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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, On January 1, 2018, President Donald Trump
3implemented a $1.6 billion cut to the 340B Drug Discount
4Program, a program which requires drug makers to offer large
5discounts to safety net hospitals for certain drugs prescribed
6for Medicare patients; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 2018, Medicaid's Disproportionate Share
8Hospital program, designed to compensate hospitals that
9provide a significant amount of medical care for which they do
10not receive reimbursement, is facing a $2 billion cut to its
11funding; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Safety net hospitals, which provide medical care
13regardless of an individual's insurance status or ability to
14pay, are largely dependent on these funds; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Illinois receives less federal funds per Medicaid
16beneficiary than any other state in the U.S and also has one of
17the lowest Medicaid matching rates in the country; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Many Illinois safety net hospitals, which provide
19essential health services to lower-income individuals who
20would otherwise lack access to care, will have to scale back
21services or close entirely due to these program cuts; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Safety net hospitals represent almost 20% of all
2hospitals in Illinois and provide more than 25,000 jobs across
3the State; and
 
4    WHEREAS, These safety net hospitals receive almost 40% of
5all patients hospitalized for behavioral health conditions
6such as mental health or substance abuse disorder; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago is a safety
8net hospital on the verge of closing due to a lack of federal
9and State funding; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Approximately 24,000 patients visit Roseland's
11emergency department each year and about 60% of Roseland's
12total patients are on Medicaid; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The closure of Roseland and any other safety net
14hospital would be damaging to the surrounding communities and
15to the State of Illinois; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Increased access to healthcare leads to better
17quality of life and lowers financial burdens for both families
18and communities; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The governor, as chief executive officer of the

 

 

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1state, has a duty to fight for and protect the rights and
2health of the citizens he serves; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5strongly urge the federal government, the United States
6Congress, and the President of the United States to restore the
7cut funding to the 340B Drug Discount Program and Medicaid's
8Disproportionate Share Hospital program to protect healthcare
9for low-income and at-risk populations; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That we strongly urge the Governor Rauner to
11protect the health and rights of his most vulnerable citizens
12by doing whatever is necessary to increase funding to and
13ensure the survival of safety net hospitals in Illinois such as
14Roseland Community Hospital; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16delivered to Governor Rauner, President Donald Trump, U.S.
17Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority
18Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, U.S.
19House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and all
20members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.