A chance to avoid state health legislation and to cost-shift benefits is being forced on city workers. New York City, with its history of mismanagement and corruption, will now administer health care? There is a huge learning curve involved, necessitating more bureaucrats. What is the plan for risk mitigations, claim management, compliance, medication formularies, stop-loss coverage, analyzing data and trend examination? Will the government be able to handle claim denial calls? This is another Medicare Advantage debacle, a back-door attempt at serving more indignity to those who worked low-paying government jobs in return for a promise. Given the lack of any details, the chance that this will be handled well is dubious. The new plan only promises one year of no changes, and the same people who green-lighted the new system are in charge of future changes. There is little to nothing that we gain from this proposal, but so much to lose. We do not know so much of the proposed plan, and that is likely intentional. We, the rank-and-file members, were never even consulted.
For these reasons, I would much rather the city serve proof that self-funding the health benefits will actually work before they tackle something as important as the three-quarters of a million affected municipal workers health . In the meantime, perhaps offer a self-funded plan with optional enrollment, and keep the fully-insured plan alone.
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