Continues Health Benefits: Workers' Survivors Covered Under Bill

Continues Health Benefits
Workers' Survivors Covered Under Bill

By HOWARD MEGDAL

City Council Finance Chairman David I. Weprin re-introduced a bill last week that would continue to provide health benefits to the spouses and domestic partners of city retirees who have died.

DAVID WEPRIN: Calls bill cost-effective. "With one out of four New York city residents uninsured, the Council has an obligation to find creative ways to preserve health insurance for those who currently have it," Mr. Weprin said at a March 19 press conference. "These individuals already have health insurance provided to them by the city of New York through their city retiree spouse or domestic partner. This bill presents a way for them to keep it after their spouse dies. When we find a way to reduce the number of uninsured, we find a way to save taxpayer money and lives."

27 Percent Co-Pay

The bill would provide about 200,000 retirees' spouses or domestic partners with health coverage from the city after the retirees die. Cost to the survivors would be a 27-percent co-pay for all services.

Spouses of retirees who have already died would not be included in the coverage, according to Mr. Weprin's office.

The bill was introduced last fall, but with just 21 co-sponsors along with Mr. Weprin and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, the measure did not have enough support to pass, let alone surmount an expected mayoral veto.

Commissioner of Labor Relations James F. Hanley did not return a call seeking comment, but testified at last fall's hearing that the "administration opposes this bill based on cost, intrusion on collective bargaining, and the right of the city to redistribute funding."

STU LEIBOWITZ: 'The money is there.' At the time, the Finance Committee report estimated the cost of the measure to average $53 million a year for the next 11 years. However, a spokeswoman for Mr. Weprin indicated that with the bill starting a year later, the projected cost has risen to approximately $61 million.

District Council 37 Retirees President Stu Leibowitz, a supporter of the bill, noted that the cost represents about one-tenth of one percent of the city budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

"There's always the money," Mr. Leibowitz said in a March 23 interview. "It's a question of who gets the money. People lament the [health care] situation, saying so many are uninsured. Well these people already have it - it's not a new benefit. We want people to be able to retain what they have."

Ms. Gotbaum echoed his sentiments.

"If you devote a lifetime of service to the City of New York, you should be assured that your spouse or domestic partner will be taken care of when you're gone," she said in a March 19 statement. "That's what this bill does - and it's about time."

The bill will come before the Civil Service and Labor Committee, with Chairman Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. in support of the measure. "I am hopeful we can find a way to get the extended health care coverage to the survivors of our dedicated New York City retirees," he said during a March 19 press conference.