(Photo via Unsplash).
Cortland County Legislators are holding a special meeting on Wednesday to rescind their switch to a Medicare Advantage plan for retired county workers.
Wednesday’s meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the legislative chambers on the third floor of the county office building. The agenda for Wednesday’s special meeting can be found here.
Back in August of this year, county legislators voted 10-6 in favor of the measure to transition Medicare Advantage Plan through the Broome County Purchasing Alliance with United Health Care. County administrator Rob Corpora shortly entered into an agreement with United Health Care.
The move was seen by some county department heads and legislators as one that would save costs going into a tighter financial period. Officials estimate the county could save up to $800,000 a year under the Advantage plan, which is a private insurance product.
The county’s plan is in line to start next year. Costs to current workers and retirees will go up by 10% when the new Advantage plan takes effect.
The move, however, received immediate backlash from county retirees. It led to a group of retirees filing a lawsuit against the county over the shift in the healthcare plan.
The Cortland Voice’s previous reporting on the topic can be seen here and here.
The public is invited to attend Wednesday’s meeting. Individuals who cannot attend it in person can watch via WebEx. Login information for WebEx is here.
