Action Alerts

Teen Girl in Library photo



CURRENT ALERTS


The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) is out of money and we need your help to gain additional support for this vital program, which provides free cancer screenings to women who are uninsured.  Call the Governor today and ask him to support his program which saves lives through early detection.

Click here to take action»

 

In 2011, extremist politicians ignored the economic platforms on which they ran and instead declared a “war on women,” attacking access to basic health care services and contraception with severe consequences for the most vulnerable. We cannot stand this for another year so advocates are organizing a virtual march to commemorate Trust Women Week!

Click here to learn more and make your voice heard!


This week,  HHS and the Obama Administration STOOD FIRM against birth control opponents and issued a final rule which protects women’s access to affordable birth control. This is the Affordable Care Act at work for hardworking women and their families, and it simply cannot go unacknowledged. Take a few minutes and thank the President and Secretary Sebelius for standing with women!

 

 


ARCHIVED ALERTS

The Prevention and Public Health Fund was an unprecedented commitment to public health applauded by advocates across the nation when it was established under federal health reform. Already, it is facing devastating cuts in Congress. Join the National Day of Action on Prevention on December 15 and protect the programs that protect Illinois families.

 

Who should gain the most from health reform in Illinois, the insurance industry or us? Your state legislators in Springfield are about to decide and we need you to speak out!

 

The benefits of comprehensive, medically accurate sex education in schools are obvious to most of us. Unfortunately, not all legislators get it. Please take action today and demand that Illinois takes this necessary step to protect the health of our young people.


In the next few weeks, Congress will be considering cuts to health programs for women, children and families that could exceed $1 billion in 2012 alone. This will hurt the people of Illinois and affect funding for vital public health programming for decades to come. People like you are coming together today to flood congress with the simple message that we cannot continue to slash at important programs. Attacks on the health of women, children, and families must end!

Earlier this summer, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published draft rules regarding the operation of the competitive health insurance marketplace (i.e. the Exchange), which is authorized by the Affordable Care Act.

IMCHC and the Shriver National Center on Poverty Law reviewed the draft rules and have put together comments to these rules from the Illinois advocates’ perspectives, as well as including comments from the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Community Catalyst, and the Children's Dental Health Project. We referenced original language from the HHS proposed regulation to provide additional context to our responses for you and to the make the lives of the HHS/CMS reviewers a little easier. Click here to download a document with our sample comments.

Comments are due to HHS by 5pm (EST) on Monday, October 31st. The easiest way to submit your comments is by uploading your document through www.regulations.gov - search for HHS-OS-2011-0020-0001. You can also download a copy of the proposed rule from this site. Instructions on how to submit a mailed copy can be found in the proposed rule. Additionally, IMCHC also encourages that you share this email and document with other stakeholders and encourage them to submit comments as well. It will be important for HHS/CMS to hear from as many as possible to ensure that the final federal regulations concerning the Exchange prioritize the interests of consumers and small businesses.

Click here to download a fact sheet about the important role that Exchanges will play in helping individuals and small businesses access affordable health insurance coverage.

Feel free to contact Kathy Chan with any questions about this document or with questions related to the Affordable Care Act.

 

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee may be considering a $50 million cut to the Title V Maternal and Child Health block grant that funds programs critical to keep moms and babies in Illinois healthy! The vote could happen as early as this afternoon – we need you to make a phone call to Senators Durbin and Kirk NOW! Visit our action alert to learn more.

This week, the Institute of Medicine released recommendations on what should be officially considered as preventive services for women under the Affordable Care Act--including birth control and breastfeeding support! These recommendations are a critical first step, but they must now be formally accepted and implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Obama Administration. Reach out to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today and encourage her stand up for women and make history!

 

Today, community, labor and faith leaders are standing with Senators, doctors and home health workers on Capitol Hill to support the millions of Americans that rely on Medicaid. Even if you aren’t in DC you can stand with them by calling or emailing your senator and telling them that Medicaid Matters!

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Federal legislators are considering budget cuts that would deny tens of millions of the most vulnerable people medical care, nutrition aid, housing, education, and much, much more. We need you to call your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin TODAY and urge them to oppose harmful caps and prevent reckless cuts to safety net programs.

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The 2012 budget makes unnecessary cuts to vital programs serving vulnerable populations in Illinois. On Wednesday, June 15, legislative leaders are meeting to discuss the Senate’s proposal to restore program funding, which does not increase spending. This is our last chance to impact the 2012 budget—please contact your state legislators TODAY and let them know we want their support!

 

Urge legislators to support SB3!
SB3 will help Illinois pay past-due bills for services provided to children and families
To find out more about SB3, you can download a fact sheet produced by our partners at Voices for Illinois Children.


SB2505
For the past several years, Illinois has faced serious fiscal challenges resulting from our structural deficit. State spending on essential services, including education, health care and public safety, have outpaced state revenue collected from the state’s personal income tax rate of 3% and a sales tax base that relies heavily on goods and not services. In the last days of the 96th Illinois General Assembly session, legislators voted in favor of new revenue that will help get Illinois back on sound financial footing. IMCHC’s summary of SB2505 can be found here.  


Tell Congress to Vote Against Repeal!
Call Your Members of Congress Today to Tell Them to Vote NO for Repealing Health Care Reform!


The Illinois General Assembly recently passed legislation (HB5420) that implements numerous reforms to Medicaid, including significant changes to All Kids eligibility as well as enrollment and renewal processes. The reforms are expected to save $774 million over the next five years and will also phase out the practice of paying Medicaid bills from one budget year with revenue from the next fiscal year. Click here to read IMCHC's summary of the legislation and contact Kathy Chan with any questions.