Press Advisory:
For immediate release
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Contact:
Elisa Diller (302-369-6756)
Karen Peterson (302-999-7522)
RISE Delaware and Retirees File Lawsuit to Stop Privatization of Health Benefits
RISE Delaware, a group formed to assist State Retirees in their fight against privatization of their Medicare benefits announced today that they have filed a lawsuit to stop the unilateral implementation of their insurance through a privatized Medicare Advantage plan.
“The fact that retirees were neither aware of these changes to their benefits nor invited to participate in crafting this mandate is especially alarming when the facts support the reality that their Traditional Medicare plans will be secondary to Highmark’s decisions in matters of coverage approvals and treatment options,” said RISE co-founder Elisa Diller.
“The total lack of any transparency and the unwillingness of Administration appointees to engage with the retirees in crafting this proposed mandate speaks volumes to the failure of these individuals to fulfill their responsibilities to good and open government,” said State Representative John Kowalko, also a co-founder of the group.
“I have worked and contributed to Medicare my entire adult life. For the State to take my Medicare benefits and give them to Highmark who, in turn, will decide what medical treatments I can get, is totally unacceptable. My doctors should make decisions about my medical care, not an insurance company that increases its profits by denying and delaying treatment,” said retired State Senator Karen Peterson.
###
RISE Delaware
Retirees Investing in Social Equity Delaware
“State of Delaware Public Service Retirees who care not just about their benefits, but your benefits too!”
Copy of RISE Delaware Complaint: