About Us

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees is a collective voice representing retired public service employees in New York City. Our mission is to inform all NYC Public Service Retirees and their families about our fight against the OLR/MLC decision to force us into a Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP).

We aim to spread awareness, share vital information, reach out to various affected groups, coordinate efforts to challenge this decision, and raise funds to finance our legal battle.

Retirees Timeline protecting our healthcare:

As retirees, we've walked the same path you're on now. We were once dedicated union members who fought for our rights through collective bargaining agreements and rested on the protection of the Administrative Code. However, the leaders of the two largest unions in the city colluded with management to alter our benefits and strip us of that security of the law which posed challenges to the continuity of our healthcare benefits, prompting us to advocate for preservation.

Dear Members & Future Medicare Eligible Retirees of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees,

I hope this letter finds you well.

As the organization's President, I am writing to you with a sense of urgency and determination. Our fight against the imposition of Medicare Dis-Advantage continues to be one of paramount importance. With each passing day, we are witnessing the consequences of inaction, and it is imperative that we rally together to defend our rights and the integrity of our retiree benefits.

Since our inception on August 13th, 2021, we have made significant strides in advancing our cause. From the formation of our Board to the filing of legal petitions, challenging the city appeals all its losses- each step has been a testament to our collective strength and resilience. However, our work is far from over. The challenges ahead demand our unwavering commitment and solidarity.

Today, I call upon each and every one of you to join us in this critical fight. Your participation is not only welcomed but essential to our success. Here are a few ways you can contribute:

Stay Informed: Keep yourself updated on the latest developments regarding the Medicare Dis-Advantage and copay issues and our organization's efforts to combat them. Visit our website, attend our meetings, and engage with us on social media. We are trying to pass legislation to protect you - we need you!
Spread Awareness: Share information about our cause with your fellow retirees, friends, and family members. The more people we reach, the stronger our voice becomes.
Get Involved: Volunteer your time and skills to support our organization's initiatives. Whether it's assisting with fundraising efforts, political action campaigns, or advocacy activities, every contribution matters.
Donate: Financial support is crucial for sustaining our operations and legal endeavors. Please consider making a donation to NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees to help us continue our fight and become a member.

Remember, our strength lies in our unity. Together, we have the power to effect change and safeguard the rights of all NYC Public Service Retirees.

Thank you for your dedication and unwavering support. Let us march forward with determination, knowing that our cause is just and our resolve unyielding.

In solidarity,

Marianne Pizzitola

President, NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, FDNY EMS Retirees Association

2021

March 2021 unions had been meeting and conversations leaked about moving retirees to Medicare Advantage.
May 2021 the UFT makes public that they are moving retirees into Medicare Advantage. An article in te Chief quotes Mulgrew, "Under the group plan being sought by the Municipal Labor Committee, the health-care-negotiating arm of city-employee unions, a key condition will be that "everybody can go to anydoctor they currently have, even if they're not in-network," Mr.Mulgrew said. "We're not giving anything away.
- He also said, "Speaking of the portion of health-care costs not paid for by basic Medicare, he said, "If we go to a Medicare Advantage group plan, now the 20 percent is federally reimbursable. It's not easyto do, but it's the smart thing to do."
- None of that was true. You could not see any doctor, and the city Medigap plan that covers the 20% of the medical that Medicare didn't wasn't 'federally reimbursable' they were privatizing our Medicare benefits into the default plan of Project 2025. We could not see all doctors under this plan, I mean we could, if we wanted to pay for it. It was all misleading. Still in Covid, 12,000-14,000 people were dying each day and we were forced to deal with this.
July 2021 The City announces retirees will need to pay for their Senior Care if they want to keep in, initiating a premium on their Federal Public Health plan supplement for the first time in 60 years in violation of NYC law.
August 13, 2021 Our organization was born for the sole purpose to fight this move.
We raised $50,000 in a matter of weeks and hired Steve Cohen of Pollock and Cohen, and then Jake Gardener, former FDNY Firefighter, of Walden, Macht and Haran as our litigation team.
September 26, 2021 We filed litigation against the City of NY in Manhattan Supreme Court. NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees v Renee Campion
October 21, 2021, Justice Lyle Frank stopped the City from forcing us into Medicare Advantage with the "Alliance" of Emblem/Anthem granting the injunction in the Campion case.
December 14, 2021 Justice Frank extends the the preliminary injunction in Campion.

2022

January 1, 2022 - as a penalty for stopping the Medicare Advantage plan in court, the City imposed copays for the very first time in 60 years on Medicare Retirees in the hopes of "saving $50 million."
March 3, 2022 - the Court lifted the injunction and told the city it could implement Medicare Advantage but it could not charge us for Senior Care as it was under the HiP HMO cap in Admin Code 12-126.
Getting sacked with copays and forced to choose to go to the doctor, pay bills, or buy medicine, retirees began to struggle as the new $15 copays were on every single service including facility fees. We began to investigate suing the city again.
November 22, 2022 - The City lost their appeal in the first department of the Campion Case. That means the city can offer MA but cannot charge us to keep Senior Care. The City appeals this decision to the NYS Court of Appeals
November 29, 2022 - NYC Retirees filed Bianculli V City of NY as the CoPay case!

2023

January 11, 2023 - Justice Lyle Frank granted an injunction on the Bianculli V City of NY as the CoPay case - copays implemented 1/1/2022.
On the same day! January 9, 2023, the City and the MLC tried to force the City Council to change the Administrative Code we won on, 12-126 with Intro 874 - allowing THEM to choose our healthcare.
May 25, 2023, We filed to move the Bianculli V City of NY as the CoPay case as a class action.
May 31, 2023 Retirees file Bentkowski lawsuit challenging Aetna MAP and move for prliminary injunction.
July 6, 2023 Justice Frank Grants the preliminary injunction in Bentkowski
August 11, 2023 Justice Frank grants Retirees the Bentkowski petition, prohibiting the City from forcing retirees into MAP.
October 20, 2023 Justice Frank certifies the Bianculli copay case as a class action

2024

May 21, 2024 The First Department affirms victory in Bentkowski with a unanimous decision
June 14, 2024 Retiree Advocate of the UFT wins the Retired Teacher Chapter
June 23, 2024 Thanks to pressure from retirees, UFT announces its withdrawal of support for MAP
December 17, 2024 - the NYS Court of Appeals found for the NYC Retirees in an unanimous decision in Campion, affirming the two lower Courts. The City cannot charge us to remain on Senior care and must pay up to the HiP HMO for every plan it offers.

2025

January 1, 2025 Justice Frank vacates the preliminary injunction in the Bianculli Copay case because the City amended the certificate of Insurance to allow for copays
June 18, 2025 The NYS Court of Appeals reverses The Bentkowski decision and remits the case back to Justice Frank to determine the rest of the remaining claims.
June 20, 2025 Thanks to facts proven in Bentkowski and pressure from retirees, Mayor Adams drops plans to implement MAP. His successor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, similarly refuses to force retirees into MA.

2026

June , 2026 TBA