Did you see this, John?
Earlier this month, the New York Supreme Court ruled against forcing retirees to shift to a private Medicare Advantage plan after my office declined to register the contract.
This ruling is a big win for the many retirees who fought for the health care that they worked so hard for and were promised!
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When the Medicare Advantage contract was submitted to my office for registration, we declined to register it because we were concerned that litigation raised doubts about the City's authority to enter into the contract. The court’s decision shows we were right to do so.
As a matter of public policy, beyond the scope of our office’s specific Charter responsibility for contract registration, I was and remain seriously concerned about the privatization of Medicare plans, overbilling by insurance companies, and barriers to care under Medicare Advantage.
Medicare is supposed to be the rock solid guarantee of health care for seniors and people with disabilities. But 25 years ago, Congress established “Medicare Advantage,” which allows private insurance companies to take over coverage for seniors and to be paid by the federal government for each person that they insure.
Look, Medicare Advantage was created with the claim that the private sector could reduce costs by better managing care. But what’s happened instead is that these health insurance corporations have raked in tremendous profit by denying and delaying care to beneficiaries and overcharging Medicare for that privilege. In other words, greedy profit-hungry health insurance corporations are devouring Medicare.
Recent investigations have identified extensive allegations of fraud, abuse, overbilling, and denials of medically necessary care at nine of the top 10 Medicare Advantage plans. Private equity firms are buying up primary care providers as fast as they can to turn a profit – and algorithms are denying care to patients. Companies offering Medicare Advantage plans are being overpaid by taxpayers by at least $27 billion every year.
As of this spring, more than 50 percent of all people on Medicare nationwide are now enrolled in one of these private Medicare Advantage plans. All the while, the powerful health insurance lobby spends tens of millions of dollars to hammer Congress and the White House for high payments and no new regulations.
It is vital that all seniors — and all New Yorkers — get quality health coverage as a basic human right. New York’s public sector retirees have contributed so much to this City, and I am deeply grateful for their service.
In solidarity,
Brad
P.S. I’ll never stop standing up for equitable health care and doing what’s right for New Yorkers. If you’re in a place to do so, please consider making a donation of any amount to help me continue fighting for the city we all share. [[link removed]] I’m so grateful for your support.
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