Rally to Oppose Privatization of State Retirees Medicare
RALLY TO OPPOSE PRIVATIZATION OF DEL STATE RETIREES MEDICARE SET FOR TUESDAY OCT. 4 – CARAVEL BUILDING/WILM
RiseDelaware has scheduled a public rally to take place on October 4th from 12 noon to 1PM on Freedom Plaza in Wilmington. The location is at 8th and French streets next to the Caravel State Building. The purpose of the rally is to allow state retirees and future retirees to demonstrate their unwillingness to have their health care benefits and access to doctors and treatments limited by a private, for profit, third party such as Highmark. The proposed mandate by the SBEC leaves no choices for retirees and will supplant the Medicare plans and benefits that they have earned and paid for throughout their working lives.
These Medicare Advantage plans are not supplemental to existing traditional Medicare but instead replace Medicare as the primary source of health care insurance. They will erode the Medicare Trust Fund and put health care decisions in the hands of private entities who rely on denials of service and restrictions of access to ensure their profits
It is most important that all retirees and their families and friends join us at this rally to express their anger and frustration at this unbridled attempt to take away their health care benefits. This is your chance to express your objections and outrage, with a united voice, against this government abuse.
The screwing over of Delaware State workers is truly appalling.
The utterly callous disregard for State employees has been a hallmark of this Governor and prior Governors. Let’s not forget Jack Markell’s effort to impose an 8% pay-cut on State employees in 2008-2009 and his failure to even attempt to address funding the pension benefits obligation. Current Governor Carney has taken this failure a step further into the darkness of unconscionable behavior. He has decided to place the financial burden on retirees who have dedicated their lives to serving the people of Delaware (for much less pay than private sector employees receive). He has conspired with Secretary of Finance Geisenberger (apparently a Grover Norquist acolyte) to pretend he is fiscally responsible on the backs of State employees and retirees. Geisenberger, who drove many of the Markell initiatives (8% pay-cut, opposition to any progressive tax bracket remodeling, resisting any increases to corporate fees or tax obligations) and on and on. Another familiar name is Sec of State Jeff Bullock who aids, abets and encourages the Rasputin-like Geisenberger who embeds his Republican ideologies into the brain of purported Democrats (Carney, Markell) Than Rasputin Ricky G. and Cerron Cade gleefully pronounce that the 1% of the State budget earmarked to go toward the pension benefit fund actuarial deficit is this great step forward in fiscal awareness and responsibility. That freaking amount $40 million does not even match the amount of strategic fund, corporate giveaway-money that the top-secret Prosperity Partnership cabal can order distributed (at their pleasure) to any corporate panhandler who shows up at the door. Compare that $40 million to the $120 million plan to redecorate Leg Hall or compare it to the $130 million that Carney chooses to squirrel away in his “budget smoothing” (another Geisenberger creation) lock-box. Yeah 1% of budget, $40 million drop of water in the “red” financial sea. Maybe the Governor should show mercy and support state sponsored euthanasia for the State retirees it might be more merciful.
Reprsentative John Kowalko
People have been pointing out that the last 4 DEM governors all knew better than to allow the liabilities to grow. They were all in a position to have done something about it.
Minner was on the bond bill committee as senator, Carper was the state treasurer, Markell was the state treasurer, and Carney was state secretary of finance.
We do have to get the liability under control and I am not opposed to budget smoothing but these cheap fucks are doing it on the backs of the employees. And lying and cheating.
SEE Meredtih Newman’s story : “The lawsuit alleges that the State Employee Benefits Committee, which made the recommendation that was then voted on by the General Assembly and signed into the state’s budget, did not follow open government procedures.
The committee, according to the lawsuit, also ignored the recommendations of a different committee that was tasked with looking at ways to reduce the state’s unfunded liability issues.
This group, the Retirement Benefits Study Committee, “proposed a different, better option for addressing the issue” and recommended that no change occur until January 2024, according to the lawsuit.
The SEBC committee, retirees said in the lawsuit, “clandestinely ignored this well-reasoned proposal.”
Delaware officials have maintained that the state’s plan is different from other Medicare Advantage plans, and that seniors will be able to receive the same type of coverage.
Retirees, in the lawsuit, describe this statement to be “fiction.”
Bravo
Bravo
Finally, someone is shedding real light on the murky political associations in this state. Why is a guy like Geisenberger associated with such fundamental aspects of Democratic administration economic policy? We have begged for progressive tax brackets since Tom Carper beat the tax brackets into a form that would soak the middle class and the poor for state tax revenues and let the rich enjoy what is essentially a flat tax. Creating economic shortfalls that fed calls for cutting and gutting social programs designed to help Delaware workers enjoy a better, but by no means extravagant life. We Democrats have embraced progressives in our midst to make the gains in financial policy that the public yearns for, and if the Establishment Democrats don’t like it they can get out of the way. The Delaware public demands it.
Agreed. The green-eyeshade so-called D’s have got to go.
Carper (and Carney) are indistinguishable from Paul Tsongas.
