The New York City's Three most Powerful Officials: Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), Comptroller Scott Stringer (D), and Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-3rd District), joined the Head of the Hotel Trades Council (HTC), on Wednesday, in Breaking Ground on a $75 Million, 90,000-square-foot Medical Facility in Long Island City, Queens.
Other Local Luminaries expected at the Event include City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-26th District) and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz (D).
The New Facility eventually will Replace the existing Clinic next door and offer Copay and Deductible, Free Healthcare to the Union's 35,000 Active Members and 10,000 Retirees, plus their Almost 45,000 Family Members, the Union said.
As with HTC's similar Centers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Wide-Ranging Services at the Facility will be Paid for Out of the Employee Benefits Fund, itself entirely Financed by the Industry.
"Today we Celebrate another milestone in a labor relationship that has proven to be remarkably healthy for hotel workers, the hotel industry and for the city of New York," said Vijay Dandapani, CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), remarking on the 71-year-old Accord between his Trade Group and the Union that established the Fund.
Dandapani's Association will Underwrite the Facility's Construction, though it hopes to Recoup Costs through the Sale of the Older Property after the Completion of the New One.
Once the Center Opens in 2021, HTC Members and Families will be able to Visit for: Primary Care, Surgery, Immunizations, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, among other Services, without Paying a Dime. The Only Cost will be if they require Prescription Drugs, for which Copays Top Out at $15.
As Presidential Candidates Debate how to Address Rising Health Care Costs and whether to Expand Public Benefits, Union Chief Peter Ward suggested they Look to the HTC/HANYC Program for Guidance.
"This is what a modern health care delivery system should look like," he said in a Statement. "This model could revolutionize the way our nation approaches health care."
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