Charity Care

From Hannah Gelder, Lakeview Action Coalition, one of the leaders of
the Fair Care Coalition:

Both charity care bills passed the House today. The "process" bill
drafted by the Attorney General, SB 3261, HA 2, using Fair Care
Coalition ideas, passed with unanimous consent in the House.  Friends
in the struggle, the AG may have drafted the language, but that's
definitely Our Bill--calling for a universal application and
presumptive eligibility process to be used by all IL hospitals.  In
the floor debate, Tom Cross stood up to speak and say that it was the
right thing to do. Then Greg Harris clarified with Kelly Cassidy that
consumer advocates would have a voice in the rule making process. This
is a good thing!

But then the other charity care bill, SB 2194, also passed the house.
Dems stood up to say vote for it for the cigarette tax, and Repubs
stood up to say vote for it to protect the hospitals. The bill only
passed by 1 extra vote, but either way you look at it, those
statements screw low-income people. Taxes to encourage quitting
smoking is the right thing to do, but those revenues are being raised
off the backs of the poor and LAC's agenda to close corporate tax
loopholes this session to raise revenue had NO traction on
Springfield. Protecting hospitals really means that they will have
less obligation to provide charity care for the poor.

But Barbara Flynn Currie made a big speech saying that they wrote the
bill so that the hospital property tax piece is severable. They tried
to act within the bounds of the constitution, but the courts will have
to decide. If they overturn that piece, however, they should NOT
overturn the cigarette and provider tax, she said adamantly. This is a
sad state of affairs. but the "process" bill brings some balance to
that equation.

In Senegal they have a saying that says, "Little by little he catches
the monkey in the bush."  I'm coming to learn that it's all about the
little steps to make real change.  SB 3261 HA 2 is one of those small
steps in our campaign to force wealthy, nonprofit hospitals to provide
free care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured persons.