Blog
February 17, 2017
Joint NYC Chapter of NYSARA and Council of Municipal Retiree Organizations (COMRO) Meeting February 15th
On Wednesday February 15th the first ever joint meeting of the NYC Chapter of NYSARA and Council of Municipal Retiree Organizations (COMRO) was held at UFT headquarters. The major topic of discussion was the status of the federal deliberations on the Affordable Care Act, the proposals to raise the age of Medicare and to replace traditional Medicare with vouchers/coupons and the Social Security Reform act. Also discussed were NYSARA priority issues including the proposed Constitutional convention, the Governor’s proposal to alter healthcare costs and medicare part B reimbursements for retirees and the continued quest to pass the “Safe Patient Staffing Act” in New York State.
NYSARA President Barry Kaufmann was the keynote speaker and gave details on what effects, other than the pre existing conditions, kids on parents policies and yearly and lifetime cap prohibitions that the repeal of the ACA would have on seniors, what effects that raising the Medicare enrollment age and instituting vouchers would have on the program and on seniors. He discussed the devastating effects that Medicaid block grants would have on NYS and local budgets and the importance of the Medicaid program for seniors. President Kaufmann also discussed the latest attempt to diminish Social Security that includes an age raise, benefit decrease and exemption of an existing tax on Social Security benefits for high income beneficiary’s that cuts benefits by 27% to save a cut of 21% two decades from now. Barry also discussed some of the reasons that for seniors a NYS Constitutional convention is a no win situation, how we will fight the Governor’s proposal to cut Medicare Part B reimbursements for those on NYSHIP and why the “Safe Patient Staffing legislation is critical for seniors health care.
To see pictures from the event click here.