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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Highland) will host a press conference Friday highlighting House Democratic legislation improving healthcare quality and mental health access. The press conference will be held in the Capitol Blue Room at Noon, or immediately following adjournment of Friday’s House session.

During the past week, LaPointe advanced key legislation expanding insurance coverage for mental and behavioral healthcare access, and Morgan passed a cutting-edge measure regulating the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

 Who: State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe State Rep. Bob Morgan                                                                                                                                                                                                                  What: Update on healthcare availability and mental health access legislation
Where: Capitol Blue Room
When: Friday, April 11 at Noon (or immediately following House session)

(Springfield, IL) – State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), released the following statement in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s annual budget address:

“Illinois has made incredible progress in recent years, and this budget cycle presents another opportunity to build on that momentum. Reviewing the governor’s proposal is the first step in a long process to craft a fiscally responsible and forward-thinking budget that supports working families,” said Morgan. “House Democrats remain committed to budgeting for Illinois families by making smart investments that ease the rising cost of living, ensure access to quality healthcare, and strengthen our schools. I look forward to working with my colleagues to evaluate priorities line by line, ensuring that the state continues to live within its means and that our limited resources go where they are needed most.”

Last year, Morgan supported key budget initiatives such as the first-of-its-kind Healthcare Protection Act to improve and lower the cost of insurance, a $50 million Child Tax Credit to help working families, and the elimination of the statewide grocery tax to reduce everyday costs. 

“The governor’s proposal outlines critical steps to rein in prescription drug costs, address rising prices, and cut the cost of government, but now the real work begins,” Morgan added. “By prioritizing investments in education—from expanding access to pre-K and affordable childcare to ensuring every student who applied for a MAP Grant received one—we are giving our children a brighter future. Additionally, we continue to invest in public safety by providing police departments with the necessary resources for training, recruitment, and equipment, while also dedicating funding to innovative violence prevention initiatives.”

Despite challenges at the federal level, Morgan remains committed to ensuring that Illinois continues to move forward. “We know the biggest challenge in this budget cycle will be overcoming the uncertainty coming out of Washington, but my colleagues and I in the state legislature will remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting and protecting Illinois families,” Morgan said.

DEERFIELD, Ill. – A medical debt relief initiative backed by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, has eliminated $72 million in old medical bills for more than 52,000 Illinoisans, with more relief on the way.

“Medical debt forces families to delay or forgo care altogether, escalating health problems and driving up long-term healthcare costs,” said Morgan. “Forgiving medical debt not only removes these financial barriers but ensures residents can access the preventative and ongoing medical care they need without fear they won’t be able to afford critical services for their health.”

Morgan was integral to passing House Bill 5290 last spring, implementing the state’s Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program. The program has forgiven over $72 million in debt for more than 52,000 Illinoisans and is part of the state’s ongoing commitment to improving health equity in Illinois.

The program is eligible for low-income residents with a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or whose medical debt exceeds 5% of their household income, allowing families to prioritize their health without financial burden.

“This is a low-cost, high-impact initiative that allows our families to focus on what’s important— their health. Eliminating medical debt improves outcomes for all residents across the state by freeing up resources and creating healthier communities.”

Eligible Illinois residents need not apply but will receive notification letters after their debt has been eliminated. More information can be found here.

DEERFIELD, Ill. —State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, has passed HB 2394, modernizing the process for professional licenses at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Both chambers passed the bipartisan legislation this week and Governor Pritzker is expected to sign this urgent measure.

The legislation is the House Democrats’ response to historic delays in license application processing at IDFPR.  These delays have kept doctors, nurses, social workers, and many more licensed professionals from working, in some cases for up to 1 year, while they await IDFPR processing of their paperwork. “These unprecedented license delays have not only impacted our healthcare professionals, but have literally impacted healthcare delivery in Illinois,” said Rep. Morgan. “This committee has taken on tough challenges together – I am proud of the collaboration that produced this bill, and look forward to working with the administration to build a professional licensing system that models best practices and meets the modern needs of the people of Illinois. This legislation provides real solutions to an urgent problem, and does so on a defined timeline.”

The legislation requires IDFPR to implement a fully online professional licensing system through an expedited, competitive procurement process over the course of the next 6 months. While the Department updates the system, it is required to extend renewal deadlines and waive late fees so that no new applicants or renewing licensees have to worry about their licenses expiring solely because of department backlogs.

House Democrats first called attention to the licensing backlog in September, when a hearing of the House Health Care Licenses Committee heard from provider groups about the impacts of an antiquated, backlogged licensing system that still requires applicants to send in paper applications and paper checks.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, Chair of the House Health Care Licensing Committee, will continue the process of addressing the ongoing delays in licensure processing by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), by holding a public hearing of his committee on Sep. 27 at 10:00 a.m. in room C-600 on the 6 th Floor of the Michael A. Bilandic Building on LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago.

The delays have led to many professionals, including nurses and other health care workers, as well as their employers, having to worry about their ability to keep working should their licenses lapse. Morgan and other lawmakers on the Committee will hear from health care providers, representatives of health systems, pharmacies and IDFPR. Hearings of this kind are often among the first steps in crafting policy in response to a given problem, and typically determine the direction that future legislative or regulatory efforts will take.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, is set to receive the 2023 Public Service Award from the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago.

“Throughout my career, I’ve prioritized public service and giving back to my community and state. I’m truly honored by this recognition, but there is still so much work to do.” Morgan said. “I’m also honored to be sharing this space with my deserving, fellow NIU alumni whose commendable work is also being recognized.”

