WHEREAS:

Health insurance premiums and underlying medical expenses have risen dramatically since 1998. Factors accounting for rising cost include growth in pharmaceutical expenses, expensive new technologies, aging of the population, increase in consumer demand, broader managed care networks, and provider consolidation; and

WHEREAS:

Hospital-based outpatient costs increased 922 percent from 1981 through 2000. National health expenditures increased 356 percent; physician services 422 percent, and hospital inpatient services 172 percent; and

WHEREAS:

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services project that continued increases in health care spending from 2002-2010 will include a 21 percent increase in the cost of hospital care, 19 percent in physician services, 21 percent in outpatient prescription and over-the-counter drugs and 10 percent in nursing home and home health care; and

WHEREAS:

Many workers AFSCME represents or seeks to organize do not get health care coverage from their employers and, given ever-increasing costs, every worker's coverage is at risk; and

WHEREAS:

Without health insurance, individuals are less likely to have access to healthcare services and are more likely to go without preventive and primary health care services, which ultimately leads to costly and acute healthcare episodes.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME International will utilize their organizational and managerial capabilities to develop a feasibility study to research its ability to obtain or provide health care coverage for its members.

SUBMITTED BY:

Sherry Strother, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 1170, Council 67
Maryland