One does much thinking when one is snowed in. For some reason, yesterday's blog post (for whatever reason), kept popping into my head. Something is in the air I haven't seen in the twelve years I have been participating in elections. What could it be and why has it happened?

The answer is simple. Mulgrew and Mulgrew. It comes down to his hubris and tone deafness. There are many examples, in fact too many, over the years. But one example stands out among all others. 

To me it boils down to how Medicare (Dis)advantage has been handled by him. Of course, his handling of COVID has left a lot to desire. But at least in 2020 and through last school year I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. I saw something different coming from him, though it turned out to be fleeting. But I want to focus on the handling of Medicare (Dis)advantage and how this is just a continuation of how he is clueless.

In my opinion and I am going to be a retired soon, retirees simply don't want their pensions and health care fucked with (pardon my french). They don't want surprises. How simple can it be? I am thinking ahead to my retirement. All will care about from the UFT is my pension and my health care. 

There are many types of retirees. Some are quite wealthy. Some are living check to check. Some are healthy. Some aren't. What Mulgrew has done is bring all those with many different agendas and lives together and they have banded together to oppose this joke Medicare and Mulgrew. 

If Medicare (Dis)advantage was inevitable as Mulgrew has claimed, why then was there a lack of transparency. Were retirees kept up to date during negotiations? Was the input of a diverse group of retirees, including those that opposed Mulgrew asked for? If not, how come? If so, how much input was asked for and received?

Does Mulgrew realize the tsuris he has laid on the retirees? Seriously, does he? 

If Medicare (Dis)advantage was inevitable as Mulgrew has claimed, why was there a rush to have retirees sign up by January 1, sight unseen? I wouldn't sign my name to anything without reading it first, how could Mulgrew have accepted this without a complete list of providers? Shouldn't one want to know what they are signing up for? Heck, why wasn't Medicare (Dis)advantage rolled out over a period of time?

Did Mulgrew try to lead in finding serious savings in the traditional Medicare coverage? From what was explained to me, Medicare pays 80 percent and Emblem 20 percent. There weren't any savings to be had? 

The big question to Mulgrew is why there was ZERO transparency. Give an answer!

We have lacked transparency coming from 52 Broadway time and time again. Mulgrew might just have finally touched the proverbial third rail.

Trust me. Free Fitbits, food delivered to hospitals, and rides to providers is not enough to sell Medicare (Dis)advantage. This might not be Joe Namath Medicare (Dis)advantage as Mulgrew claims, but it is at the very least Al Woodall's version. 

Retirees vote. Retirees are pissed.

 I'm 57. I will be 58 in April. I am getting thisclose to retiring, or at least contemplating it. One thing I was looking forward to was continuing to have a great health plan when I turned 65. But this Medicare (Dis)Advantage that might be awaiting be is making me nervous.

I have two concerns how Medicare (Dis)Advantage can affect me if and when it comes into effect.

The photo on the right is my right shoulder. Actually, my new right shoulder. 

In 1987 I fell hard on it and tore the labrum. Bad. My shoulder was unstable for years. Arthritis set in. Pain. It was bad. I didn't have insurance when I hurt it and I suffered the consequences. In 2002 I had it scoped out but all it did was put off the inevitable.

In 2019 the pain was the worse it had ever been. I was popping Aleve like M&M's. I went to a shoulder surgeon. He said I needed a new shoulder but want to give physical therapy I try. I had bone on bone. How the hell was PT going to help?

I went to a second doctor. He said PT was a waste of time, but agreed I needed a new shoulder. However, I just didn't feel right with him.

I went to a third doctor, Dr Young Kwon at NYU (Yes, a shameless plug, but he is the best shoulder surgeon!). He saved me. He made me feel whole. 

Here's my issue. Artificial shoulders last from 10-15 years. I'm lucky, I'm a lefty. The artificial joint is in my non dominant arm, but you never know. Dr Kwon even told me that I was a bit too young for shoulder replacement.

What happens when I am between 65 and 70, on Medicare (Dis)Advantage and need another shoulder? I will need to get pre-approval? Will I be considered too old to get a replacement? I might be told since it is my right shoulder and that being left handed, a new joint is not a priority. Heck, will I be allowed to see Dr Kwon again? 

My dad had his hip replaced at Special Surgery at the age of 74 in 2005. My step mom was retired from DOE and everything copacetic. No fuss, no muss. 

Will Medicare (Dis)Advantage let me visit three doctors? I doubt it. 

My other concern is I am Type 2 diabetic. My numbers are great. My A1C is very close to where it should be. My weight is the best since high school. I go to the gym three times a week. I eat better than I have, but of course I can do better. But I am on several medications. I'm not on insulin and don't plan on it. I see the eye doctor every year. I don't want anything chopped off or to go blind.

But what happens if  insulin is needed? Will I be sufficiently covered? Will my medications be covered? Even if I am covered what out of pocket charges will I face? I see my endocrinologist every three months. Will I be able to continue this? Like Dr Kwon, my diabetes doctor is one of the top in her field. Under Medicare (Dis)Advantage will I still be able to see my doctors or still be able to choose from the best physicians? Or will I be left to choose between Dr Nick and Dr Hartman?

I don't like what I have read or heard of Medicare (Dis)Advantage. Someone, somewhere is getting rich over this being forced upon us and it's not someone at Emblem/Blue Cross or Joe Namath. 

I have a fantasy of moving to Corning NY, for a year after I retire. How many providers will I find there? One? None? Or maybe Hudson NY. There might be three providers in Hudson.

I don't need nor want a Fitbit. I don't need or want rides to and fro. I don't want meals sent to me. There is one thing I want with my health insurance when I am 65. 

I want certainty. And I want myself and my health professional to make the decisions what is best .

JOE NAMATH IS A SELLOUT!!!!

 I haven't really been paying too much attention to the change over, as well as the fight over, the switch for retirees from Medicare to the new Medicare Advantage. I've basically reduced myself to reading both James Eterno's blog and Norm Scott's blog for great information. I'm also getting some information from my step-mom who is a retired CSA member. She's not craxy about my proclivity for rabble rousing so she doesn't share much with me. 

Heck, this is going to effect me in 6 1/2 years, and I should pay more attention. From what I have read I don't like the co-payments, the referrals, and more importantly the "Trust us, it's going to be great" rhetoric coming from Mulgrew. But one thing really is bugging me.

What's the rush to sign everyone up by October 31? 

To the best of my recollection, the deal was done around July, maybe a little sooner (Please correct me if I'm incorrect). As far as I can tell, retirees are going into this blindly. They don't know which doctors, which hospitals or any other providers will be available. All they get is: "Trust us, it's going to be great."

Which brings me to two personal stories. In 1995 when I started with the DOE, I signed up with Physician Health Services. The only reason I signed up for PHS was all of our doctors were on it. I paid for it, unlike GHI which then and now is free. But eventually GHI got more of our doctors on it and we went to GHI. The key was doctors, a wide selection of doctors, and hospitals and providers.

Just recently I was looking at changing out from our top notch, world renowned UFT dental plan (SARCASM). I wanted to switch to the DENTCARE HMO. I researched it and found that not only are there very few providers, but the customer service sucks as well. It wasn't worth it. 

So, back to the Medicare Advantage. Retirees are walking blind into higgedly piggdly of a plan. There is not a list of doctors and providers. No one knows if their doctors that they have had a relationship with for years will be on this plan. No one knows if God forbid they are in treatment for a chronic condition they will be able to continue receiving the same treatment. This is where the UFT and other unions screwed up.

Why the rush? If as Mulgrew claims, "Trust us, it's going to be great," why not how all how great it is. This implementation should have started with NEXT October of 2022 for the sign ins or sign outs. This way, an educated choice of knowing ALL the providers will give those a basis to make a choice.

And beforehand why not have a true year to test out the new Medicare Advantage program. Incentivize retirees to sign up now in October 2021 and this way the kinks can and will be worked out. This way when others start opting in or out in October 2022 not one retiree will be going into this blind. 

Let's not forget the retirees who live where there re a dearth of providers. What of the retiree who has retired to North Dakota? Or the Alaska? What about where there are plenty of providers such as Florida but very few providers will be on the Medicare Advantage. Would the retiree who lives in Tampa have to schlep across the state to West Palm Beach for a prostate exam?

Something smells fishy here. This rush to get everyone in just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, there are plenty of retirees who can afford the out of pocket expense of paying into regular Medicare, but there are plenty of others who can't. And we are only stronger as people, as teachers, as retirees, and as UFT members as our weakest link. These are the people we should fight for. 

The UFT rammed this through. This should have been better explained and had much more input from retirees. This change should have been voted on as a whole by the union. Too often this happens. That some change is just shoved down our throats which the very few decide for several hundred thousand. 

Too bad chapter elections have come and gone. It's time to vote out the leadership of the retiree's chapter. Perhaps a recall is due?