| From the Reporter |
| The Story |
| The city’s crushing retiree $1.4 billion health care debt has long been a major target for budget savings, and negotiations between Mayor’s Office and workers are supposed to wrap up this month. |
| The People |
| Up to 1,305 current city workers could have no safety net if health care coverage is eliminated because a quirk would leave them without access to Medicare, showing the financial and moral complexities in reforming retiree health care benefits. |
| What’s Next |
| The city and its unions are expected either to reach agreement or break a deadlock by the end of the month. Both sides say they’re taking employees’ Medicare eligibility and nearness to retirement into account during talks. |