The Concord Coalition and The Third Way can kiss my ass.
Please don’t leave out Jack Markell.
Yep. Markell sold himself as the progressive alternative to Carney, then turned out to be even more hostile to traditional D constituencies than even Carney.
Looks like we’re not the only state seeing this: https://vtdigger.org/2022/09/23/state-employees-gear-up-for-fight-over-cost-cutting-medicare-advantage-plans/
Bond rating organizations notified states years ago that they’d be instituting downgrades for high OPEB liabilities. Based on my understanding, the downgrades were delayed because of COVID, but could be coming back. I think maybe that’s part of the unseen reasoning behind the state’s action here – the potential fiscal impacts go far beyond increasing employee’s share of healthcare costs, everything could become more expensive.
I was a little confused by the DPM coverage that said the contract with Highmark wasn’t done – enrollment in MA is a fixed time period and starts so soon!
Also while this is going to court we should also be clear that certain members of the legislature did have a say in this – even if from inaction. I’m not sure why they’re not getting any heat, but next year there should be a bill to add members of the GA to the SEBC for sure.
As good an argument as any for single payer in the US. You guys are fighting the wrong battle, again. Do away with insurance companies. They already label you full on socialists….WTF are you fighting for here? Demand socialized medicine like pure medicare. LOL!
Why should you care about this issue?
RISE Delaware’s email address for more information: risedelaware@gmail.com
Visit our gofundme page for more information about our lawsuit:
https://gofundme.com/f/risedelaware
1. See Senator Karen Peterson’s comments in this morning’s article in delawareonline. She is dead on about people trading benefits for pay. This is a social contract that is now broken and retirees are being blamed by Carney and his ilk when this problem was first raised in 2005. It’s taken 17 years to get a grip on this problem? By the way, Carney was Lt. Gov. in 2005.
2. How will this affect you? One example–We are already seeing the result of low pay with the large number of teacher vacancies in Delaware. People have no incentive to teach our children when they can drive to other states for higher pay.
3. To DSEA—Thanks for throwing your retirees under the bus! These people taught my daughter and many other Delaware children, and I am appalled at your lack of concern for the welfare of Your retirees. You are dreaming if you think that you will get larger salaries for current teachers in return that will compensate for this betrayal of your retirees.
4. The GA has done nothing. Other than a few brave souls such as Kowalko, Lynne, Wilson Anton, and Ennis, it has been crickets. These folks will be on this plan after they retire so although they were duped by the Carney crew into voting for this, they refuse to do anything about it. They do not deserve your vote in November.
El Som
I hope you’ll join us on Tuesday.
John Kowalko
Hoping to…
What people may not understand is that Medicare, run by the federal CMS, has many programs.
Original Medicare is Part A and B.
Medicare Advantage plans, including the one proposed by the State of Delaware, is a Part C plan. Part C plans privatize your tax dollars by giving them to insurance companies to manage your care.
Medicare for all” is premised on Medicare Part A and B which is a reimbursement from the federal government directly to health care providers. Medicare Advantage plans actually cost more than Original Medicare because the Part C plans allow insurance companies to suck up federal dollars.
This is why Carney and Claire want it. The so-called deficit in funding this program will be balanced on the backs of retirees by Highmark saying no over and over again.
Not to mention, everything the State pays Highmark comes right out of retiree health care.
This is not “Medicare for All”. This is an option (Part D) added by those who advocated for privatization of Medicare. Medicare is a federal plan operated by the federal government. As such, it is not subject to state insurance department regulation. Medicare Advantage is a private program operated by private insurance companies and is, therefore, subject to state insurance department oversight.
When I last worked at the Delaware Department of Insurance and had involvement with Medicare Advantage, the biggest concern was that such plans were really not available in lower Kent and in Sussex Counties. When I looked into it, the problem was exacerbated by the fact that Medicare Advantage insurers were paying providers much less than the Medicare rate, and most providers refused to sign on.
The other major problem with Medicare Advantage is that it is a PPO plan. PPO plans require an insured needing a specialist to first see their Primary Care Provider and then receive Prior Authorization for specialist referrals and medical procedures. This has two detrimental results- There is a long waiting time in Sussex County (and increasingly elsewhere) to see most specialists- 4-6 months is not unusual. There is also a growing long wait time to see primary care doctors (4-6 weeks). That long wait for a specialist, combined with Medicare Advantage’s history of initially denying authorization, can be catastrophic for individuals in serious need of specialist treatment and medical procedures.
Public hearings are great when one wishes to inform the people of what is being considered, getting feedback and making changes to a proposal. A public hearing to explain to Delaware state retirees what has already been decided is worthless- unless the legislature is considering a Special Session to amend or delay the proposed changes.
Delaware has a social contract with its retired state employees. They should be able to rely on the medical insurance coverage in existence when the retired. If the State decided it had to make a change like this for budget reasons, it should be rolled out for future retirees, but after consultation and deliberation.
Mitch Crane
former Deputy Insurance Commissioner ( not a state retiree)