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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, When patients develop end stage kidney, liver, or
3heart disease, sometimes the only chance for a cure is a
4life-saving transplantation; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Despite federal laws that stipulate that organs
6should be allocated regardless of financial status, race, or
7national origin, in reality, lack of insurance prevents most of
8the uninsured in need of transplantation from ever getting one;
9these patients with end-organ failure are high utilizers of
10costly health care services throughout their lives; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Thirty percent of organ donors in the greater
12Chicago area are uninsured, yet less than 2% of the organ
13transplants go to the uninsured; and
 
14    WHEREAS, For uninsured patients with kidney failure, the
15Illinois Medicaid program pays for life saving dialysis costing
16upwards of $100,000 per year for the lifetime of the patient;
17however, the program denies payment for life-saving kidney
18transplants and post-transplant care; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Many uninsured patients have family members or
20friends who would donate an organ, but for lack of insurance
21coverage, are unable to do so; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, A program that would extend Illinois Medicaid to
2these patients would save the program money over time, as the
3care for a transplanted organ is less than the cost of
4maintaining a patient on lifelong dialysis; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
7SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois
8Taskforce on Organ Transplantation for the Uninsured to develop
9proposals to expand Illinois Medicaid to include coverage for
10transplantation evaluation, organ allocation, and
11post-transplant medical care for the uninsured; and be it
12further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the
14following members:
15        (1) 3 members of the Illinois House of Representatives
16appointed by the Speaker of the House;
17        (2) 3 members of the Illinois House of Representatives
18appointed by the House Minority Leader;
19        (3) 3 members of the Illinois Senate appointed by the
20President of the Senate;
21        (4) 3 members of the Illinois Senate appointed by the
22Minority Leader of the Senate; and
23        (5) 4 members representing non-profit health care

 

 

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1organizations, one appointed by each of the 4 caucus leaders;
2and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Healthcare and
4Family Services shall provide administrative and other support
5to the Task Force; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall serve
7without compensation; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit a report of its
9findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later
10than January 1, 2015.