HR 0445 Summary

• Urges the federal government and Congress to oppose the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, citing projections that 24 million people would lose health insurance coverage and Illinois would lose $40 billion in federal Medicaid funding over 10 years.

• Opposes provisions allowing states to waive community rating protections for pre-existing conditions, waive essential health benefits (maternity care, mental health services, emergency services), and implement per capita caps on Medicaid spending that would limit access to services for elderly, disabled, and vulnerable populations.

• Objects to work requirements for Medicaid applicants, reduced subsidies for healthcare exchange plans, elimination of coverage for over 650,000 Illinois residents in the Medicaid expansion population, and provisions that create financial incentives to remove people from Medicaid.

• Calls on the Governor of Illinois to directly engage with the President and Republican Congressional delegation to oppose these healthcare proposals and their harmful consequences for Illinois residents.

• Supports expansion of the federal Medicare program to cover more vulnerable populations, including children, women, and those with pre-existing conditions.