For Immediate Release
Monday, February 12, 1996
Statement by Gerald W. McEntee, International President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Campaign for Health Security News Conference February 12, 1996
Washington, DC —At a Campaign for Health Security news conference today, Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, delivered the following statement in opposition to the National Governors' Association's Medicaid proposal:
"As president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) -- the nation's largest public employee and health care workers union -- I welcome the opportunity today to express our strong opposition to the Medicaid resolution which was adopted last week by the National Governors' Association.
"Our union, AFSCME, represents tens of thousands of men and women who care for our country's poor and disadvantaged. Our members work in public hospitals. In social services agencies. And in public nursing homes. Our members have close daily contact with the men, women, and children who have no other choice but to turn to the government for help. We know through our firsthand experience that these Americans are without options and without other opportunities. We know that public assistance is the safety net that keeps these men, women, and children from falling through the cracks.
"And it is with this unique experience and personal awareness that AFSCME strongly objects to the proposal adopted by our nation's governors. We are convinced that the governors' Medicaid proposal would threaten access to health care for the 35 million Americans currently served by the program, and would threaten the very viability of our nation's public health care delivery system.
"Why do we have such strong opposition to the NGA proposal? Let me point to a few specifics:
- The entitlement to health care is essentially eliminated under the governors' resolution. Some categories of adults and children whose coverage is now mandated would be converted to an optional status. Each state unto itself would be allowed to define "disabled."
- A guarantee of an adequate range and scope of services would be eliminated under the NGA resolution. Critical services, particularly for the mentally retarded and mentally ill, would not be required.
- And, finally, by reducing the state match to no more than 40 percent, billions of dollars would be drained from the system. It is inconceivable that the level of cuts could be accommodated without sharply reducing services.
"AFSCME believes that all Americans -- whether they live in New England or the Southwest, whether they live in a major city or a rural town, whether they live in one state county or another -- should have a right -- a basic right -- to some basic, minimum assistance. This help should not be dependent on which state a person resides or how a particular governor wants to define "disabled."
"We understand that the governors want flexibility, but they have to understand that the American people want fairness."
