Statement by NYC Comptroller Lander on Medicare Advantage Defeat in Court, Massive Win for 250,000 New York Retirees

New York, NY – New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement in response to today’s New York Court of Appeals ruling that rejected shifting retirees to a Medicare Advantage plan: 

“Today’s ruling is the final win for the 250,000 some retirees fighting to keep the health care they worked for and were promised. New York’s highest court decided seniors will continue to have access to all providers who accept Medicare, a victory for our public sector retirees. 

“The City’s Medicare Advantage plan would have constrained our retirees to a smaller network with more restrictive requirements on care. Many public servants entered the municipal workforce with the promise of middle-class wages, pensions, and a retirement plan. The shift to anything less than that full promise was a hard pill to swallow. 

“When the Medicare Advantage contract was submitted to my office last year, we declined to register it knowing that litigation raised doubts about the City’s authority to enter into the contract. As a matter of public policy, beyond the scope of our office’s specific Charter responsibility for contract registration, I was seriously concerned about the privatization of Medicare plans, overbilling by insurance companies, and barriers to care under Medicare Advantage.  

“It is vital that all seniors—and all New Yorkers—get quality health coverage as a basic human right. At the same time, given the growing costs of health care for both retirees and active employees, we cannot ignore that there are real cost questions facing the City when it comes to health care.” 

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