EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT

 

EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT

GET ANGRY, GET MAD, STOP THE BACKROOM DEAL!  OPPOSE SB 1555
CALL SPEAKER MADIGAN AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE INSURANCE COMMITTEE
 
1.  Call Speaker Madigan TODAY!
Springfield Office:  217.782.5350
Chicago District Office:  773.581.8000

Tell Speaker Madigan to vote NO on SB 1555 –
what Democrat opposes consumer protections?

2.  Call the Democratic members of the House Committee on Insurance TODAY!

Tell Representatives Davis, Harris, Berrios, Colvin, Dunkin, Feigenholtz, Ford, Gabel, Lang, Mautino, and Yarbrough to vote NO on SB 1555 –

what Democrat opposes consumer protections?

An amendment is being added to SB 1555, which has already passed the Senate and is waiting House action.  This anti-consumer amendment will be voted on in the House Insurance Committee, which the insurance industry has substantial control over.  If passed it will immediately go to the full House for a vote. 
  •  No one other than the insurance industry was involved in writing SB 1555.
  • SB 1555 does not contain fair representation on the Task Force. The Governor is not allowed to appoint any voting members to the Task Force, including reprentatives from the Department of Insurance or the other state agencies that will be involved in implementing the law.
  • SB 1555 contains no mandate for a balanced governance structure – one that includes small  businesses and consumers – to ensure fair oversight of the exchange. There is also no clause prohibiting governance participation by those with obvious conflicts of interest, such as insurance industry executives.
  • SB 1555 does not acknowledge that it is yet to be determined who will be eligible to participate in the Competitive Health Care Marketplace ("the Exchange.")
The democratically controlled House is on the verge of passing a pro-insurance industry proposal designed to give the insurance companies near total control of setting up our state’s Competitive Healthcare Marketplace, commonly referred to as the insurance exchange – a key feature of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.  
 
This letter, co-signed by a coalition of consumer, public interest, and patients rights advocates from across the state, outlines a vision for a strong health exchange that will provide a more competitive health insurance marketplace for small businesses and individuals.

We have been told that a backroom deal has been cut with the insurance industry. Big Insurance will finance the ICHIP high risk pool – a paltry $35 million out of their capital reserves that are now worth  over $28.3 BILLION – in return for the support of key Democratic leaders on the industry-written exchange bill, which is now contained in SB 1555.  Enough is Enough!
 
 URGENT – PLEASE MAKE THESE CALLS TODAY!

Tell them: Don’t sell consumers and small businesses out!
OPPOSE SB 1555
Campaign for Better Health Care
Central/Statewide
44 East Main St., Suite 414
Champaign, IL 61820-3642
(v)
217-352-5600
(f)
217-352-5688
e-mail: cbhc-cu@cbhconline.org
Chicago
1325 S. Wabash, Suite 305
Chicago, IL 60605-2504
(v)
312-913-9449
(f)
312-913-9559
e-mail: cbhc-chi@cbhconline.org
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