Coalition against Privatization Meeting Friday April 25th 6:30pm 339 Lafayette Street Buzzer #7 (718) 869-2279 or noprivatization@yahoo.com In December 2007 GHI & HIP filed an application with the NY State Superintendent of Insurance to “convert” itself into a for-profit company. Conversion is a different way to say privatization. If approved, this privatization would expose 4 million GHI/HIP policy holders to the hazards of for-profit healthcare (premiums have increased more than 80% in the last seven years). Included in this pool are more than 500,000 city workers (retirees included) who will face a mega-corporation that is able to raise premiums at will, restrict access to care, increase CEO salaries and favor the accumulation of profits over healthcare. To date, mainstream politicians have provided little resistance. Democrats from New York City to Albany have lined up with Republicans. They hope to cash in on the billion-dollar liquidation of GHI & HIP assets as part of privatization. The leaders of the city’s trade unions have also spoken in favor of the privatization thereby placing a short-term payout ahead of the long-term interests of members.