Retired Member's Association of the NYC Fire Dept.

FIRST LOSS IN THE BATTLE TO SAVE OUR PROMISED HEALTHCARE (6/18/25)

After 4 years and 11 court wins, today, marked our first loss. Below our attorney explains. We are still working with a large team of advisors on our next steps.

Nothing will change soon, and may not change at all. Just because the court did not agree with the two lower courts does not mean they will force us into Medicare Advantage. This is why this entire time we have prepared for alternative solutions other than litigation - legislation.

Stay tuned - next week after the election we should have more information on what we will be doing to move Intro 1096 in the Council.

In the meantime, focus on our election site, www.retiredlaborstrong.nyc for election guidance for the NYC Primary for Mayor, Comptroller and Public Advocate and some more council races.

Do not vote for ANYONE who does not support us!

Here below are City Council incumbents who support us. You have the power to help elect Retiree friendly candidates. Stay tuned, next week we will lay out our next strategy. This fight is NOT over! Stay calm, and rest up for next week!

The entire Board of the NYC Retirees

GO TO OUR ACT NOW PAGE NOW

BELOW READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE THAT WAS SENT TO US:

Retiree Healthcare Battle Shifts from Courts to City Council and City Hall

NEW YORK, June 18, 2025 — Today, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the City of New York can deny retired firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other municipal workers the health insurance it has promised and provided them for over 50 years. Specifically, the Court held in Bentkowski v. City of New York that the City can force its 250,000 elderly and disabled retirees off of traditional Medicare—the high-quality health insurance it assured them they would have in their final years—and onto an inferior type of insurance called “Medicare Advantage.”

If forced into a Medicare Advantage plan, retirees will lose access to many of the doctors they depend on for life-saving treatment and will routinely be denied coverage for medical care. That is because, unlike traditional Medicare (a publicly run program), private Medicare Advantage plans limit access to medical providers and medical care in order to maximize profits.

Today’s heartbreaking decision reverses previous rulings by the New York State Supreme Court and Appellate Division, both of which unanimously held that the City must honor the healthcare promise it made to its retirees for the past half-century. These lower courts found, based on extensive, unrebutted evidence, that:

(1) City officials recruited and retained the retirees by telling them that they would have access to traditional Medicare plus a Medicare supplemental plan in their old age;

(2) retirees have detrimentally relied on that promise in countless ways; and

(3) denying retirees this insurance now would imperil their lives.

Today’s Court of Appeals decision does not change those facts. Indeed, the Court of Appeals does not make findings of fact; it only decides questions of law. The Court of Appeals simply held that the City’s oral and written assurances were not clear enough to satisfy the strict requirements of promissory estoppel, the legal doctrine on which the retirees prevailed below.

For the past four years, retirees have successfully protected retirees’ access to traditional Medicare through litigation. Now it is time for our elected officials—City Councilmembers and our next mayor—to step up and continue this fight. The lives of hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled retired City workers depend on it.

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We are Retired NYC Firefighters of all ranks. We meet five times per year at two locations; 901 Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park and 3051 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn, NY. Through our Newsletter and this website we hope to keep you informed about your pensions.

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RETIRED MEMBER'S ASSOCIATION, INC
Fire Department, City of New York
ORGANIZED JANUARY 1ST, 1946

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
We offer two types of Membership.

Life Membership- one time payment of $250.00 gives you a gold RMA Membership Card and our periodic newsletters.

Annual Membership-Annual dues of $25.00 gives you 1 year of membership with associated Card, and one year of issued Newsletters.
Once you have decided on
the type of Membership you desire,

download the PDF Application above,

fill out and send with your check
made payable to the RMA
and send via US Mail to:
The RMA PO Box 1332

Baldwin, NY 11510 [Add Payment for the Lapel Pin(s)with your Dues Check]

(see Lapel Pin above-left)

Both Life and Annual Members will receive Critical Instant Updates as long as New Member provides a credible E-mail Address.

Retired Member's Association,
Fire Dept.City of NY

OUR NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY FEB. 24th @ Our NEW HYDE PARK Location @11:00am

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47 Turned out to attend the November Meeting in Brooklyn

FIRST LOSS IN THE BATTLE TO SAVE OUR PROMISED HEALTHCARE (6/18/25)

BELOW READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE THAT WAS SENT TO US:

RALLY FOR THE NEW HEALTHCARE BILL; 1096

WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE-

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America’s Seniors are gonna get screwed for Wall Street’s growing disenchantment with MAP

https://hc4us.org/americas-seniors-are-about-to-pay-a-high-price-for-wall-streets-growing-disenchantment-with-medicare-advantage-health-care-un-covered/

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Download The 2025/2026 RMA Application:

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

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