untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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FLINT, MI (WNEM) -
Tears of pain rolled down the face of Betty Bickell, a widow who is now suffering from a life-threatening disease.
"I was diagnosed five months ago with thyroid cancer," said Bickell.
Betty has no health insurance and hasn't seen a doctor in months. She, along with 40 other widows, received a letter saying they'd been cut off.
"I am not taking the medicine that I am supposed to take, because the insurance doesn't cover it," said Bickell.
The families were promised lifetime health coverage from their late spouses' employer, the City of Flint. Two resolutions passed in the late 70s provided health insurance and prescription benefit coverage to surviving spouses.
Betty isn't the only one, there's a class action lawsuit against the City of Flint. The suit alleges, without warning, the city cut surviving spouses off of healthcare that was promised to them. The widows are asking that the benefits be reinstated and the women be compensated for any financial loss.
In February of 2010, a letter from Human Resources Director Donna Poplar, along with Mayor Dayne Walling and other city administration officials, stated, "The union contract in effect when your spouse retired did not provide continued coverage for surviving spouses."
The issue with that letter is that many surviving spouses received benefits for years.
"One of the widows was receiving benefits for 35 years and they cut her off," said Gregory Gibbs, the attorney for the widows.
For Kathleen Ashley, having a pre-existing condition makes getting healthcare now nearly impossible.
"I can't lay down sleeping, I have to sleep sitting up. I may not wake up," says Ashley.
Before Ashley received the cut-off letter she was slated to have hip replacement surgery. Ashley can barely walk and is on a walker and can't afford to pay $1,500 a month for medication.
"I have high blood pressure, blockage in my heart and I haven't been to the doctor in two years," said Ashley.
Of the more than 40 widows that were cut off, six were able to keep their coverage until the court decides what to do next. In the meantime, for Ashley, any moment may be her last.
"That was supposed to be transferred to me for a lifetime and now it's gone I have nothing," said Ashley.
Right before this story was published, Chief Legal Officer Peter Bade sent us this statement on behalf of the city:
"In 2010, the City discovered that for years it had inadvertently been continuing to pay health care benefits to surviving spouses of City retirees. Neither the collective bargaining agreements in effect at the time of the retirees' retirements, nor any other City personnel or retirement policy, provided for the continuation of benefits to a surviving spouse of a retiree after the retiree's death. Nonetheless, these benefits were, in many instances, paid and the City has not sought reimbursement from those who benefited. The surviving spouses who have sued the City are eligible for Medicare, and in many cases have supplemental coverage available to them. It would be financially irresponsible, considering this or any other economic climate, for the City to continue to use taxpayer funds to pay these individuals health care benefits to which they are not legally or in any other way entitled. The City will continue to defend its decision to behave responsibly with public monies."
Stay with WNEM.com and TV5 as we track the progress and outcome of this case.
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