HJ0098 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, When patients develop end stage kidney, liver, or heart disease, sometimes the only chance for a cure is a life-saving transplantation; and

WHEREAS, Despite federal laws that stipulate that organs should be allocated regardless of financial status, race, or national origin, in reality, lack of insurance prevents most of the uninsured in need of transplantation from ever getting one; these patients with end-organ failure are high utilizers of costly health care services throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, Thirty percent of organ donors in the greater Chicago area are uninsured, yet less than 2% of the organ transplants go to the uninsured; and

WHEREAS, For uninsured patients with kidney failure, the Illinois Medicaid program pays for life saving dialysis costing upwards of $100,000 per year for the lifetime of the patient; however, the program denies payment for life-saving kidney transplants and post-transplant care; and

WHEREAS, Many uninsured patients have family members or friends who would donate an organ, but for lack of insurance coverage, are unable to do so; and

WHEREAS, A program that would extend Illinois Medicaid to these patients would save the program money over time, as the care for a transplanted organ is less than the cost of maintaining a patient on lifelong dialysis; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois Taskforce on Organ Transplantation for the Uninsured to develop proposals to expand Illinois Medicaid to include coverage for transplantation evaluation, organ allocation, and post-transplant medical care for the uninsured; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the following members:

(1) 3 members of the Illinois House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(2) 3 members of the Illinois House of Representatives appointed by the House Minority Leader;

(3) 3 members of the Illinois Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

(4) 3 members of the Illinois Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and

(5) 4 members representing non-profit health care organizations, one appointed by each of the 4 caucus leaders; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2015.