive producer of political programming, and Vlasto ran the investigative unit and served as executive producer of “Good Morning America.” Notably, one of their first clients is the RNC, which has retained the firm for their primary debates. FOR YOUR RADAR – Karlie Kloss gives birth to second baby with Joshua Kushner, by Page Six’s Riley Cardoza OUT AND ABOUT — First Lady Jill Biden joined seven first ladies from countries across the African continent Wednesday for the inaugural convening of the Global First Ladies Academy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She shared her first spouse role as “the honor of a lifetime.” The multi-day leadership program was also hosted by the Global First Ladies Alliance and the Organization for African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD). Biden emphasized that to serve the people of our countries is, “A gift that we’ve been given. To raise our voices and lift our communities in ways we never thought possible before.” SPOTTED: Linda P. Fried, Cora Neumann, Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos, Gambian First Lady Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, Kenyan First Lady Rachel Ruto and Zimbabwean First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.  Real Estate Inflation puts New York’s property tax cap at 2% limit, by New York State of Politics’ Nick Reisman: “Inflation for the third year in a row will result in allowing local governments across New York to raise their property tax levies by the maximum amount of 2%, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office on Thursday announced. The development affects all counties, towns and fire districts in New York, in addition to 44 cities and 13 villages.”   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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