PITTSBURGH \u2014 The Pittsburgh police union has filed a court petition asking a judge to hold the city in contempt, claiming officials refused to reinstate health care benefits for widows of retired police officers, even after a court ruling.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 11 Investigates: Pittsburgh police widows\u2019 health care issue resolved?<\/a><\/p>\n The new filing seeks to enforce a court order after previous legal appeals by the city were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n According to the union, the city has reinstated health care benefits for only one widow despite losing its legal appeals.<\/p>\n Union officials state that approximately 389 widows were affected by the benefit denials, alleging the city owes up to $5 million in health care reimbursements.<\/p>\n Mary Sansone, the widow of a retired Pittsburgh police officer whose husband passed away earlier this year, had her $270 monthly health care benefit pulled two weeks after his death.<\/p>\n Sansone said she was given little time to navigate the loss and secure coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cI was shocked. I just lost my husband,\u201d Sansone said. \u201cWe had to make funeral arrangements, and I had 12 days with the grieving process that they didn\u2019t give me to find health insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Target 11 Exclusive: City and police union at odds over health benefits<\/a><\/p>\n Following inquiries by Channel 11 News Chief Investigator Rick Earle, the city agreed to withdraw its final appeal and reinstate Sansone\u2019s benefits.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor said he contacted Sansone directly regarding the reinstatement. \u201cI personally called her earlier this week and said it worked out and went through, you know we\u2019re going to make sure that you stay whole and make sure that everything that you are owed rightfully that you get paid,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n Despite Sansone\u2019s reinstatement, the union contends that hundreds of other widows remain excluded.<\/p>\n According to the union, the city maintains that the court award \u201conly pertains to those retirees who passed away after April 15, 2021,\u201d when the initial grievance was filed by the union.\u00a0 The union disagrees with that position, stating that 389 widows were affected by the denial and that 125 widows died after being denied benefits.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Exclusive: Widows of retired Pittsburgh officers say city is still not covering healthcare costs<\/a><\/p>\n Addressing the overall review process, O\u2019Connor said the city must evaluate cases individually.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many out there, and each one is completely different, and you have to go through a process to figure out where that is. But we have to stay on top of it,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n A judge will set a hearing date on the union\u2019s petition to enforce the court order.<\/p>\n The City of Pittsburgh provided 11 Investigates with this statement Friday:<\/p>\n \u201cThe FOP\u2019s motion is without merit.\u00a0The FOP jumped into court despite the City\u2019s good faith efforts in recent months.\u00a0Some examples of these good faith efforts:<\/p>\n \u201cThe City voluntarily withdrew its appeal in a related matter in August.\u201cThe City changed the policy that had been continued through the Gainey Administration of removing survivors from City healthcare coverage upon the death of the police-retiree spouse. The City is no longer removing widows or other survivors from healthcare coverage based on the death of their spouse.\u201cSince changing the policy, the City has reviewed the eligibility of individual widows who have sought to be reenrolled in the City\u2019s healthcare coverage, and has begun to reinstate healthcare coverage to eligible widows.\u00a0The City will continue to do so.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe City is in the process of gathering the information it needs to make restitution to survivors covered by the Miles Award who are not otherwise excluded from coverage (per the Collective Bargaining Agreement).\u00a0We are working on compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n