Ask Your Illinois State Legislators to Support
HB 1501 and SB 1619
March 21, 2011
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law one year ago this week. While the ACA requires “unreasonable” insurance increases to be reviewed by the
federal government, the responsibility for scrutinizing those increases
rests largely with state regulators.
HB 1501 Health Insurance Rate Review would protect individuals and families from unwarranted health insurance premium increases. It requires all insurers to report rate increases to the Illinois Department of Insurance, and supply transparent data to justify increases. A hearing process for insurance companies and consumers is in the bill.
(We support)
BACKGROUND
- Current Illinois law does not restrict health insurance increases, provide for rate view or approval. Small employers (2-50 employees) have scant protection from unpredictable increases.
- The five major health insurers in Illinois had a cumulative average annual rate increase of 18.1 % since 2005. The CPI for Medical Inflation was 3.4 % last year.
- These same health insurers in Illinois had a cumulative surplus of $23.8 billion in 2010.
- 30 other states have instituted insurance rate review including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. Federal funding through the ACA is available for additional staff to implement rate review.
ACTION NEEDED
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE YES on
HB 1501
For more information: www.ilga.gov/.www.cbhconline.org
and
SB 1619 IL Personal Education Responsibility Program (“PERP”), would raise standards for sex education in public schools through age appropriate, medically accurate comprehensive sexual health education classes including information about both abstinence and prevention. It would apply to schools that teach sex education grades 6-12. Parents can remove their children from classes if they don’t want them to participate. (We support)
BACKGROUND
In 2009 and 2010 LWVIL joined the Campaign for Reproductive Health and Access, along with 40 health, educational, civic and religious organizations in support of bills to provide a broad range of reproductive health services. Provisions included expanded family planning services, improved financial access and prevention of unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sex education. However, those bills did not have sufficient support to bring to a vote. The current S.B. 1619 includes the comprehensive sex education component as described above.
Since 1983 LWVUS supports Reproductive Choices through coalitions with other pro-choice organizations. League also supported inclusion of reproductive services in health reform, opposes denying Medicaid funding for victims of rape and incest and has lobbied extensively against attempts to limit family planning for the United Nations Population Fund.
ACTION NEEDED
CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR TO VOTE YES on SB 1619
See www.ilga.gov/ |
