HR Issues

With little fanfare, the Health Care Justice Act was filed with the Illinois House calendar February 19 and placed on the Senate calendar April 29. It was last heard in the Senate May 16, and the third reading was extended to December 31. Fortunately, these extensions give us time to talk to our legislators and keep Illinois from becoming the first state in the union to give the state complete control of our health care system—socialized medicine.

Here are the important facts about the proposed law:

• It’s an act to create the Health Care Justice Act.
  
• It’s the policy of the State of Illinois to ensure all residents have access to quality health care at costs that are affordable.
  
• On or before January 1, 2007, the State of Illinois shall implement a health care access plan that does the following:
  
• Provides access to a full range of preventive, acute, and long-term health care services.
  
• Provides uniform benefits for all Illinois residents.
  
• Controls capital and overall expenditures.
  
• Avoids unnecessary duplication in the development and availability of health care facilities and services.
  
• Implements comprehensive health planning tied to a unified state health care budget.
  
• Provides an integrated system or systems of health care delivery.
  
• Allows for incentives to be used to contain costs and direct resources.
  
• Provides administrative efficiencies.
  
• Provides mechanisms for applying and implementing the unified health care budget on a statewide basis to all sectors of the health care system.
  
• Provides appropriate reallocation of existing health care resources.

For a complete copy of the proposed act, call the Employers’ Association at 637-3333. In the meantime, contact Senators George Shadid and Dale Risinger and Representatives Dave Leitch and Ricca Sloan to voice your opposition. IBI