In Illinois, as in the country as a whole, the provision
of adequate health care for all residents has been a continuing
problem. The League of Women Voters of Illinois is a member of the
Campaign for Better Health Care coalition, which works to secure
affordable, accessible, quality health care for all in Illinois.
At the urging of the CBHC and its many member organizations, the
Illinois legislature passed, and the Governor signed, the Health
Care Justice Act. Funding was provided in the summer of
2005.
Following the provisions of the Health Care Justice Act, the Adequate
Health Care Task Force was established, with 29 voting
members appointed by the Governor and by the leaders of both parties
in the House and in the Senate. The Health Care Justice Act called
for technical assistance to be provided by the Departments of Public
Health, Healthcare and Family Services, Aging, Human Services, and
Insurance. The Health Care Justice Act also provided for public
hearings in each of Illinois' 19 Congressional Districts to allow
the Task Force to seek public input regarding an access plan.
The Health Care Justice Act instructed the Task Force to deliver a report detailing recommendations for a health
care access plan, as specified within the legislation, to the General Assembly.
League members all over the state testified at the public hearings,
held starting in the fall of 2005 and ending in May, 2006. Much
of the League testimony emphasized these criteria for judging
a health care plan:
- Sharing of Risk: Does the approach increase
the sharing of risk among young and old, healthy and sick individuals?
Does it move toward a larger risk pool of individuals?
- Fair to All Income Levels: Does the approach
increase the sharing of cost among individuals of different incomes?
Does the approach ensure that out-of-pocket costs are reasonable
for lower income individuals?
- Purchasing Power: Does the approach increase
the ability to leverage group purchasing power of health care
services?
- Comprehensiveness: Does the approach ensure
that all covered individuals have access to quality coverage and
to the same comprehensive package of health care services, including
prescription drug and mental health coverage?
- Inclusiveness: How well does the plan expand
coverage for significant numbers of people? Does it ensure that
the plan does not arbitrarily exclude certain groups?
- Cost Containment: Does the approach contain
health care costs?
- Continuity and Portability of Care: Does the
approach assure continuity of care? Is the coverage portable?
Does the plan allow for enrollees to choos3e their providers?
After months of discussion, the Task Force presented their plan to the legislature.
The plan, Illinois Covered, is embodied
in Senate Bill 5. Governor Blagojevich supports this plan, but the
legislature has not approved it. It is to be hoped that some improvements
in the provision of health care for Illinois residents will emerge
before the end of the current legislative session.
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