Health trust warning

[Unregistered]

Let's get some facts straight:

Bill was the longest serving and most knowledgeable person on the Board. You can like or dislike the guy, but Bill knew the Trust operation and structure better than anyone on the Board. He was the only NO VOTE for this GAP Policy. Bill looked after our members benefits. After his no vote Ortiz had him removed because Ortiz, behind closed doors in violation of the sunshine law, negotiated this BAD deal by himself and Bill was not on board with Ortiz. NO BOARD MEMBER WAS INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. Violation of their fiduciary responsibility as a Board member. Lugo appoints Ortiz to Bills' spot on the Board after removing Bill. Ortiz had no right to negotiate anything related to the Trust because Ortiz was not a Board member. The Trust By Laws and fiduciary law prohibits anyone not associated with the Board from any dealings with the duties of the Trust Board, Ortiz had NO AUTHORITY to make any decisions or business related to the Trust. Conflict of interest? Pure corruption.

This snake oil salesman who Ortiz brought in to sell this product to the Trust for $3 million dollars stands to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in commission. How much of a finders fee (kickback) is involved. Is this $3 million dollar cost a yearly cost? Can you imagine the amount of commission and kick back this will generate for these guys?

This GAP insurance as stated above is unregulated. Your doctor and hospital are not obligated to accept the insurance so you will have to pay the $6500 up front before you will be seen. I just had a visit to the emergency room at a local hospital and the bill was over $10,000.00. I had to pay the $250 plus $100 co-pay before I was admitted to the ER. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had to pay the $6500. What about if you have two or three dependents (wife, child, etc.) end up in an accident and are taken to an ER as it happened to me a few years ago. Would you have to pay $6500 for each family member taken to the hospital? How many of our members can afford that kind of out of pocket money then fight the GAP insurance company to get reimbursed? Good luck.

The Health Trust Board was established in the mid 1980s and has survived all of these years and has provided excellent insurance coverage to it's members while other insurance trust boards in the city went belly up. For those of you that are not aware, our insurance coverage is considered a "Cadillac Plan" (high level plan). It has been working fine for all of these years. Why are they trying to brake it when it isn't broken?

Lastly, the city is not stupid. What this new arrangement will do is shift a bigger cost burden to the city. Do you think for one second the city is going to accept this? For those of you who are not aware, our insurance is independent of the city and the city contributes a percentage of our cost. The members through their premiums pay the other percentage. Come time to negotiate the next contract the City will tell the FOP to **** off regarding their contribution to the Trust. WORD OF WARNING if the trust goes bankrupt, the active members will end up in the city's general employee insurance policy which is extremely expensive and offers standard (lousy) coverage compared to our Trust. And for all the retirees under the age of 65 you may end up without any insurance coverage at all and force to find Obamacare. Good luck with that.

This could be the beginning of the end to what has been an excellent benefit which many many previous employees have fought for and preserved for the past, present, and future employees. The greed of some will destroy the MOST IMPORTANT benefit we have. The pension is protected by law, the health insurance is not. It is a negotiated benefit.

Resist this change and make your voices heard loud and clear; WE DON'T WANT THIS CRAPP! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF OUR INSURANCE POLICY. See what is happening to Obamacare.......There is still time to have the Board reverse their mistake. Make ALL of the Board members personally responsible for this catastrophe in the making.

[Unregistered]

bump up ..........

[Unregistered]

I just had a visit to the emergency room at a local hospital and the bill was over $10,000.00. I had to pay the $250 plus $100 co-pay before I was admitted to the ER.


All you had to say was that you were an "illegal" dreamer, and they would have treated you free!

[Unregistered]

Out of curiosity how were you made responsible for this higher than normal deductible? Especially considering this policy change hasn’t taken effect yet?

[Unregistered]

Out of curiosity how were you made responsible for this higher than normal deductible? Especially considering this policy change hasn’t taken effect yet?

How are you so stupid what he said was he had to pay his $100.00 co pay and up to or his his balance of his deductible balance for this year. Under the new Ortiz/Lugo plan he would have had to pay the $6500.00 deductible before he left the E.R. maybe you should go back and take a reading comprehension class. That. or you must be a staff member that doesn't pay for health insurance and just don't care.

[Unregistered]

Folks you have to keep on top of the flop scams there was a time where you worried about the staff in the department and you had some kind of union.
Now it’s the union you have to watch because it has become. Who RE house of greed.

[Unregistered]

How are you so stupid what he said was he had to pay his $100.00 co pay and up to or his his balance of his deductible balance for this year. Under the new Ortiz/Lugo plan he would have had to pay the $6500.00 deductible before he left the E.R. maybe you should go back and take a reading comprehension class. That. or you must be a staff member that doesn't pay for health insurance and just don't care.

Bill Scarola we see you fat b I t c h. How’s retirement? I want the retirees off our insurance so we can get cheaper rates