Did you receive a letter from Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) about a potential loss of service? Read our FAQ below to get answers to commonly asked questions: 

What is happening with Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK)? 

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) and Anthem (formerly Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield) have been engaged in contentious contract renewal negotiations. Anthem provides the hospital coverage for the New York City GHI-CBP plan. MSK mailed letters to all current patients with Anthem coverage notifying them that Memorial Sloan Kettering facilities may be coming out of network on Jan. 1, 2025, if they are unable to reach an agreement. 

Why is this contract renewal happening? 

Contract renewals with various services and providers happen all the time and are part of the ongoing work of maintaining our high-quality health care. As the national health care crisis becomes increasingly contentious, negotiations that go down to the wire are becoming more and more frequent. However, we fully expect a resolution will ultimately be reached. 

What are we doing about it? 

The UFT’s priority is to ensure that MSK never drops out of our network and we will do everything in our power to make certain it doesn’t. Throughout this negotiation, we, as part of the Municipal Labor Committee, will push both sides to come to a fair agreement that allows us to continue to maintain the critical services that MSK provides for our members as part of our city health plans. We will keep you updated as we hear more. 

Who will be affected if an agreement is not reached? 

If an agreement is unable to be reached, this loss of coverage would affect in-service members and pre-Medicare retirees under 65 years of age who have a city health plan that uses Anthem for its hospital coverage. 

Will Medicare-eligible retirees be affected? 

Initially, Anthem informed us that all of their health care plans, both public and private, would be affected by failed negotiations; however, it has since updated that statement to say that Medicare-eligible retirees will not be affected by this change. 

If I am a current patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering, will my ongoing treatment be affected if an agreement is not reached? 

There are legal protections for the continuation of care for current MSK patients. If you have questions or concerns, we recommend contacting the UFT's Health and Cancer Helpline at 212-539-0515, which is operating from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. through Labor Day. 

What would happen to the UFT Welfare Fund's MSK Direct service if an agreement is not reached? 

The MSK Direct Service is a concierge program that the UFT Welfare Fund has with Memorial Sloan Kettering that provides members with guided access to expert cancer care specialists and services. If negotiations between Anthem and MSK fail, UFT members will no longer be able to use this benefit.