City’s public sector unions approve sweeping healthcare shift for 750,000 workers amid secrecy criticism

The city's largest public-sector unions approved a sweeping health care overhaul Tuesday that, if finalized, will move more than 750,000 active employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and their dependents into a new self-funded insurance plan administered by EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare — a change that critics blasted as rushed, secretive, and risky.

The Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella group of more than 100 city unions, voted to replace the popular GHI Comprehensive Benefits Plan with a new premium-free model beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The contract, awarded earlier in June, will run for five years.

Mayor Eric Adams’ administration stated that the plan will utilize the city's purchasing power to provide more doctors, mental health providers, and a broad national network, while saving