WHEREAS:

Over 70% of Americans with private health insurance are covered by managed care plans which limit their choice of physicians and health care facilities and control the utilization and cost of services; and

WHEREAS:

Good managed care plans can save AFSCME members money and provide quality health care while bad plans can be hazardous to members' health; and

WHEREAS:

With traditional health care plans, negotiations focused primarily on cost sharing arrangements and benefit levels, but with managed care plans, access to quality health care has become a major negotiating issue; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME, representing both health care consumers and health care workers, has an opportunity to influence access and quality in the health care delivery system.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME councils and locals strive to negotiate for reasonable access to affordable, comprehensive quality health care including requiring plans to provide complete and understandable information, have a grievance procedure to challenge decisions about care and guarantee other consumer protections; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That, where appropriate, AFSCME councils and locals use their power as purchasers and consumers of health care to encourage managed care plans to compete on quality and to treat health care workers with decency and respect, by negotiating standards that managed care plans must meet and, where possible, "buying union" for health care services.

SUBMITTED BY:

Harry Pallott, President
Barbara Widner, Secretary
AFSCME Council 13

Edward J. Keller, Delegate
AFSCME Local 1598, Council 88
Pennsylvania