Mayor Bloomberg insisted he and Gov. Cuomo are not fighting over a lucrative deal involving the state’s health care carrier – and reminded the governor the city holds the cards in the scenario.
On his weekly radio show this morning, Bloomberg said Cuomo cannot sell EmblemHealth without the city on board, since nearly half of the carrier’s customers are municipal workers in the five boroughs.
“Democracy is about working together and not everybody gets 100 percent. Everybody gets some,” Bloomberg said, regarding reports that he and Cuomo are at odds over the deal.
Then he threw down the gauntlet.
“They cannot sell Emblem without the city agreeing to stay for at least a while … and we don’t’ have any interest in stopping it. We will find some ways I’m convinced,” he said. “We are far and away their biggest customer. … Nobody is going to buy Emblem unless they talk to the city. They have to do due diligence.”
Cuomo wants to convert Emblem from a non-profit to a for-profit company, which could net the state $1 billion. Bloomberg and the city’s labor umbrella organization are worried premiums would go up and Cuomo would not share the riches with the city.
As a result, the city has put out a formal solicitation seeking new carriers but said it is open to negotiating to stay on with Emblem if it works in the MLC’s favor.