<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">For those not on the CCHCC e-list...<br><br>--- On <b>Mon, 11/1/10, Allison Jones <i><allison@healthcareconsumers.org></i></b> wrote<blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br><div class="plainMail">*****************************************<br>CCHCC E-Mail Newsletter - November 2010<br>*****************************************<br><br>1. Campaign & Program Updates<br>2. Health Action Network<br>3. Ask an Advocate<br>4. Upcoming Meetings & Events<br>5. Support CCHCC<br><br>--------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Dear Friends,<br><br>Welcome! Thank you for reading the Champaign County Health Care Consumers<br>(CCHCC) November E-mail Newsletter.<br><br>The fall has been a busy time for CCHCC and health care justice, so read on<br>for great information and
updates!<br><br>1. CAMPAIGN & PROGRAM UPDATES<br><br>-- Health Care Access Task Force:<br>* Join us for the next National Health Reform Implementation Workshop on<br>Wednesday, November 3, 2010 on the topic of changes to Medicare. Read below<br>in the Medicare Task Force update section for details on the workshop. <br><br>* On Thursday, October 28 at 10:30 a.m., Champaign County Health Care<br>Consumers released the results of a Candidate Survey completed by the<br>candidates running for an Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate, Representative<br>of the 15th Congressional District, Governor, Illinois State Senate, and<br>Illinois State Representative of the 103rd District. The survey asked<br>candidates about a number of health care and other social-economic issues,<br>including national health reform, Medicare Part D, Social Security, and<br>Medicaid. The survey results were compiled to create the CCHCC Health Care<br>Voter Guide for 2010. The purpose
of the Voter Guide is to help inform<br>voters about where candidates stand on key health care and social issues, so<br>that voters can be better prepared to vote in the upcoming November 2, 2010<br>election.<br><br>Visit our website to download the Voter Guide today! <br><a href="http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=800" target="_blank">http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=800</a><br><br>-- 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign:<br>The 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign continues to hold regular<br>bi-weekly meetings with residents and concerned community members. On<br>Monday, October 4 the campaign was thrilled to welcome two environmental<br>expert consultants, Robert Bowcock of Integrated Resources Management and<br>Mark Zeko of Environmental Engineering and Consulting, Inc. to Champaign for<br>two important meetings. The legal team made up of New York
based law firms,<br>Kennedy & Madonna, LLP and Weitz & Luxenberg P.C., hired Mr. Bowcock and Mr.<br>Zeko to conduct research and environmental testing on behalf of the<br>residents. Mr. Bowcock and Mr. Zeko came to Champaign to first meet with<br>the City of Champaign and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency<br>regarding the City's groundwater prohibition ordinance that allows Ameren to<br>not clean up any of the extensively contaminated groundwater that is found<br>throughout the neighborhood. The meeting was a great success. The<br>consultants remarked that not only is the City of Champaign giving away a<br>precious natural resource through the use of this ordinance but also the<br>ordinance could be infringing on personal property rights. <br><br>The second meeting that Mr. Bowcock and Mr. Zeko came to Champaign for was a<br>large community meeting that took place on Monday October 4 at 6 p.m.
at<br>Provena Hospital. The meeting was organized to discuss the concerns the 5th<br>& Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign has about the clean up of the toxic<br>waste site and the oversight of the IL EPA. At this meeting our consultants<br>announced the results of the initial sub-slab vapor intrusion tests that<br>were conducted for six homes in the neighborhood. The consultants also<br>discussed the City of Champaign's groundwater ordinance and urged the<br>residents and community to get involved to repeal or amend that ordinance so<br>that Ameren will be forced to address the contaminated groundwater in a<br>meaningful way. <br><br>-- Medicare Task Force:<br>Join us for the next National Health Reform Educational Workshop! The second<br>workshop in the series, "Help for Medicare Beneficiaries: New Medicare<br>Benefits and Tips for Part D Open Enrollment," will take place on Wednesday,<br>November 3, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the
Champaign Public Library. This<br>workshop will focus on changes to Medicare, including coverage of preventive<br>care, donut hole rebates, and other new benefits under health reform. The<br>workshop will also give information and consumer tips on Part D open<br>enrollment. This workshop will be very helpful for anyone who has Medicare<br>or is taking care of someone with Medicare during this very confusing time<br>of year. <br><br>Visit our website for more information and to RSVP!<br><a href="http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=786" target="_blank">http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=786</a><br><br>You can also download materials from the previous workshop on Insurance<br>Regulations here: <br><a href="http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=799"
