Newest Changes to UFT Dental Care Fall Short
The UFT announces expanded coverage, but no changes to in-network service
I wrote in April and October that I and many other NYC educators are struggling with the dental care provided the our union’s Welfare Fund. The rise of out-of-pocket expenses, and the ongoing scramble to find a new dentist each time a dentist drops you for patients whose insurance pays more competitive rates, are simply unsustainable. This crisis is also unnecessary—the Welfare Fund has an unprecedented amount of savings that’s grown many times more than its spending on benefits. Last month I wrote: “Since 2016 [when the Dental Schedule was last updated] the value of the Welfare Fund’s investments has increased by 247%, but the value of the benefits its paid for dental care and prescription coverage increased by a measly 13%.” We’re long overdue for a very capable change.
The UFT Welfare Fund has yet to deliver. I tried my hand at making a TikTok (also posted on Instagram) to explain the newest changes to our dental care. Sadly, no improvement has yet been made to our in-network coverage in NYC. UFT President Michael Mulgrew claims that we’re in the middle of an “aggressive” request-for-proposal (RFP), where insurance companies are “fiercely” competing, and that we’ll have better care next year. I hope that’s true, though there’s no way for members to verify the details since the RFP process is secretive. I have my doubts—the union officialdom is struggling (and luckily failing) to honor the health care givebacks it promised the city in 2014 and 2018. Still, they’re clearly feeling the pressure of our activism around the dental care issue (and other health care issues—shout out to the retirees). Let’s keep it up.
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