New York City Mayor will not implement an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan for its retirees, Mayor Eric Adams said June 20.
“We have heard concerns from retirees about these potential changes at numerous older adult town halls and public events, and our administration remains focused on ensuring that New York City remains an affordable place to live,” Mayor Adams said. “We have informed union leadership that we are pursuing other avenues for improving health care for city workers that will provide even better outcomes, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners on the best path forward.”
The move comes just days after the state’s highest court ruled against a group of retired city employees that had sued to block the plan, arguing that the city had promised to provide supplemental Medicare benefits, and that their healthcare benefits would be diminished under an MA plan. The court ruled the city was not obligated to offer Medigap plans to its retirees, and that the retirees did not prove their care would be harmed under an MA plan.
New York City has pushed to switch its health benefits for retired employees to an MA plan since 2021, selecting Aetna to administer the $15 billion contract serving more than 200,000 enrollees.
In early June, the mayor’s office said it had selected EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare to offer a new health plan for city employees, pre-Medicare retirees and their dependents.
