Did the UFT make an announcement about copay increases?

Maybe I missed it? I have been writing about the increase in GHI (now Emblem) copays, for Montefiore, and for MRIs, CTs, and other scans.

I have pointed out that the notice from Emblem came AFTER the changes went into effect. I have also pointed out that the notice from the UFT NEVER CAME. I searched my mail. I searched my email. Could I have missed it? Please readers, tell me if I have. But I don’t think so.

Tuesday at a UFT meeting two UFT officers indicated this was the first they had heard of it, and that they had not seen it in writing. This is a change to copays for the insurance (Emblem, used to be GHI) that most high school teachers have.

Yesterday I got an email over Mulgrew’s name about healthcare – I read carefully to see if they snuck in a mention of the new copays. Nope.

By the way, since I know you are reading this, the testimonial probably should have been from a “Department of Education employee” or a “UFT member” – not from a “UFT employee.” An editor would help.

In any case, the UFT leadership knows how to put out an email about health care. And I dutifully save the emails. Unless I missed something, Mulgrew and friends just decided not to tell us about the new copays. Let Emblem do it. Or let the members find out when they get a surprise charge at the doctors office.

This, by the way, is tried and true Unity strategy. When they have bad news, hide it. It’s what they did, ironically, during the election – kept Mulgrew from talking, kept him out of sight. When they have a problem their first line of defense is to keep quiet and hope no one notices.

Health care has become tricky. Unity got caught trying to sneak in a huge change to retiree health care. Retirees are anxious and angry. It’s been all over the news. Unity has been forced to address it (largely with misinformation, but that’s not for this post). Unity cannot just stay silent about their Medicare Advantage plan.

But anything else healthcare? Anything besides pushing retirees out of Medicare? Look at that email. If they have good news, they will trumpet it. Put Mulgrew’s name on it, try to shore up his lousy favorability ratings (it won’t work). If they have bad news, don’t say anything, hope members don’t notice.

Let’s make sure we notice.