To All Members:
Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget for FY2022 includes three items that are important to many current and future retired public employees:
• Cease reimbursement of the Medicare Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) to high income State retirees and their dependents in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP)
• Implement a sliding scale reimbursement of health care costs for future New York State civilian hires at retirement within the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP)
• Cap State reimbursement of the Standard Medicare Part B (Medical) premium paid to eligible retirees and their dependents in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) at the 2021 level of $148.50 per month
The year’s proposed budget mirrors that of prior years with the inclusion of these items. However, in past years, these items were removed from the finalized negotiated budget after input from the senate and assembly.
On behalf of the membership, I am submitting a letter (see attached) to Governor Cuomo urging that these items be removed from the budget. In conjunction with the recognition of the enormous financial constraints the state is facing, the reason for writing this year as opposed to in previous years is primarily because we are not able to be present in Albany during the budget process to lobby for the removal of these items. Many of us “camp out” during the final hours of the budget negotiations to make sure our voices are heard, and not being able to be there in person this year makes putting our opinion in writing all the more important.
S4148 (Gounardes) and A3358 (Abbate) have been introduced to counteract the Governor’s budget proposal.
In Unity,
Peter D. Meringolo
Chairman
