92_HR0427 LRB9209118TAsb 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, There are 1.7 million medically uninsured people 3 in Illinois and approximately 85% of them are children or 4 employed adults; and 5 WHEREAS, Lack of health insurance harms worker 6 productivity, creates financial stress in families, denies 7 access to primary care, and results in a greater need for 8 more expensive acute health care; and 9 WHEREAS, Illinois can offer health insurance to 10 approximately 200,000 people by expanding the Kidcare program 11 to cover the uninsured parents of children covered by Kidcare 12 or Medicaid (an expansion known as "Family Care" and 13 contained in House Bill 23); and 14 WHEREAS, Family Care would offer health insurance either 15 through a subsidy to help employees pay their contribution to 16 premiums for employer-supported private health insurance or 17 through the State's medical assistance program (for people 18 without access to employer-supported insurance); and 19 WHEREAS, By obtaining a federal waiver, approving Family 20 Care, Illinois can access 65% federal matching funds through 21 the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a fund of 22 money that is earmarked for Illinois but distributed to other 23 states each year that Illinois continues to fail to use it; 24 therefore be it 25 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 26 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 27 the Illinois Department of Public Aid immediately seek a 28 waiver from the Health Care Financing Administration for 29 approval of federal matching funds for the Family Care 30 program and that funds be sought for the State share of 31 Family Care so that the program can be implemented as soon as -2- LRB9209118TAsb 1 practical after the waivers are obtained; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 3 delivered to the Director of Public Aid.