Delgado Prioritizes State Investment in Families, Education, Healthcare

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A smart and compassionate state budget and reforms to bring down costs and make healthcare more accessible are among the significant accomplishments state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, is highlighting from a productive legislative session. 

“Vulnerable communities have long been left out of our state budget conversations, but we are changing that,” Delgado said. “We increased Community Care investments to make facilities more accessible for families with unique care needs. We’re also getting serious about property tax relief and increasing our affordable housing stock by redirecting inefficient government spending to first-time homebuyer programs and rent assistance.”

Delgado passed a balanced state budget that invests in local families. Delgado prioritized new investments in early childhood education which will create new opportunity for 5,000 of Illinois’ youngest learners, $350 million more for elementary and secondary schools, and additional access to college financial aid such as MAP Grants. Additionally, a new $50 million child tax credit will help families raising young children face rising costs, while a $10 million state investment will eliminate $1 billion in family medical debt.

Delgado also passed critical healthcare reforms making care better and more affordable by: 

• Cracking down on out-of-control rate increases that only pad profits for insurance companies;
• Ending step therapy and pre-clearance gimmicks and returning decision making powers back to doctors and patients;
• And prohibiting ‘junk insurance’ that entices customers with low costs, but provides no real coverage. 

“Health insurance is supposed to protect people at their worst, most unfortunate moments, not to gouge consumers and pad the profits of multi-billion dollar companies,” Delgado said. “The long-term health of my community depends on affordable, quality insurance, so families can get the care their doctors know they need. The Healthcare Protection Act does just that.” 

Delgado also passed legislation to make inhalers more affordable (Senate Bill 3203) and to increase the number of covered rounds of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) (Senate Bill 773). 

“These key bills reflect the unique needs of patients, not what plans arbitrarily require,” Delgado said. “More and more kids in my community need inhalers than ever before, being a result of longstanding environmental impacts. As we work to break down the injustices our kids face, this legislation provides a solution to a growing problem.

“Despite the benefits in most plans, women often need more IVF rounds than their insurance covers. My bill reflects that by giving doctors and patients the final say on IVF scheduling.”