Morgan is a 2005 graduate of NIU Law, and is one of seven outstanding alumni being honored at the ceremony. NIU’s website says awardees “were selected based on outstanding achievements in their careers, demonstrated service to the NIU College of Law or their community, and professional integrity.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With COVID-19 Public Health Emergency proclamations set to lapse on May 11, state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, passed a bill Wednesday providing stability to Illinois healthcare professionals and access to healthcare services amid expiring pandemic emergency measures.

“Healthcare workers went above and beyond—both in professionalism and selfless courage—to confront the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic which has upended our society for the last three years,” Morgan said. “As emergency measures will soon expire, this bill codifies some of the best reforms to our healthcare delivery in hospitals, healthcare facilities and pharmacies, and reinforces our over-stretched healthcare workforce with temporary healthcare professionals. Emergency declarations may be expiring, but COVID-19 isn’t gone and our state’s healthcare shortages would have worsened had we failed to act.”

Morgan’s House Bill 559 provides healthcare workers who have been practicing under temporary, emergency licenses during the pandemic with the opportunity to obtain full licensure, and to continue practicing while that licensure process is ongoing.  The law also permits continued pharmacy access to flu and COVID-19 testing and vaccination, and therapeutic treatment for COVID-19. 

The bill passed both the House and Senate without opposition, and was signed into law today by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The new law takes effect immediately. Supporters of the bill included the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Illinois Pharmacy Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, the National Association of Social Workers and the Health Care Council of Illinois.

“Not only have many temporary public health measures benefited Illinois’ healthcare delivery system—allowing them to expire would risk severe disruption to our healthcare workforce and healthcare as we know it,” Morgan said. “That’s why we must recognize the heroic labors and sacrifices of these dedicated frontline healthcare workers as they continue to care for the most medically vulnerable residents of our state.”

Morgan’s office is reachable at 847-780-8471 or info@repbobmorgan.com.

DEERFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, will continue his career-spanning efforts to improve health care access and outcomes for Illinoisans and their families after being appointed as Chair of the Illinois House Health Care Licenses Committee for the 103^rd General Assembly. He brings with him a wealth of experience from a career spent tackling issues in and around health care.

“I’m particularly excited about this appointment because it gives me a unique opportunity to draw on my experience to advance policies that help Illinoisians struggling with the shortcomings in our health care system,” Morgan said. “I’ve worked in and around health care for my entire career, and that creates an opportunity to craft truly innovative policy solutions.”

Before his election to the House, Morgan was an attorney specializing in cases pertaining to health care, including while working in the Office of the Governor and as General Counsel for the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he helped implement both the Affordable Care Act and the Medical Cannabis Program. In his time chairing the committee, Morgan hopes, among other things, to take the lead in crafting policy aimed at speeding the recovery of the state’s health care network and workforce following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During and since the pandemic, our health care system—including the outstanding people whose everyday labor and sacrifices make it run—has taken a beating,” Morgan said. “The labor shortage throughout the health care system is as understandable as it is critical. Our doctors, nurses, specialists and other workers put in incredibly long hours, risked their health and often that of their families and routinely went far above and beyond to deliver care and save lives. Despite that, not enough has been done to take care of them, to adjust policies to account for new realities or to ensure there are enough of these critical workers—not only to meet current needs but to be prepared for future crises so that we aren’t overwhelmed again. I look forward to helping address these challenges and many others in this new session.”

Morgan’s office is reachable at 847-780-8471 or info@repbobmorgan.com.

DEERFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, is announcing that over $138 million in highway infrastructure funds have been earmarked for his 58^th District via the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. The funds are to be used between now and 2028 for various projects related to state and local highways.

“An economy’s road network is its bloodstream,” Morgan said. “That’s why passing and funding the Rebuild Illinois program was a key priority for me. It’s easy to let roads, bridges and highways get lost in the shuffle of flashier, more attention-grabbing budget items. But infrastructure is the economy’s foundation and it can only work as hard for us as we work on keeping it maintained. That’s what makes this funding so crucial.”

Forty-two separate projects are funded across Morgan’s district with costs ranging from $12,000 up to $22.3 million. Nine projects, with budgets totaling just under $10 million, are slated for 2023, with the remainder being spread over the years 2024-2028.

“Illinoisans both need and deserve a world-class transportation network to support and amplify their characteristic hard work and innovation,” Morgan said. “This funding through Rebuild Illinois is just one part of my commitment to my goal of serving the people who’ve entrusted me to make Springfield work for them.”

Morgan’s constituent service office is reachable at 847-780-8471 or info@repbobmorgan.com.

HIGHWOOD, Ill. –State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, sponsored a bill signed Friday that carves out an exception for health savings account-qualified high deductible health plans (HDHP) from the prohibition on copay accumulator programs under the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Morgan’s bill exempts such plans, subject to IRS requirements, from another law that barred providers from applying the amount a beneficiary saved using manufacturer coupons and other discounts toward their deductibles or annual out-of-pocket limits.

“Eliminating red tape that inflates costs will make quality healthcare more affordable for people in Illinois,” said Rep. Morgan. “I’m pleased that this important legislation was passed and signed into law by Gov. Pritzker today.”

An HDHP has a higher deductible than other insurance plans; the monthly premium is usually lower, but consumers pay more health care costs before the carrier starts to pay its share. An HDHP can be combined with an HSA, allowing the consumer to pay for certain medical expenses with money free from federal taxes.

Supporters of Morgan’s bill, House Bill 4433, included the Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council, American Cancer Society, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).

“Every Illinoisan deserves healthcare choices that make sense for their situation and budget,” said Morgan. “This law helps with that by fixing a bureaucratic pitfall that made it needlessly more difficult for many people to access high-quality healthcare on their own terms.”

Once signed, the new law’s provisions will become effective immediately.

For more information, contact Rep. Bob Morgan’s office at (847) 780-8471 or email info@repbobmorgan.com.