target="_blank">http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=799</a><br><br><br>2. HEALTH ACTION NETWORK - TAKE ACTION TODAY!<br><br>Vote!<br><br>Midterm elections are coming up on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 and CCHCC<br>encourages everyone to get out and make your voices heard! <br><br>To check your voter registration status, find your polling place, see a<br>sample ballot, or get more information about voting in Champaign County,<br>contact: <br><br>Champaign County Clerk<br>1776 E. Washington St.<br>Urbana, IL 61801<br>(217) 384-3720<br><a ymailto="mailto:mail@champaigncountyclerk.com" href="/mc/compose?to=mail@champaigncountyclerk.com">mail@champaigncountyclerk.com</a><br>www.champaigncountyclerk.com<br><br><br>3. ASK AN ADVOCATE<br><br>Question: Where can I file a complaint on a billing dispute with my<br>insurance company? <br><br>Answer: In the state of Illinois, the best place to file a complaint for a<br>dispute with
your insurance company is the Attorney General's Health Care<br>Bureau. Health Care Bureau attorneys conduct investigations and file<br>lawsuits to enforce consumer protection laws. Common Health Care Bureau<br>complaints include billing disputes, denials of coverage, unfair insurance<br>practices, unfair debt collection practices, and other health care and<br>insurance problems. You can file a complaint against a health plan,<br>provider, or anyone who engaged in fraudulent or deceptive practices in the<br>health care market. You can reach the Health Care Bureau's Health Care Help<br>Line at l-877-305-5145. You can also download a complaint form and find more<br>resources on their website:<br><a href="http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/healthcare.html" target="_blank">http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/healthcare.html</a><br><br>Call CCHCC's Consumer Health Hotline for more information or with other<br>health care questions
at (217) 352-6533. <br><br><br>4. UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS<br><br>-- Attend the next Health Care Access Task Force meeting on Thursday,<br>December 16, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church (Green<br>and Goodwin in Urbana). The Health Care Access Task Force meets each month<br>to work on health care access in our community. We'd love to see you there!<br>Call us at(217) 352-6533 with questions or to RSVP.<br><br>-- Interested in working for a better prescription drug benefit for Medicare<br>beneficiaries? Then join the Medicare Task Force on Thursday, November 18,<br>2010 at 10:30 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church (210 W. Church in<br>Champaign). Call Anne at (217) 352-6533 for more information.<br><br>-- Save the Date! CCHCC's Annual Holiday Party will be held Friday, December<br>10, 2010. An official invitation will be coming soon, but be sure to mark<br>your calendars today!<br><br>5. SUPPORT CCHCC!<br><br>Support
CCHCC and learn more about health reform!<br><br>Champaign County Health Care Consumers needs your support as we work on<br>national health reform implementation - educating and counseling consumers<br>about new benefits, and organizing to pass state regulations and legislation<br>to implement certain health reform provisions and create additional<br>protections for Illinois residents.<br><br>Please read on for more information about the health reform provisions that<br>take effect now, the role of the state in health reform implementation, and<br>to learn what CCHCC is doing to educate consumers and to organize for real<br>insurance regulation and consumer protections:<br><a href="http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=794" target="_blank">http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=794</a><br><br><br>** Support CCHCC on Facebook! **<br><br>-- Join our group today!<br><a
href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2202365547" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2202365547</a><br>-- And become a Fan!<br><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Champaign-County-Health-Care-Consumers/6574363" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Champaign-County-Health-Care-Consumers/6574363</a><br>3668<br><br>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>Champaign County Health Care Consumers<br>44 E. Main Street Suite 208<br>Champaign, IL 61820<br><br>Phone: (217) 352-6533<br>Fax: (217) 352-9745<br>E-mail: <a ymailto="mailto:cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org" href="/mc/compose?to=cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org">cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org</a><br>Web: www.healthcareconsumers.org<br>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br><br>Support health care justice - donate to CCHCC today! Visit our website to make a tax-deductible contribution today.<br><a
href="http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Donation" target="_blank">http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Donation</a><br>_______________________________________________<br>To manage your subscription to the CCHCC email list, please click the link below.<br>cchcc-l mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:cchcc-l@lists.shout.net" href="/mc/compose?to=cchcc-l@lists.shout.net">cchcc-l@lists.shout.net</a><br><a href="http://lists.shout.net/mailman/listinfo/cchcc-l" target="_blank">http://lists.shout.net/mailman/listinfo/cchcc-l</a><br></div></blockquote></td></tr></table><br>