WHEREAS:

More than 8.4 million older people, people with physical disabilities, people with developmental disabilities and people with severe mental illness receive long term services and supports (LTSS) annually, including in settings at home, residential care communities or skilled nursing facilities; and

WHEREAS:

By the Year 2050, the number of people utilizing paid LTSS across all settings is projected to grow to 27 million; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME represents workers who provide services in all LTSS settings, including home and community-based, intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled, state psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes; and

WHEREAS:

Public facilities providing LTSS continue to be targets for closure, even when adequate LTSS capacity does not exist in the community, and such facilities remain vulnerable to privatization, even though migration away from the public sector has been shown to negatively affect both the quality and cost of services; and

WHEREAS:

Medicaid is the largest payer of LTSS, with federal and state governments spending $146 billion on Medicaid LTSS in FY 2013, representing 34 percent of all Medicaid spending; and the increased demand for LTSS may strain state Medicaid budgets to the point that other vital public services, and jobs of the AFSCME members who provide them, will be jeopardized; and

WHEREAS:

Medicare does not generally pay for LTSS, except under narrow circumstances, the market penetration of private LTSS insurance remains limited because of high premiums, and proposals to create alternative LTSS financing mechanisms have not been implemented; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME is a leading advocate for the broad continuum of LTSS, and continues to fight against budget cuts at every level.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will advocate for the creation of a sustainable national LTSS financing system that is actuarially sound, does not exclude purchasers based on pre-existing conditions and produces significant savings to Medicaid; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will oppose efforts to privatize public LTSS facilities and will fight attempts to close public facilities, as long as a need for services exists which cannot be met in the community; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will recommit to its role in providing a voice on the job for workers throughout the full range of LTSS settings, and will focus on efforts to improve their pay and working conditions.

SUBMITTED BY: Catherine Frazier, President and Delegate

AFSCME Local 266, Council 3

Maryland