HB5442ham001 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Gregory Harris

Filed: 3/4/2020

10100HB5442ham001 LRB101 20755 CPF 71158 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5442

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

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Health Care Affordability Act.

Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) The State is committed to improving the health and well-being of Illinois residents and families.

(2) Illinois has over 835,000 uninsured residents, with a total uninsured rate of 7.9%.

(3) 774,500 of Illinois' uninsured residents are below 400% of the federal poverty level, with higher uninsured rates of more than 13% below 250% of the federal poverty level and an uninsured rate of 8.3% below 400% of the federal poverty level.

(4) The cost of health insurance premiums remains a barrier to obtaining health insurance coverage for many Illinois residents and families.

(5) Many Illinois residents and families who have health insurance cannot afford to use it due to high deductibles and cost sharing.

(6) Improving health insurance affordability is key to increasing health insurance coverage and access.

(7) Despite progress made under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health insurance is still not affordable enough for many Illinois residents and families.

(8) Illinois has a lower uninsured rate than the national average of 10.2%, but a higher uninsured rate compared to states that have state-directed policies to improve affordability, including Massachusetts with an uninsured rate of 3.2%.

(9) Illinois has an opportunity to create a healthy Illinois where health insurance coverage is more affordable and accessible for all Illinois residents, families, and small businesses.

Section 10. Feasibility study.

(a) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall oversee a feasibility study to explore options to make health insurance more affordable for low-income and middle-income residents. The study shall include policies targeted at increasing health care affordability and access, including policies being discussed in other states and nationally. The study shall follow the best practices of other states and include an Illinois-specific actuarial and economic analysis of demographic and market dynamics.

(b) The study shall produce cost estimates for the policies studied under subsection (a) along with the impact of the policies on health insurance affordability and access and the uninsured rates for low-income and middle-income residents, with break out data by geography, race, ethnicity, and income level. The study shall evaluate how multiple policies implemented together affect costs and outcomes and how policies could be structured to leverage federal matching funds and federal pass-through awards.

(c) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall develop and submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor concerning the design, costs, benefits, and implementation of State options to increase access to affordable health care coverage that leverage existing State infrastructure.".