PRESERVE ADEQUATE MEDICAID FUNDING

WHEREAS, Congress has proposed cutting $182 billion from Medicaid funds over the next seven years and wants to "block grant" the federal government's remaining share of Medicaid funding to the states; thus setting up 50 different programs with 50 different standards of eligibility and 50 different benefit packages; and

WHEREAS, this radical change demanded by the Republican-dominated Congress would cut the program by one-third over seven years, strip away all federal consumer protections, such as national standards for nursing homes, and eliminate spousal impoverishment protections, forcing many married seniors into poverty; and

WHEREAS, these proposed cuts would undermine this country's health care infrastructure by threatening the financial ability of vulnerable community hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities to remain open or retain adequate numbers of qualified staff; and

WHEREAS, nearly 2 million Americans could lose their long-term care and supports by the year 2002 and the quality of care would be undermined for those left in the program; and

WHEREAS, there are now more than 36 million Americans without health care coverage, an increase of 3 million since 1994; and

WHEREAS, many thousands of poor and disabled children will lose services such as vision, hearing and dental screening; speech, occupational and physical therapy; social work; counseling and psychotherapy; and transportation; and

WHEREAS, a significant loss of Medicaid funds for equipment and services for special education kids, and a loss of some school nurses, will adversely impact many schools in AFT districts; and

WHEREAS, middle-aged, middle-income working families could be forced to choose between paying for their children's education or their parents' nursing home care; and

WHEREAS, the loss of federal Medicaid monies will further strain state budgets, forcing cuts in education and other major programs to make up for skyrocketing health care costs:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers strongly oppose drastic cuts in the Medicaid program as well as the block granting of Medicaid monies to the states without guarantees that currently funded health care programs for low-income Americans of all ages will be maintained at a proper level and that spousal protections against impoverishment will continue as under existing federal law; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT commend and support the President's efforts to resist these devastating cuts.