IMPROVED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE

WHEREAS, in the years between 1980 and 1985, the number of Americans without any public or private health insurance increased by 42 percent to over 37 million people; and

WHEREAS, new competition pressures in the health care market have reduced the willingness and ability of providers to offer care to those without insurance; and

WHEREAS, a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study found that 1 million Americans are refused medical care annually because they cannot pay and another 5 million do not seek care they need because they cannot afford it:

RESOLVED, that AFT renew its commitment to a national health program and work to get legislation passed in Congress to implement such a program.

RESOLVED, that such legislation include:

• Extension of employment-based health insurance coverage for laid-off workers and their dependents.

• Establishment of subsidized health insurance pools to allow people without access to employment-based coverage to buy individual health insurance regardless of their health status.

• Requirement that states establish a mechanism to fund hospital charity and unreimbursed care or develop a plan to provide health insurance to all of the residents of the state who might otherwise rely on the state-financed charity care.

• Fairer tax treatment to encourage self-employed individuals to offer health insurance.

• Development of methods to lower the cost of health insurance to small businesses.

RESOLVED, that the AFT renew its commitment to a national health program and work to get legislation passed in Congress to implement such a program.