32 mins ago·edited 31 mins agoLiked by Educators of NYC
Geoff is really insulting our intelligence with his straw man argument. Nobody accused the Welfare fund of a traditional “diminishment,” through cuts, but without an increase in the payment schedule, inflation has been a de facto cut. Goeff, the UFT should just release the data. Let membership see the options. If we cannot afford increases to the dental schedule, the data will show that.
1. In the 15 years I’ve worked at our Welfare Fund, the benefits we directly administer have never been diminished. To suggest otherwise is inaccurate. We have never cut back on our spending. Benefits have only been enhanced with regular frequency. As I’ve reported at the Executive Board, in addition to the dental RFP, we have been exploring a variety of enhancements since the beginning of the year. We hope to have a lot of cool things coming very soon.
2. Again, the Fund has never been accused of improper spending by any reputable actuarial entity. You’ll only find those accusations on less than a handful of blogs that really have their own political motivations to champion that false narrative. In the current climate, healthcare costs keep rising and our Welfare Fund is probably the most future focused Fund in the City (maybe even the country). Others are facing financial ruin; we have played things conservatively and are in excellent financial standing.
3. I don’t know why Pizzatola is so focused on the UFT or why some of our members have been so welcoming to an outsider with motives that are anything but transparent. I wonder how much money she’s collected and what it’s being fully spent on. Also, what organizations/entities are either funding her efforts or supplying it with legal or health benefit guidance. We should all be wondering that.
You haven’t updated the dental schedule in 8 years, Geoff, even as dental care inflation has been increasing an average of 4.5% percent EACH YEAR, nationally.
Yes, it’s an erosion if what MEMBERS are forced to pay out of pocket reflects these growing inflationary costs and you’re okay with paying the same amount for 8 years as reimbursement.
That, sir, is not an enhancement… it’s EROSION.
It’s highly irresponsible if your investments grow by 200% and you pat yourself in the back as we pay the difference.
You’re out of touch if you don’t see that for what it is.
but WAIT! The UFT Leadership says healthcare costs are SKYROCKETING! And your dental costs stayed flat? hmmm.. ya know what else wasn't skyrocketing? Medicare supplements. The City supplement was $88 in 1997 and $200 in 2022. For a plan that paid the 20% Medicare did not cover. The UFT leadership sold off retirees plan that supplemented the federal public health benefit of Medicare. And then imposed copays of $15 on EVERY service to force them into managed care - the privatized for-profit Medicare ALTERNATIVE. You're against privatizing public education but support privatizing public health? That's a double standard. But with about $1 BILLION in health reserves, the same amount the UFT took from the citywide health fund to finance its 2014 contract - you're not even improving your healthcare. I think that was the point. And don't worry Geof the Retirees ask for accountability from everyone - you are not being singled out.
So conservative that even with skyrocketing inflation, expenses have only grown 12% but you’re sitting on a reserve of nearly a billion. Your approach is costing the rank and file to have to dig deep into our OWN POCKETS to pay for dental bills on one end and because of decisions made by our union leadership at the MLC … we are seeing copays and deductibles double and triple while retirees are FORCED into a Medicare Advantage plan designed by Mulgrew.
We paid 15 dollars for urgent care in 2104, now it’s 50 to 100 dollars. ER copays jumped to 150 dollars in that time from 50 dollars.
What’s really disappointing is how anyone who thinks that things are going downhill and not improving even as you just put in an RFP after a mounting awareness campaign by union activists and union member whistleblowers are your enemy.
As for the how you are trying to turn this around and gaslight those left holding the bag... it’s classic Unity playbook.
If you listened to the show, you’d know Marianne primarily spoke about the link to the healthcare stabilization fund ... the reserve you and Unity leadership have helped to deplete and that affects taxpayers and all city workers and retirees.
It's her job as a retiree organization to protect the benefits of the retirees in her group. Many are UFTers, but because how this massive cash influx has come from the HSF, it most definitely is within her purview and responsibility to speak out against policies and approaches that hurt city retirees.
Tell us when you actually hear the show instead of sitting home and working remotely to “conservatively” manage OUR MONEY AND BENEFITS.
