Sliwa’s Plan to Protect NYC Retiree Medicare and Benefits

 

New York City retirees were promised traditional Medicare with supplemental coverage, and that promise must be kept for good. No retiree should spend their golden years fighting City Hall to preserve the care they earned. Curtis knows this personally. His father, Chester Sliwa, was a Merchant Marine who faced serious health issues later in life, and reliable coverage made all the difference. Under a Curtis Sliwa administration, retirees will keep the Medicare they were promised, with protections locked in by law and delivered with respect and speed. Here is Curtis’s plan.

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1. Keep Traditional Medicare and Supplemental Coverage

Retirees who were promised traditional Medicare with supplemental coverage will keep it. No forced switches. No erosion of benefits.

As Mayor, Curtis will:

• Direct Corporation Counsel to cease all appeals related to retiree health-care litigation.

• Issue an executive order preserving choice of traditional Medicare plus supplemental coverage.

• Work with the Speaker and the City Council to pass Intro 1096 into law and permanently codify retiree protections.

• Bar unilateral downgrades or plan substitutions without clear consent and notice.

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2. Fast, Fair Reimbursements and Family Grace Periods

Retirees shouldn’t wait a year for money they’re owed, and families need time after a loss.

As Mayor, Curtis will:

• Fast-track Medicare Part B premium reimbursements with strict processing timelines, prioritizing lower-income retirees.

• Create a 30, 60, or 90-day grace period so grieving families can secure coverage without gaps.

• Publish plain-language timelines and a simple status tracker so retirees can see when payments are coming.

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3. A Retiree Health Bill of Rights

Retirees deserve clear rules, transparency, and a quick way to fix problems.

As Mayor, Curtis will:

• Establish a Retiree Health Bill of Rights that guarantees choice, notice, consent, timelines, and appeals.

• Create a small Retiree Protection Office to resolve issues, audit delays, and publish quarterly updates.

• Hold live town halls.

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4. Real Partnership With Retirees

Policy should be made with retirees, not to them.

As Mayor, Curtis will:

• Maintain an open line with the NYC Organization of Public Sector Retirees and formalize a labor–retiree working group.

• Require early consultation on proposed changes and public posting of meeting summaries and recommendations.

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5. Paying For It and Getting It Done

Promises mean funding and delivery, not slogans.

As Mayor, Curtis will:

• Reprioritize city spending by auditing contracts, reducing duplicative administration, and cutting high-overhead arrangements that don’t deliver results.

• Publish simple eligibility guides and timelines so retirees know what they will receive and when.

 

Bottom line: New York City made a promise. Curtis will keep it—no gimmicks, clear rules, real results. Retirees will keep the Medicare they were promised, for good.