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July 20, 2007

Illinois faith based association lobbies support Governor Blagojevich’s plansWith the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, deteriorating inner city schools and the number of uninsured people in Illinois climbing to nearly 1.5 million, members of the Illinois Faith Based Association (ILFBA) said “enough is enough, things have to change.”  Hundreds of members of ILFBA drove from all corners of the state on May 16th to gather in Springfield calling for legislators to pass Governor Blagojevich’s ambitious proposal to provide affordable access to healthcare for all, make a historic investment in public schools, and relieve the tax burden on individuals by asking big businesses to pay their fair share.  The group delivered legislators a joint letter signed by over 100 pastors from across the state.  The letter reinforces the call to legislators to listen to their constituents, not lobbyists paid for by large wealthy corporations, and approve the Governor’s historic plan.  .... more

Families USA released an analysis that shows that Governor Blagojevich's
proposed "Illinois Covered" program will stimulate job growth and Illinois' economy while extending health coverage to 1.4 million uninsured adults. The report estimates that investing in the "All Kids" (already enacted) and the proposed "Illinois Covered" programs will bring substantial new federal money into the state, generating nearly $690 million in business activity in the Illinois economy and creating more than 5,800
new jobs.
In 2005, the Illinois legislature enacted the All Kids Initiative, which now extends help to approximately 253,000 children who were previously uninsured. Most of these uninsured children were in families that earned too much to qualify for public
health programs but still not enough to afford private health insurance.  The proposal would make Illinois the first state in the country to provide help to every child and every adult so they can buy comprehensive and affordable health insurance."
The report also states that if the cost of care for the uninsured in Illinois were reduced by just 30 percent, more than $640 million in insurance premiums could be saved in 2007 alone. "Unfortunately, being uninsured is a problem faced by millions of working families across the country," said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA.  "We hope this proposal will also become a model for other states across the country."
            On May 1st, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, State Public Health Director, further promoted the claimed benefits of Illinois Covered at the Democratic Leadership Forum.