2 hrs ago·edited 22 mins agoLiked by Educators of NYC
Let's see Geoff - Pizzatola's motives ARE transparent - saving our healthcare that your leadership chose to privatize in exchange for raises. Pizzatola's motives were codified in 3 lawsuits to protect what was RIGHTFULLY EARNED by union retirees that was going to be STOLEN from them. Those motives were protected by 10 court decisions in Manhattan Supreme Court, affirmed in 2 unanimous appeals decisions ALL affirming the lower court say: forcing retirees into private for profit alternatives to Medicare would deny them access to health care and doctors to their detriment.
Pizzatola fact checks your leadership and the lies from you too and cites all sources which appear you have not reviewed. Pizzatola also challenges you and Mr Mulgrew to a debate on the plan you created that you believe does not diminish retiree benefits and the contents of the Aetna Contract.
Until then... Here is the latest video from Pizzatola. https://youtu.be/i8P3648mftU You will see the AETNA Contract AND one Supreme Court Decision that once again dispels the lies and brings TRANSPARENCY into view.
Regarding the finances of the Retiree Organization, we run like a union - but better. We have a full board, advisors, two litigation attorneys, an accountant, a bookkeeper, and a tax lawyer. OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO PROTECT RETIREES' EARNED BENEFITS AGAINST THOSE TRYING TO STEAL FROM US. You remember this? When Mulgrew said he gave the City back our 20% plan for money in their welfare funds? https://youtu.be/Y77_gcj7zF8?si=-2fbTu13-UL-p38A It was ABOUT YOU - taking our medigap to fund the stabilization fund and YOUR welfare fund. If you want transparency - find our returns online. We are a 501c5 - WE ARE FUNDED BY RETIREES ANGRY YOU AND OTHER UNIONS TRIED TO STEAL THEIR MEDICARE!
It's quite disappointing you see fit to besmirch the reputation of a person battling to protect our health. More disappointing is the fact that people like you do absolutely nothing to support that fight. There are an army of people, paid by my dues, who are NOT fighting for us. That's their job, and it damn well ought to be yours as well.
Geoff is really insulting our intelligence with his straw man argument. Nobody accused the Welfare fund of a traditional “diminishment,” through cuts, but without an increase in the payment schedule, inflation has been a de facto cut. Goeff, the UFT should just release the data. Let membership see the options. If we cannot afford increases to the dental schedule, the data will show that.
My three thoughts tonight:
1. In the 15 years I’ve worked at our Welfare Fund, the benefits we directly administer have never been diminished. To suggest otherwise is inaccurate. We have never cut back on our spending. Benefits have only been enhanced with regular frequency. As I’ve reported at the Executive Board, in addition to the dental RFP, we have been exploring a variety of enhancements since the beginning of the year. We hope to have a lot of cool things coming very soon.
2. Again, the Fund has never been accused of improper spending by any reputable actuarial entity. You’ll only find those accusations on less than a handful of blogs that really have their own political motivations to champion that false narrative. In the current climate, healthcare costs keep rising and our Welfare Fund is probably the most future focused Fund in the City (maybe even the country). Others are facing financial ruin; we have played things conservatively and are in excellent financial standing.
3. I don’t know why Pizzatola is so focused on the UFT or why some of our members have been so welcoming to an outsider with motives that are anything but transparent. I wonder how much money she’s collected and what it’s being fully spent on. Also, what organizations/entities are either funding her efforts or supplying it with legal or health benefit guidance. We should all be wondering that.
You haven’t updated the dental schedule in 8 years, Geoff, even as dental care inflation has been increasing an average of 4.5% percent EACH YEAR, nationally.
Yes, it’s an erosion if what MEMBERS are forced to pay out of pocket reflects these growing inflationary costs and you’re okay with paying the same amount for 8 years as reimbursement.
That, sir, is not an enhancement… it’s EROSION.
It’s highly irresponsible if your investments grow by 200% and you pat yourself in the back as we pay the difference.
