Marianne Pizzitola

Retired FDNY, organizer @NYCretirees, Protecting Retiree healthcare & pensions & not forced into Medicare Disadvantage. Real stories from the front lines

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

100 year-old retired FDNY firefighter Dan Stromer has a message for @NYCMayor @NYCMayor @MayorsPEU @NYCMayorsOffice We only asked for a meeting.

#nycretirees
#nycmayor
#zohranmamdani
#veteran
#respect

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

MISSION ALERT: Operation begins. Objective: One conversation. Can you help us #FindTheMayorNYC? #WhereIsMamdani @NYCMayor @NYCMayorsOffice @MayorsPEU @ZohranKMamdani #nycretirees

[Diego Figueroa @digifigs_1]

@Marni4Change @fuelgrannie @FecStop13647 @RPPHNYC @SaveSection9 @laylaLawGisiko @CMCHRISBANKS42 @MariamaJames13 @FDNYchic @midtownsouthnyc @JBKSchlossberg @nschwalbe @infopobn @katewillett @KatieHamill718 @FriendsofTamika @comradejumpshot

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

I think I know why he used “corporation”. When we filed for our 501c3, we had to identify what it would be. On the application to the IRS, & I don’t know if the rules were the same in 1911, choose what kind of organization you are. He probably wanted the governance of a corp for protection. We even have to use ‘inc’ in our name. Just an idea. But thank you for the valuable work you do.

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@sailfishcenter @NEQueensNY @mcuban It’s immoral. Not illegal.

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

I have dozens of these unions gave me that disagreed with the UFT and Dc37 implementing shit like this. Management tells the two largest unions if they can reduce what The City spends on healthcare, it’ll give their members a raise. Since Retirees are not in unions, they’re not thinking about the impact that we have on people on small fixed incomes. To be quite honest they’re not even thinking that the Reyes that they’re bargaining is going right back out their pocket if that member has to see the doctor. This literally becomes tax on the infirm.

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@DJTNYCLUB @TwuSamuelsen @TWULocal100 That would be TWU local 100 under now gone Richie Davis MTA and NYCTA. But the great news is… they can just offer the damn plan again because other mta unions still have it!!! They CAN. WILL they is the question. Don’t say can’t. Do!!

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

This is why we fight. @TwuSamuelsen @TWULocal100 forced their retirees into Medicare Disadvantage. They say no one complains. We have found many do but their voices are ignored. So we are amplifying them. Luis is a veteran. Has had cancer and is in his 70s. He shouldn’t have to drive an hour to find a dr when on Traditional Medicare the dr 5 minutes away accept it. We earned this. Labor unions should not sell off healthcare for current retirees to give active workers a 2% raise. And should never privatize a federal public health benefit. Give Luis back his Traditional Medicare. #mta #nycta #theyMovedNY

[Eric Garcia @UrBoi_Blunt2023]

Aetna, MTA, and the Retirees association of Local 100 all are saying that they're not receiving complaints. We'll we're bringing receipts. #twu100 #Aetna #Local100 https://t.co/qDbT4NW7LZ #TwuLocal100#giveusbacktheoption

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@KatelynCordero Except it exempts municipalities if I am reading this right which means the city of ny can continue to sell the PHI of workers and retirees to UHC for $100M in “savings” and the unions supporting it for the credit under the NYCEPPO.. 🤦🏽‍♀️ and they already are doing it

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

Friday Night LiVE June 5th https://t.co/1fDiKSKXmR

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@IvyR41835090 Thank you for you service Ivette. You can call and email the @NYCMayor @MayorsPEU @ZohranKMamdani maybe he will hear you because he hasn’t listened to my requests for a meeting.

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

This is why we fight to protect our healthcare from diminishing. The mayors office of OLR should never use retiree benefits as leverage. We earned them and they provide us care with dignity. RIP Kevin. We will continue to fight. Fly with the eagles - you deserve the best #ems

[harlem medic emeritu @harlemedic]

Ping @NYCEMSwatch @fdnyc

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

.@NycRetirees were lied to about toxic #9/11 air. Then NYC tried to steal our healthcare in retirement, then charged a #seniortax to make going to the Dr unaffordable.
Retirees need legislation to protect our benefits @NYCMayor @ZohranKMamdani @MayorsPEU #weserved @SpeakerMenin

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

This is the scheme DC37 was pushing for HHC. Glas the others said no!

[Forest Park Pharmacy @ForestParkPharm]

Eli Lilly just told hospitals: hand over your patient claims data, or lose your discounts.

Here's the mess.

340B is a federal program. It forces drugmakers like Lilly to sell to certain hospitals at roughly half price. The idea was simple: take profit from big pharma, give it to safety-net hospitals.

Then the hospitals turn around and bill you and your insurer full price. They keep the spread.

So hospitals made 340B their whole identity. Look how it grew:

2010: $3.8B
2024: $81.4B

That's not a typo. The program is now bigger than Medicaid's entire drug spend. Hospitals are 87% of it.

That infuriates pharma. They even ran ads about it.

But here's their real problem. On the same prescription, a drugmaker can get hit twice: forced to sell cheap under 340B, AND forced to pay a big rebate to the insurer/PBM. Sometimes they lose money on their own product.

So Lilly wants claims-level data to prove they aren't being double-dipped. Hospitals call it illegal and want the feds to step in. Deadline to comply: 5 business days, or pricing gets pulled June 8.

And the middlemen are in it too. Michigan hospitals just sued CVS for allegedly keeping ~$240M in 340B money.

Get it now?

Pharma. Hospitals. PBMs. Insurers. They're all fighting over one pile of money. It's YOUR money. They're just arguing over who gets to keep what they overcharged you.

That's exactly why we opted out. No PBMs. No insurance games. Transparent cost-plus pricing.

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

#nycretirees earned their benefits & #nysAFLCIO should not be stealing our benefits or pension dollars. And neither should the UFT BTW !! #aflcio @NYCMayor @ZohranKMamdani @AFLCIO @LizShuler @FlyingWithSara @MayorsPEU @NYCMayorsOffice

[Educators of NYC @educatorsofnyc]

🚨 A bill moving through Albany says it’s about stopping fraudulent communications that impersonate unions and their reps.

Then protecting union reform groups, reform caucuses, member advocacy, election campaigns, parody, criticism, and internal dissent should be easy.

We’re not asking lawmakers to kill the bill.

We’re asking them to fix it.

✍️ Sign the petition, email & call legislators:
https://t.co/E36179lfJ2

📖 Read why:
https://t.co/u7IuSO82Y3

@jessicaramosqns @judygriffinny

#UnionDemocracy #FreeSpeech #LaborRights

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@stephanieruskay Our question is would you sign a bill protecting @nycretirees from being forced into Medicare advantage or having costs transferred to them when using their healthcare in retirement that create an affordability crisis preventing needed care?

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

@NYCMayor @NYCMayor @BrianLehrer my question is when are you going to meet with us? This is about more than Medicare Advantage and sorry Brian - you have not addressed these larger issues!!

[Marianne Pizzitola @FDNYchic]

.@BrianLehrer @NYCMayor glad to hear your position on Medicare Advantage is dead.. but @NycRetirees has other concerns to discuss like copays assessed for the first time in 60 years by unions we aren’t in to give them money. When are you going to meet with us?