Rep. Gregory Harris
Filed: 3/4/2020
 
 

 

 

 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5442 




2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5442 by replacing 
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
5Health Care Affordability Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings.  The General Assembly finds that:
7        (1) The State is committed to improving the health and 
8    well-being of Illinois residents and families.
9        (2) Illinois has over 835,000 uninsured residents, 
10    with a total uninsured rate of 7.9%.
11        (3) 774,500 of Illinois' uninsured residents are below 
12    400% of the federal poverty level, with higher uninsured 
13    rates of more than 13% below 250% of the federal poverty 
14    level and an uninsured rate of 8.3% below 400% of the 
15    federal poverty level.
16        (4) The cost of health insurance premiums remains a 
 
 
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1    barrier to obtaining health insurance coverage for many 
2    Illinois residents and families.
3        (5) Many Illinois residents and families who have 
4    health insurance cannot afford to use it due to high 
5    deductibles and cost sharing.
6        (6) Improving health insurance affordability is key to 
7    increasing health insurance coverage and access.
8        (7) Despite progress made under the Patient Protection 
9    and Affordable Care Act, health insurance is still not 
10    affordable enough for many Illinois residents and 
11    families.
12        (8) Illinois has a lower uninsured rate than the 
13    national average of 10.2%, but a higher uninsured rate 
14    compared to states that have state-directed policies to 
15    improve affordability, including Massachusetts with an 
16    uninsured rate of 3.2%.
17        (9) Illinois has an opportunity to create a healthy 
18    Illinois where health insurance coverage is more 
19    affordable and accessible for all Illinois residents, 
20    families, and small businesses.
 
21    Section 10. Feasibility study. 
22    (a) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in 
23consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall oversee a 
24feasibility study to explore options to make health insurance 
25more affordable for low-income and middle-income residents. 
 
 
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1The study shall include policies targeted at increasing health 
2care affordability and access, including policies being 
3discussed in other states and nationally.  The study shall 
4follow the best practices of other states and include an 
5Illinois-specific actuarial and economic analysis of 
6demographic and market dynamics.
7    (b) The study shall produce cost estimates for the policies 
8studied under subsection (a) along with the impact of the 
9policies on health insurance affordability and access and the 
10uninsured rates for low-income and middle-income residents, 
11with break out data by geography, race, ethnicity, and income 
12level. The study shall evaluate how multiple policies 
13implemented together affect costs and outcomes and how policies 
14could be structured to leverage federal matching funds and 
15federal pass-through awards.
16    (c) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in 
17consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall develop 
18and submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor 
19concerning the design, costs, benefits, and implementation of 
20State options to increase access to affordable health care 
21coverage that leverage existing State infrastructure.".