Better choices at hand than to cut Medicaid
June 15, 2012 10:48AM
Updated: July 18, 2012 6:29AM
Better choices at hand than to cut Medicaid
Thursday’s signing of the Medicaid cuts bill by Governor Quinn may cause real harm to hundreds of thousands of low-income, disabled people, and senior citizens in Illinois.
The governor has repeatedly said that these drastic cuts were necessary to “save” Medicaid. That was a false choice. Saving money on the backs of the most vulnerable members of our community so that other low-income people can maintain their health coverage is like asking Sophie to choose between her daughter’s or son’s life. There will most certainly be casualties, especially due to the abrupt and total cutoff of the health care, which will now take place by June 30.
A better choice would have been to look at the full menu of options, including closing some of the most egregious corporate loopholes such as off-shore oil drilling, so that everyone would pay their fair share. It doesn’t take a profile in courage to cut the health care of those who have the weakest voice, and who have no deep pockets to reach into for campaign contributions.
Citizen Action/Illinois calls on the Illinois legislature to restore funding for Illinois Cares Rx through 2020 until the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” is completely closed by the federal government program.
Lynda DeLaforgue
William McNary
Co-directors, Citizen Action/Illinois
Restore needed funds to Illinois Cares Rx
Governor Quinn’s decision to sign a bill that eliminates Illinois Cares Rx will be devastating to more than 160,000 seniors and people with disabilities who will now be scrambling to find a way to pay for their prescription drugs before the end of this month.
Illinois Cares Rx is a cost-effective state program which saves costs immediately by preventing further acute illness, by keeping seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes, and from needing to seek more expensive specialty care.
Eliminating Illinois Cares Rx will disrupt seniors’ already tight budgets and make them candidates for emergency rooms and nursing homes. Seniors should never have to choose between a meal, paying their rent or taking their prescription medication.
The Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans calls on the Illinois General Assembly to restore funding to Illinois Cares Rx through 2020 until the federal Affordable Care Act closes the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole.”
Barbara Franklin
President, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
