5 Stories from the Trenches of How Thousands of Retirees to be Affected 

They gave decades of their lives and careers to serving the citizens of San Francisco – police, fire, teachers and more. In many cases, these retirees also gave their health. And now their new retiree insurance plan – Blue Shield of CA — is turning its back on them, affecting thousands of retirees. They were promised excellent health benefits that would take care of them as they grew old. Yet now, BSC is telling this infirmed and aging group, many with life threatening illnesses, they may have to find new doctors until their current labor and funding dispute with UCSF is settled. Many of these retirees are up in arms over the change in doctors and services available to them after the previous insurer of record, United Healthcare, was replaced by Blue Shield CA at the beginning of 2025. 

  • Al Casciato, a retired San Francisco Police Department captain with 42 years of service under his belt, is now awaiting a lung transplant on July 11. He’s very concerned about the continuation of care from UCSF, since his surgery will be the day after the possible cessation of service. His surgery will take place at UCLA, since UCSF had turned him down for the original procedure. On top of the deep anxiety over the actual surgery, Casciato has to navigate the byzantine healthcare system to get relief and clarity about his situation. He is still waiting. 
  • Margaret Hawthorne is a retired San Francisco public health nurse with excruciating pain due to spinal issues, who was on track to get a spinal injection surgery. She too received the letter telling her that her surgery might well have to be postponed. She is currently on four different pain medications to manage her unbearable pain. After spending days filling out forms and getting doctors to sign off on procedures that Blue Shield CA had demanded,  she and other patients were then told the forms were “Voided,” and that she should call her doctors about being accepted out of network. She is very concerned her care from her specialty doctors who help manage her acute and chronic conditions will end.  
  • James Charles Riley, a retired San Francisco firefighter with 33 years of service to the city, now suffers from heart, carotid artery dame and three knee replacements due to injuries at fires over the years. He now suffers from the damage of radiation from his parotid salivary gland cancer radiation. He find himself similarly alarmed that he will be unable to keep his UCSF doctors.  
  • Grady Alison, a retired city servant and HIV survivor, is blanketing city hall with his dog in tow in an attempt to bring attention to the plight of hundreds of retired patients whose lives, health, and mental health are being upended as they are the pawns in a fight by their new health provider – Blue Shield CA. 
  • Patricia Arack, a 43-year teacher who taught ESL at City College for 24 years and public school English for another 20 years is suffering from a rare disease called Body Myositis and relies on her doctors at UCSF. She says getting cut off from her UCSF doctors would be “catastrophic.” BSC is denying her IVIG treatments, despite the fact that she was receiving the treatments under the previous insurance company, United Healthcare. 

For these and other stories, please contact Protect Our Benefits at info@protectourbenefits.org or contact Cherri Senders at cherri@sendersgroup.com or 818/422-2787.