[Peace-discuss] Contraceptive coverage law in danger! Need urgent HELP!!

[Brooke Anderson]

Dear friends,

I am writing to you with: (1) some BAD NEWS; and (2) an URGENT APPEAL 
FOR HELP! Please read on for more information and take action!

The contraceptive coverage law (HB 211) we worked so hard to pass 
last year is in jeopardy! HB 211 requires insurance plans that 
already cover prescription drugs and devices to also cover all FDA 
approved prescription contraceptive drugs and devices. Unfortunately, 
there is now legislation before the Illinois General Assembly that 
would greatly undermine (if not make meaningless) the contraceptive 
coverage requirement in the state of Illinois. This legislation could 
come up for a vote in the Illinois House as early as today or 
tomorrow!

This legislation, SB 827, would allow a "religious institution or 
organization" to refuse to purchase health insurance coverage that 
includes contraceptive coverage if doing so would "violate its 
religious and moral teachings and beliefs."

However, Illinois already has a so-called "right of conscience 
clause" that allows employers to provide insurance without 
contraceptive coverage by purchasing a plan from a company that 
invokes such a clause. To add additional, vague exemptions would undo 
the Illinois Contraceptive Coverage law, making it meaningless. We 
must defeat this legislation to protect our hard-won contraceptive 
coverage legislation.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

1. CONTACT YOUR REP!! Contact your Representative in the Illinois 
House. For many of you, this is Rep. Naomi Jakobsson. She has already 
pledged to vote AGAINST this legislation, but she still needs to hear 
from you. Email Rep. Jakobsson at <n.jakobsson at worldnet.att.net> to 
thank her for her opposition to SB 827. If you live outside of Rep. 
Jakobson's district, please email me for the contact information for 
your Representative -- your email or call will be even more 
important! Please copy me on any emails you send to representatives 
or email me to let me know about calls you have made so that we can 
keep track of the calls.

2. VOLUNTEER!! Volunteer to call key members of the Illinois House. 
We need volunteers to call 10 key, undecided members of the Illinois 
House. This action would take approximately 10-15 minutes. If you are 
willing to do this, please email me at brooke at shout.net for the list 
of names and contact information of key House members.

3. ATTEND TOMORROW'S MEETING!! We will be holding an Emergency 
Women's Health Task Force meeting tomorrow, May 20th at 12 noon at 
the offices of Champaign County Health Care Consumers at 44 E. Main 
Street, Suite #208 in Champaign. Please come help us defeat SB 827. 
Please email to let me know if you can make it!

For more information, contact me at (217) 352-6533, ext. 17 or at 
brooke at shout.net.

Sincerely,
Brooke Anderson

---------------

P.S. HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT SB 827:

The exemption intended in the amendment to SB 827 is unnecessary:

- The Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act allows any 
religious insurance company that has a moral opposition to covering 
contraceptives to invoke a right of conscience and refuse such 
coverage.

- Any employer, religious or not, has a right to purchase insurance 
from a religious health insurance company that does not cover 
contraceptives. Therefore, no employer is required to purchase only 
insurance coverage that includes contraceptive coverage.

- The amendment to SB 827 provides a loophole that undermines the 
intent of the Illinois Contraceptive Coverage law, which is to ensure 
that individuals have access to contraceptive coverage in their 
health insurance.

The language in the amendment to SB 827 is seriously flawed:

- The terms "religious institution or organization" are not defined. 
It is not clear what these terms mean, or whether or not they include 
religiously affiliated organizations or business owners with church 
membership.

- The bill does not require any proof in bylaws, etc. of "religious 
and moral teachings and beliefs" that oppose contraceptives.

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Brooke Anderson
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main St., Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone = (217) 352-6533, x 17
Fax = (217) 352-9745
Email = brooke at shout.net
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**************************************
Brooke Anderson
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main St., Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone = (217) 352-6533, x 17
Fax = (217) 352-9745
Email = brooke at shout.net
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