Submitted by pda_ill_admin on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 09:20

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Members of PDA Chicago chapter teamed up with representatives from Metro Seniors and other activists Friday 9/25, to ask Illinois state representative John Fritchey to support the Illinois General Assembly bill HB 311. Know as the "Health Care for All Illinois Act", 311 establishes a Single Payer medical insurance system in the state. A single payer system would:

Provide comprehensive health benefits to all Illinoisans equally, Save enough on paperwork to cover all of the uninsured, thus requiring no increase in total health spending and making the system sustainable for future generations, Cover all Illinoisan for all necessary medical care, Restore choice of physician and hospital to all Illinoisans, Patients would receive a Illinois Health Services Program (IHSP) card entitling them to care at any hospital or doctor's office. All costs for covered services would be paid by the IHSP.

Rep Fritchey cordially welcomed the group and stated his support of single payer, "in theory". Then he discussed the barriers to passing such legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. The missing ingredient that would make state legislators seriously consider HB 311 is grassroots demand for such a system. He recommended that PDA and other groups model their campaign after the A+ Illinois Coalition which is pressing for reform of education funding in Illinois. That coalition, Fritchey said, consists of many disparate groups including labor unions, business associations, educators, churches and social activists. After leaving the representative's office, we agreed that his advice was valuable and will help us direct our efforts to make single payer system a reality, not just in Illinois, but across the nation.

Bill Bianchi