To the Editor:
I’m writing in response to your Jan. 11 story, “Changes to Guilderland's health-care provider rankle former supervisor, Altamont Enterprise.”

The town of Guilderland retirees are far from alone. My wife is a retired Shenendehowa Schools teacher. For years we were pleased with MVP PPO [Preferred Provider Organization] coverage as part of her benefits.

Late in 2022, the district (the largest in the area) unilaterally terminated all health-care coverage other than Humana for retirees. Not wanting to lose the benefit, we went along.

Initially, all was well. Our monthly premium dropped markedly and our providers accepted Humana.

Late in 2023, we learned NYOH [New York Oncology Hematology] would no longer accept it. Then came the letter from Community Care Physicians followed most recently by one from Albany Med Health Systems.

Seemed Shenendehowa did a bait and switch on us. The district is facing a backlash from its retirees and is scrambling to negotiate with Humana and the local providers to rectify the situation. Communication from the district has been sporadic and incomplete.

We have been patients of Community Care Physicians and its predecessor, CapitalCare, for over 30 years. We don’t want to lose that relationship or any others we have.

Despite the negotiations with Humana, we are anxiously awaiting the offered opportunity to enroll with CDPHP [Capital District Physicians' Health Plan] and return to good local medical coverage for Shenendehowa retirees.

Wish us luck. We’re gonna need it.

Philip S. Arony

Charlton, New York