Lander returns Medicare contract to Adams administration

Council could take up legislation that would preserve current benefits

For the second time in just over a year, city Comptroller Brad Lander has declined to register a contract for a controversial Medicare Advantage plan that would steer municipal city retirees into a private, for-profit Medicare plan and out of their traditional, government-administered Medicare program. Lander’s action effectively sends the deal back to the Adams administration. 

In a statement, Lander said he would not register the contract in part because of pending litigation by a group of municipal retirees, which alleges that the agreement with managed-care company Aetna represents an unlawful “diminishing” of retirees’ health benefits.