A large group of local retirees filed in county Supreme Court.

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
The group is suing the county and county administrator, alleging the shift to a Medicare Advantage plan approved by legislature in August deprives retired workers and their eligible dependents from receiving Medicare benefits promised by the county.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of. a similar and successful legal challenge in New York City., where a local judge barred the city from switching to Medicare Advantage plan. The judge's decision cited that former employees had been promised a Medicare plan, which is a public benefit , during their tenure working for the city.

County legislatures approved the move to a private Medicare Advantage plan in late August, citing no annual deduction, no co-pay, for a variety of services, low-cost prescription drugs, and vision and dental coverage--which are not included in traditional Medicare---as some of the perks of the new plan.

Officials added the county would stand to save $800,000 next year by moving to an Advantage plan. Current workers and retirees will move to the new plan starting next January.

The plan would shift retirees insurance to a privatized plan, meaning they would have to pay out of pocket if a healthcare provider is out of network. Traditional Medicare does not pose a network, out-of-network dynamic. and is widely accepted across the country..

This could mean retirees who receive sustained treatment at a local provider would have to pay out-of-pocket if their provider is out of network under the plan.

In the suit, former workers allege the move by the county is a unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious plan to forcibly deprive county medicare eligible, elderly, retired workers, veterans and their insured dependents--of their Federal Medicare benefit and their promised county health insurance.

That's what is happening
 

Glad to hear that there has been some success fighting it. I would hate to be forced onto Medicare Advantage.
 


Back
Top