[OccupyCU] Fwd: [cchcc-l] CCHCC Press Conference with Sen. Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson - Monday @ 10:30 a.m.!

[s.hansen at comcast.net]

FYI 

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Champaign County Health Care Consumers" <cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org> 
To: cchcc-l at lists.shout.net 
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 2:29:59 PM 
Subject: [cchcc-l] CCHCC Press Conference with Sen. Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson - Monday @ 10:30 a.m.! 


Dear Friends, 

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) will be holding a press 
conference THIS Monday, July 2, with state Sen. Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson 
to highlight how their proposed legislation, The Seniors Pharmaceutical 
Assistance Relief Program Act, would benefit thousands of seniors who will 
lose their prescription drug assistance on July 1 when Illinois Cares Rx is 
eliminated. 

The press conference will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the CCHCC office in 
downtown Champaign. Please read on for more details about the press 
conference and some background on the legislation that has been introduced. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

WHAT: CCHCC Press Conference with Champaign County Legislators Introducing 
Bills to Restore Prescription Assistance for Seniors 

WHO: CCHCC, Senator Frerichs, and Representative Jakobsson 

WHEN: Monday, July 2, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

WHERE: CCHCC office, 44 E. Main St. #208, downtown Champaign 
(Metered parking available) 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

As part of Illinois’ 2013 fiscal year budget process, legislators passed 
the SMART ACT, which cut $1.6 billion from the state Medicaid programs. 
This resulted in the elimination of Illinois Cares Rx, a prescription drug 
assistance program for over 180,000 low-income Illinoisans, including 
nearly 1,500 Champaign County residents. Dating back to when it was known 
as Senior Care, Illinois Cares Rx is an important safeguard that kept many 
low-income seniors from being forced to choose between buying their 
medications or food. Starting July 1, people who relied on Illinois Cares 
Rx will get a shock when they go to the pharmacy and realize that their 
drug co-pays have skyrocketed in cost. 

WHAT REP. JAKOBSSON AND SEN. FRERICHS ARE DOING (HB 6178 AND SB 3923) 

In response to your activism, Champaign County's Rep. Naomi Jakobsson and 
Sen. Michael Frerichs introduced legislation before the end of the 
legislative session that would essentially restore the IL Cares Rx program 
with slight changes to the program's eligibility and benefits! 

House Bill 6178 and Senate Bill 3923 would result in preserving the 
prescription drug benefit for roughly 80,000 low-income seniors around the 
state, particularly for the most vulnerable who do not qualify for any 
other state or federal prescription drug programs. The Seniors 
Pharmaceutical Assistance Relief Program Act would not fully restore IL 
Cares Rx, but rather create an altered version of the program with 
different eligibility criteria, while maintaining the original mission of 
providing pharmaceutical assistance to low-income seniors. Specific details 
of how the new program will work and who will still be eligible will be 
provided during the press conference. 

CCHCC and all of you should recognize and celebrate that it was YOUR phone 
calls, letters, and petitions that resulted in our local legislators 
introducing these bills to save IL Cares Rx! 

YOUR HARD WORK HAS PAID OFF AND YOU HAVE HAD AN IMPACT IN SPRINGFIELD! The 
fight continues and we need your help to contact other legislators about 
these bills to save prescription drug benefits for low-income seniors. 

We hope you will join us Monday for our press conference hosting Sen. 
Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson as they announce "The Seniors Pharmaceutical 
Assistance Relief Program Act." 

Sincerely, 

CCHCC 


https://www.facebook.com/healthcareconsumers 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Champaign County Health Care Consumers 
44 E. Main Street  Suite 208 
Champaign, IL 61820 

Phone: (217) 352-6533 
Fax:   (217) 352-9745 
E-mail: cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org 
Web:    www.healthcareconsumers.org 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Support health care justice - donate to CCHCC today! Visit our website to make a tax-deductible contribution today. 
http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Donation 
_______________________________________________ 
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