NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today issued the following statement in response to the Municipal Labor Committee’s (MLC) approval of the proposed new health plan to be offered by EmblemHealth and United Healthcare:
“From day one, we have focused on making New York City safer and more affordable for working-class New Yorkers. Today, I applaud the Municipal Labor Committee for approving the proposed new health plan for city employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and their dependents, which will help deliver on this mission.
“This plan would provide over 10,000 additional health care providers in the downstate New York Area over 20,000 more mental health providers in New York state, and — for the first time — a broad national network of over 1.6 million providers outside the downstate New York area, allowing tens of thousands of retired city employees to receive care where they live without the costly out-of-network charges often incurred under the current plan. We can achieve this expansion of coverage without increasing costs for employees, and while simultaneously providing savings of up to $1 billion annually compared to the current plan. City employees dedicate their lives to making our city a better place and looking out for their fellow New Yorkers. They deserve the absolute best health care and benefits we have to offer, and, with this plan, we are giving them exactly that.
“This plan also builds on our administration and the MLC’s collaboration to provide high-quality, premium-free health care coverage while protecting taxpayer dollars. Our efforts will allow city employees to continue to receive health insurance at no premium cost to them, a benefit few other employers offer. Further, we’re proud to have successfully negotiated contracts with unions representing over 98.5 percent of our city’s workforce, and 100 percent of the city’s uniformed workforce. The MLC’s approval of the proposed health plan is yet another step toward ensuring all city workers are compensated fairly and receive the health care they deserve, in a safer, more affordable city.
“I want to thank Commissioner Campion and our union partners for coming together to tackle this dynamic issue, which only our administration was willing to take on. We are proud to enter the next phase in the process to deliver better quality health care to 750,000 employees, retirees, and their dependents as the contract for the new plan will now undergo the public comment process beginning tomorrow, October 1.”
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