You’re out of touch if you don’t see that for what it is.
but WAIT! The UFT Leadership says healthcare costs are SKYROCKETING! And your dental costs stayed flat? hmmm.. ya know what else wasn't skyrocketing? Medicare supplements. The City supplement was $88 in 1997 and $200 in 2022. For a plan that paid the 20% Medicare did not cover. The UFT leadership sold off retirees plan that supplemented the federal public health benefit of Medicare. And then imposed copays of $15 on EVERY service to force them into managed care - the privatized for-profit Medicare ALTERNATIVE. You're against privatizing public education but support privatizing public health? That's a double standard. But with about $1 BILLION in health reserves, the same amount the UFT took from the citywide health fund to finance its 2014 contract - you're not even improving your healthcare. I think that was the point. And don't worry Geof the Retirees ask for accountability from everyone - you are not being singled out.
So conservative that even with skyrocketing inflation, expenses have only grown 12% but you’re sitting on a reserve of nearly a billion. Your approach is costing the rank and file to have to dig deep into our OWN POCKETS to pay for dental bills on one end and because of decisions made by our union leadership at the MLC … we are seeing copays and deductibles double and triple while retirees are FORCED into a Medicare Advantage plan designed by Mulgrew.
We paid 15 dollars for urgent care in 2104, now it’s 50 to 100 dollars. ER copays jumped to 150 dollars in that time from 50 dollars.
What’s really disappointing is how anyone who thinks that things are going downhill and not improving even as you just put in an RFP after a mounting awareness campaign by union activists and union member whistleblowers are your enemy.
As for the how you are trying to turn this around and gaslight those left holding the bag... it’s classic Unity playbook.
If you listened to the show, you’d know Marianne primarily spoke about the link to the healthcare stabilization fund ... the reserve you and Unity leadership have helped to deplete and that affects taxpayers and all city workers and retirees.
It's her job as a retiree organization to protect the benefits of the retirees in her group. Many are UFTers, but because how this massive cash influx has come from the HSF, it most definitely is within her purview and responsibility to speak out against policies and approaches that hurt city retirees.
Tell us when you actually hear the show instead of sitting home and working remotely to “conservatively” manage OUR MONEY AND BENEFITS.
When can that itemized report by the 2 internal comptrollers be shared? Where do these actuarial reports live? When can members view them?
Let's see Geoff - Pizzatola's motives ARE transparent - saving our healthcare that your leadership chose to privatize in exchange for raises. Pizzatola's motives were codified in 3 lawsuits to protect what was RIGHTFULLY EARNED by union retirees that was going to be STOLEN from them. Those motives were protected by 10 court decisions in Manhattan Supreme Court, affirmed in 2 unanimous appeals decisions ALL affirming the lower court say: forcing retirees into private for profit alternatives to Medicare would deny them access to health care and doctors to their detriment.
Pizzatola fact checks your leadership and the lies from you too and cites all sources which appear you have not reviewed. Pizzatola also challenges you and Mr Mulgrew to a debate on the plan you created that you believe does not diminish retiree benefits and the contents of the Aetna Contract.
Until then... Here is the latest video from Pizzatola. https://youtu.be/i8P3648mftU You will see the AETNA Contract AND one Supreme Court Decision that once again dispels the lies and brings TRANSPARENCY into view.
Regarding the finances of the Retiree Organization, we run like a union - but better. We have a full board, advisors, two litigation attorneys, an accountant, a bookkeeper, and a tax lawyer. OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO PROTECT RETIREES' EARNED BENEFITS AGAINST THOSE TRYING TO STEAL FROM US. You remember this? When Mulgrew said he gave the City back our 20% plan for money in their welfare funds? https://youtu.be/Y77_gcj7zF8?si=-2fbTu13-UL-p38A It was ABOUT YOU - taking our medigap to fund the stabilization fund and YOUR welfare fund. If you want transparency - find our returns online. We are a 501c5 - WE ARE FUNDED BY RETIREES ANGRY YOU AND OTHER UNIONS TRIED TO STEAL THEIR MEDICARE!
Maybe he will realize it’s PIZZITOLA after he realizes how dissatisfied folks are with the level of benefits.
It's quite disappointing you see fit to besmirch the reputation of a person battling to protect our health. More disappointing is the fact that people like you do absolutely nothing to support that fight. There are an army of people, paid by my dues, who are NOT fighting for us. That's their job, and it damn well ought to be yours as well.
Yes. Doing the job the unions SHOULD HAVE DONE. Protect retired unionists and Medicare from being privatized.
Pretty sure they all will realize come spring 2025 when the gravy train runs out and 52 Broadway is evicted