[Peace-discuss] Fw: [cchcc-l] URGENT: Take Action on IL Health Insurance Exchange!

[Jenifer Cartwright]

I think we can all sign this letter in good conscience... and then forward this email widely.  --Jenifer

--- On Fri, 8/26/11, Champaign County Health Care Consumers <cchcc at healthcareconsumers.org> wrote:

Dear Friends,

State of Illinois legislators are working very quickly to develop the law
and regulations that will shape the Illinois Health Insurance Exchange,
where many of us will purchase our individual or small group health
insurance plans starting in 2014. 

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is asking you to take
action today to support our principles for establishing a new Health
Insurance Exchange in Illinois.

We want Illinois to regulate health insurance plans for their premium
rates and quality of product! We want to put an end to gender
discrimination in insurance pricing! We want transparency and consumer
representation on a board that governs the Exchange! Giving our feedback
now is one of the only opportunities we will have to make sure that
consumer priorities are represented in the development of the IL Exchange.

We need as many people as possible to take action today. CCHCC staff and
advocates will be traveling to Springfield on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 to
deliver these recommendations to a legislative task force that is charged
with developing Illinois' health insurance exchange.

Please read below for more information about the Health Insurance Exchange
and how you can take action.

BACKGROUND:

A key component of national health reform, which will be enacted in 2014,
is the Health Insurance Exchange. Also known as the "Competitive Health
Care Marketplace," the Exchange is a tool consumers will use to purchase
health insurance.

Each state has to decide how to create its Exchange, and the Exchange is
how individuals and small employers (in Illinois, defined as having 50
employees or less) will purchase health insurance.

Health insurance plans in the Exchange will be regulated by the state and
must meet certain standards of coverage and quality.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act gives states great
flexibility in designing an Exchange that works best for each state. The
Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Study Committee, which consists of
members from the Illinois House and Senate, is holding a series of hearings
to get feedback from the public on how the Exchange should be structured
and what regulations should be built into the Exchange. An initial hearing
was held this past Wednesday in Chicago and a second hearing is scheduled
for August 30 in Springfield.

The timeline is short. The committee is required to submit a proposal to
the legislature by September 30, 2011, which will be voted on by both
chambers of the IL legislature during the fall veto session.

* * * * * * * * * *
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
* * * * * * * * * *

CCHCC has developed a list of recommendations that we feel should be taken
into consideration when establishing the Health Insurance Exchange in
Illinois. We will be providing oral and written testimony at a legislative
hearing next Tuesday, August 30 in Springfield, which will include a letter
signed by CCHCC supporters and local community members.

We hope that you will join us by adding your name to our letter and
showing your support for the consumer protections we want in the Illinois
Health Insurance Exchange.

To see our recommendations and to add your name to our letter, please
visit our website at:

http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/index.php?action=Display%20Page&id=864

Thank you for your support and involvement!

Sincerely,

CCHCC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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