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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, There are over five million individuals living
3with a pre-existing condition, over two million individuals
4enrolled in Medicare, and 3.2 million individuals enrolled in
5Medicaid in Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Attorneys General from 18 states, along with two
7governors, have filed suit in the United States District Court
8for the Northern District of Texas and obtained a ruling that
9the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional; and
 
10    WHEREAS, This ruling, if upheld by a higher court, would
11threaten the health and insurance coverage of millions of
12Illinoisans; it would cause consumer protections to vanish
13overnight and would unleash chaos in our health care system;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Specifically, the over five million people in
16Illinois living with pre-existing conditions like cancer,
17asthma, or diabetes could face exorbitantly high rates or be
18denied coverage all together; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Over 650,000 people in Illinois could lose their
20health care coverage through the forced repeal of the Medicaid
21expansion, the continued attacks on the Medicaid program by the

 

 

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1Trump administration through provisions such as the work
2requirement, and the potential loss of tax credit subsidies on
3the Marketplace for over 280,000 Illinoisans; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs
5for prescription drugs, would vanish; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The rulings in this lawsuit could strip away other
7consumer protections enshrined within the law and beloved by
8the public, including Essential Health Benefits (e.g.,
9prescription drugs, substance use treatment, maternity care)
10and the prohibitions on charging women or older adults more for
11the same policy as men or younger people; the rulings could
12also eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for many preventive
13services and protections allowing young people under the age of
1426 to stay on a parent's health plan; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Illinoisans have shown their support of the ACA,
16including maintaining the ACA's protection for pre-existing
17conditions; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Instead of actively working to gut health coverage
19and pre-existing condition protections, the Trump
20Administration should focus on helping people gain access to
21health care coverage that they and their families need to stay
22healthy; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The ACA and Medicaid support our State in assuring
2"the health, safety and welfare of the people", "legal, social
3and economic justice", and "opportunity for the fullest
4development of the individual", all of which are ordained
5intentions of our state government noted in the Preamble of the
6Illinois Constitution; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we affirm our support
9for the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid program; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12delivered to the President of the United States, the U.S.
13Senate Majority Leader, the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, the
14U.S. Speaker of the House, the U.S. House of Representatives
15Minority Leader, and all members of the Illinois Congressional
16Delegation.