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Health Care |
Position on Health Care of the League of Women Voters of the U.S.
Promote a health care system for the United States that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all U.S. residents and controls health care costs (1993).
Full Statement of Where We Stand on Health Care
Current Outlook On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was signed into law, a historic first step towards providing a basic level of affordable, quality care for all U. S. residents. LWVUS focused efforts on passing health care reform during a protracted, partisan, process. Illinois leagues sponsored community forums, wrote letters to the editor, and kept in contact with Members of Congress to support reform.
While some provisions of the law go into effect in 2010, others will be phased in over the next 10 years. Provisions effective in 2010 include: coverage for children with pre-existing conditions, expansion of state high risk pools, tax credits for small businesses, extension to age 26 for young adults to remain on parents’ policy, and a $250 refund to Medicare D subscribers entering the coverage gap. For a complete Summary of Provisions and Timetable go to http://healthreform.kff.org/.
As health care reform phases in, there will be a need for monitoring effectiveness, examining the effect on individual states, and community education. LWVUS has a useful primer on their website:
Educating the Public on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Health Care in Illinois
One in three Americans are uninsured, according to a 2009 Families USA report. While the US Census Bureau reports that 13.2 % of Illinois citizens were uninsured in 2007/08, Families USA maintains that being uninsured for even part of a year can also severely impact health and financial status. From 2007-2008 30.8% of Illinoisans under the age of 65 were without insurance for all or part of the two year period, and 73.5% were uncovered for 6 months or longer. Though people of color and ethnic minorities were more apt to go without coverage, white citizens comprised the largest number of uninsured in Illinois. Read MORE. |
Reproductive Health |
Policy Position on Reproductive Choices of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. Protect the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices (1983).
Full Statement of Where We Stand on Reproductive Choices
The League's History on the Policy of Reproductive Choices
Background
LWVUS supported Reproductive Choices since 1983 through coalitions with other pro-choice organizations, signed amicus briefs, opposed regulations that prohibit counseling and referral for abortion services by clinics funded with Title X funds. League also supports 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.
Current Outlook
The Affordable Care Act 2010 engendered legal challenges and intensified efforts from some states to ban abortion from the state health exchanges mandated by 2014. While the new law includes a comprehensive Teen Pregnancy Initiative, Congress also renewed funding for a Title V Abstinence-only-until-marriage program, despite the absence of demonstrable effectiveness.
Reproductive Health in Illinois
Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Access bills were introduced in the Illinois General Assembly in 2009 (HB 2354) and 2010 (HB 6205). However, there was insufficient legislative support to bring either bill to a vote. Read MORE.
Interested in working on this issue?
Please email issues@lwvil.org
and cite the Issue on the subject line.
Health Care Resources:
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League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL)
332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 525 | Chicago, Illinois 60604-4422
Phone: 312-939-5935 | Fax: 312-939-6887 | info@lwvil.org
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