Continuing the Fight for Health Care Reform

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act was fantastic news for families, women, and advocates of health care reform across the country.  With this decision, we won preventive care coverage with no co-pays for more than 45 million American women and counting. We secured equal treatment for women in insurance coverage. We changed a system that left too many women and men sick, bankrupt, and unable to afford lifesaving care. Now it's time for the states to take action.

Planned Parenthood Illinois is a proud member of the Campaign for Better Health Care (CBHC), a coalition of organizations fighting for health care reform in Illinois.  Currently, we are one of 109 organizations who have signed on to a letter urging Governor Quinn to sign an executive order to create an Illinois Health Care Marketplace in order to expedite the process of relieving uninsured Illinoisan families.  We believe, however, that such reform is impossible without direct support from community members like you!

You can help tremendously by making two quick phone calls:

• First, you can call Governor Quinn directly.  Call 1-888-801-4426 (Springfield office) or 1-312-814-2121 (Chicago office), ask to be connected to the Governor's office, and let him know that it is time to take action now by signing an executive order creating a pro-consumer Health Care Marketplace for Illinois. 
• Second, you can call your State Representative or Senator and tell them to call Governor Quinn and urge him to sign the executive order to create the Illinois Health Care Marketplace.  You can find out who your state legislators are by visiting the Illinois State Board of Elections Search Page.

CBHC would like to see the following features included in this executive order:

1. No insurance industry reps on the Governing Board
2. The right to negotiation rates with insurers - there must be real cost containment measures
3. Insurance industry must pay for the Marketplace, not small businesses and consumers

Have questions about CBHC, or want to know how to get involved?  Check out the website at cbhc-cu@cbhconline.org. 

Remember to stay updated on health care reform and other issues by following Planned Parenthood Illinois Action on twitter and facebook.

Have a fantastic weekend!


Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, health care reform, Campaign for Better Health Care