“Expanding access to healthcare is morally right, fiscally responsible, and strengthens individuals, communities, and our state’s healthcare system.”
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Today, eight top Illinois Healthcare industry and business leaders delivered a letter to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and IL State House and Senate leadership urging them to pass Healthy Illinois for All, a bill that would create a Medicaid-like healthcare program for all residents aged 19 to 54 (about 149,000 people) with annual household incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level (or $18,754 per year for an individual) regardless of immigration status.
The letter enumerated several ways providing health coverage to this demographic would benefit Illinois’ economy and the pocketbooks of all Illinois residents.
“…providing these 149,000 low-income Illinoisans with coverage will reduce the financial burden shouldered by emergency rooms, public hospitals, safety-net providers, and emergency response teams. In FY 2020, an estimated $870 million in charity care was provided by 200 Illinois hospitals,” the letter said. “Later stage disease detection creates inefficiencies throughout the healthcare system. Providing access to preventative screenings and early treatment corrects those inefficiencies and creates a cost savings.”
The letter also noted how coverage for immigrants would free up consumer capital:
“Insured individuals and families have more disposable income to spend on goods and services. This increases tax revenues and allows businesses to pass additional revenue onto suppliers and employees, who continue the cycle of spending and powering the economy,” the letter stated.
The letter’s signatories include Sinai Chicago, Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA), Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Esther Corpuz, CEO, Alivio Medical Center, Tim Egan, CEO, Roseland Community Hospital, Jose R. Sanchez, CEO, Humboldt Park Health, and Carole Segal, American Business Immigration Coalition Co-Chair and Trustee and Chair of the Board of Governors Emeritus with Rush University.
Full letter
Dear Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, Senate Majority Leader Lightford, Speaker Welch, and House Majority Leader Harris:
As hospital executives and healthcare professionals across Illinois, we write to urge you to prioritize funding Healthy Illinois for All, healthcare coverage for immigrants excluded from Federal Medicaid. This measure will create a Medicaid-like healthcare program for all residents aged 19 to 54 (about 149,000 people) with annual household incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level (or $18,754 per year for an individual) regardless of immigration status. Expanding access to healthcare is morally right, fiscally responsible, and strengthens individuals, communities, and our state’s healthcare system.
First, providing these 149,000 low-income Illinoisans with coverage will reduce the financial burden shouldered by emergency rooms, public hospitals, safety-net providers, and emergency response teams. In FY 2020, an estimated $870 million in charity care was provided by 200 Illinois hospitals.
Later stage disease detection creates inefficiencies throughout the healthcare system. Providing access to preventative screenings and early treatment corrects those inefficiencies and creates a cost savings. In addition, expanding coverage to all Illinoisans below 138% of the federal poverty line will help bring in thousands more people who were already eligible for Medicaid to enroll in federally reimbursable coverage.
Second, Healthy Illinois for All will increase the financial security and economic mobility of immigrant families. Insurance coverage decreases the risk of bankruptcy due to medical debt and out-of-pocket medical expenses. For example, one COVID-19 infection could devastate a family: the average cost of hospital care for COVID patients in Illinois without insurance or who receive out-of-network care varies from an average of $54,574 (for noncomplex inpatient care) to $277,078 (for complex inpatient care), according to FAIR Health.
Finally, state and local economies benefit when residents have access to affordable healthcare and coverage. Insured individuals and families have more disposable income to spend on goods and services. This increases tax revenues and allows businesses to pass additional revenue onto suppliers and employees, who continue the cycle of spending and powering the economy.
We stand ready to provide further information about Healthy Illinois for All. Thank you for considering the views of Illinois’ healthcare provider community.
Sincerely,
- Esther Corpuz, CEO, Alivio Medical Center
- Carole Segal, Trustee and Chair of Board of Governors Emeritus, Rush University; Co-Chair, American Business Immigration Coalition
- Sinai Chicago
- Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA)
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
- Tim Egan, CEO, Roseland Community Hospital
- Jose R. Sanchez, CEO, Humboldt Park Health
- David Ansell, Senior Vice President for Community Health Equity for Rush University Medical Center and Associate Provost for Community Affairs for Rush University
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The Healthy Illinois Campaign strives to make quality, affordable healthcare coverage accessible to all people in Illinois.