WHEREAS:

Millions of Americans of all ages suffer from chronic, disabling conditions that necessitate long-term care at home or in a nursing home; and

WHEREAS:

The cost of long-term care is more than most Americans can afford — currently, anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 a year; and

WHEREAS:

Medicare and employee health plans are designed to pay for treatment of acute illness in a hospital or doctor's office, not to cover long-term custodial care; and

WHEREAS:

Medicaid covers long-term care only for the impoverished — both those who start out in poverty and those who end up there after spending nearly all income and assets to pay for long-term care; and

WHEREAS:

Without adequate coverage for long-term care, every family is at risk of impoverishment due to the unforeseen — a child born with cerebral palsy, a parent severely disabled in an auto accident, or a grandparent afflicted with Alzheimer's disease; and

WHEREAS:

Private long-term care insurance can have serious drawbacks, including high premium costs; the absence of periodic inflation adjustments on benefit coverage; exclusions for Alzheimer's disease and other specific illnesses; and requirements for prior hospitalization that would deny benefits to the majority of policyholders who need nursing home care; and

WHEREAS:

Premiums for private insurance will always be high due to companies' uncertain risk factors, their desire for profits, and their need to use costly advertising and marketing techniques in order to sell their products; and

WHEREAS:

Competition among numerous insurance companies guarantees that none will be able to spread their risk among enough policyholders of all age groups to provide average Americans with comprehensive coverage at a reasonable price; and

WHEREAS:

The federal government — unlike private insurers — can spread its risk for covering long-term care among 175 million workers and retirees, and pool the resources of these same Americans to hold down the cost of coverage for all; and

WHEREAS:

This system of social insurance has already been successfully demonstrated by the federal government through the Social Security and Medicare programs.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this 29th International Convention endorse the concept of a federally sponsored social insurance program to cover the cost of long-term care; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the program cover all Americans, regard less of age, since everyone is at risk for chronic illness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the program cover a comprehensive range of facility-based and community-based care — not only health-related services but also homemaker services, adult day care, and respite care for family caregivers — so that beneficiaries can achieve the maximum amount of independence in the setting they prefer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the program ensure high quality care by making sure that paid caregivers receive wages and benefits that are commensurate with the substantial demands of their jobs and that they are adequately trained to carry out their responsibilities; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That a federal program to cover long-term care be progressively financed, with the risk spread as broadly as possible throughout the population.

SUBMITTED BY:

International Executive Board
Henry Nicholas, President
Kathy Sackman, Secretary-Treasurer
Donna Ford, Executive Secretary
Victor Garcia, Secretary
Local 1199/AFSCME
Philadelphia, PA

Marcella McCallum, Delegate
AFSCME Local 60, Council 40
Madison, WI

Donna Gaethke, President
Martha Olson, Secretary
AFSCME Local 1925-A, Council 40
Walworth, WI