WHEREAS:
The cost of prescription drugs and other medical expenses has been on the rise at an average of 13 percent to 16 percent per year; and

WHEREAS:
An estimated 46 million workers lack health insurance coverage in America; and

WHEREAS:
The number of companies that offer health coverage for retirees has been on the decline for the last 20 years. Currently, slightly over 50 percent of retirees receive health coverage from former employers; and

WHEREAS:
The cost of medical care and prescription drugs become insurmountable barriers for people with no health insurance. At the same time, the Republican administration has cut Medicaid’s projected cost by $5 billion over five years as the same is expected to grow by 8 percent; and

WHEREAS:
Lack of preventive treatment and unavailable health care coverage forces patients to delay, skip or never receive proper treatment.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will support campaigns and endorse legislation for a national, universal and comprehensive health care system that includes preventive medicine, alternative medicine and long-term care treatment for the chronically ill; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will support legislation to establish proper regulations and controls on the testing, marketing and prices of prescription drugs.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: Juan Fernandez, President and Delegate
Sheera Glass, Delegate
Mark Heron, Delegate
Thomas Orawiec, Delegate
AFSCME Local 154, Council 37
New York