SR0264 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0264 LRB101 11530 MST 57393 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, There are over five million individuals living with a pre-existing condition, over two million individuals enrolled in Medicare, and 3.2 million individuals enrolled in Medicaid in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Attorneys General from 18 states, along with two governors, have filed suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas and obtained a ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, This ruling, if upheld by a higher court, would threaten the health and insurance coverage of millions of Illinoisans; it would cause consumer protections to vanish overnight and would unleash chaos in our health care system; and

WHEREAS, Specifically, the over five million people in Illinois living with pre-existing conditions like cancer, asthma, or diabetes could face exorbitantly high rates or be denied coverage all together; and

WHEREAS, Over 650,000 people in Illinois could lose their health care coverage through the forced repeal of the Medicaid expansion, the continued attacks on the Medicaid program by the Trump administration through provisions such as the work requirement, and the potential loss of tax credit subsidies on the Marketplace for over 280,000 Illinoisans; and

WHEREAS, Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs, would vanish; and

WHEREAS, The rulings in this lawsuit could strip away other consumer protections enshrined within the law and beloved by the public, including Essential Health Benefits (e.g., prescription drugs, substance use treatment, maternity care) and the prohibitions on charging women or older adults more for the same policy as men or younger people; the rulings could also eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for many preventive services and protections allowing young people under the age of 26 to stay on a parent's health plan; and

WHEREAS, Illinoisans have shown their support of the ACA, including maintaining the ACA's protection for pre-existing conditions; and

WHEREAS, Instead of actively working to gut health coverage and pre-existing condition protections, the Trump Administration should focus on helping people gain access to health care coverage that they and their families need to stay healthy; and

WHEREAS, The ACA and Medicaid support our State in assuring "the health, safety and welfare of the people", "legal, social and economic justice", and "opportunity for the fullest development of the individual", all of which are ordained intentions of our state government noted in the Preamble of the Illinois Constitution; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we affirm our support for the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid program; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, the U.S. Speaker of the House, the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.