SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As of Jan. 1, individual or group accidental health insurance coverage companies are prohibited from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions under a new law supported by State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Oak Park.

“Having access to affordable healthcare is a necessity for people suffering from pre-existing conditions,” Lilly said. “Attempts by Trump and his Republican allies to repeal the Affordable Care Act would put the lives of people throughout the country in jeopardy. Nobody should be forced to make the decision to either refill their monthly prescriptions or buy food to feed their families. Every American deserves access to affordable healthcare regardless of any current condition they may have.”

The Lilly-supported House Bill 2959 prevents insurance companies from denying health coverage to Illinois residents with pre-existing conditions. The new law was drafted in response to efforts by federal politicians seeking to pad the profits of large insurance companies through sweeping changes to the U.S. healthcare system. Under the law, individuals with pre-existing conditions won’t have to worry about losing their healthcare coverage when they change jobs or insurance companies.

“Providing Americans with healthcare and affordable insurance is not something that should be up for debate,” Lilly said. “Patients’ access to healthcare should not be in jeopardy because of a pre-existing illness. These state-level protections ensure that thousands of Illinois families will not lose their insurance coverage, regardless of what happens in Washington.”

Lilly represents the 78th District, which includes parts of Chicago, Oak Park, Elmwood Park, River Grove, Franklin Park, and Melrose Park.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation supported by state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, to prevent health insurance companies from denying care to Illinois residents with pre-existing conditions went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

“Healthcare is one of the most important and personal aspects of a person’s life,” Hernandez said. “This legislation was needed in order to protect the people across our state who were at risk of losing their healthcare coverage due to proposed federal changes by Donald Trump and his extreme allies in Washington.”

Hernandez supported state-level protections for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly 26 percent of nonelderly people in Illinois have a pre-existing condition. The Hernandez-backed House Bill 2959 prevents insurance companies selling policies in Illinois from discriminating against those most in need of care, regardless of changes to federal healthcare law.

“We need a healthcare system that works for people, not for the bottom-line of big insurance companies,” Hernandez said. “With these protections in place, seniors and working families in Illinois will now be able to go about their everyday lives without the fear of being denied coverage because of their medical history.”

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – As of Jan. 1, individual or group accidental health insurance coverage companies are prohibited from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions under a new law supported by state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island.

“The proposed changes to healthcare at the federal level could severely impact the well-being of working families here in Illinois” Halpin said. “This is especially true for those who have pre-existing conditions, whose lives depend on having access to affordable, high-quality care.”

The Halpin-supported House Bill 2959 prevents insurance companies from denying health coverage to Illinois residents with pre-existing conditions. The new law was drafted in response to efforts by federal politicians seeking to pad the profits of large insurance companies through sweeping changes to the U.S. healthcare system. Under the law, individuals with pre-existing conditions won’t have to worry about losing their healthcare coverage when they change jobs or insurance companies.

“Patients’ access to healthcare should not be in jeopardy because of a pre-existing illness,” Halpin said. “These state-level protections ensure that thousands of Illinois families will not lose their insurance coverage, regardless of what happens in Washington.”

BELLEVILLE, Ill.– Legislation backed by state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, aimed at protecting the 1.3 million Illinoisans who would lose their health insurance under proposed federal healthcare changes—particularly if they have a pre-existing condition—was recently signed into law.

“Working families stand to lose access to quality healthcare due to the extreme changes being pushed by politicians in Washington,” Hoffman said. “Pre-existing conditions should not determine whether or not residents are able to receive care.”

Hoffman sponsored House Bill 2959, which prohibits big insurance corporations from denying access to health coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. The measure was a response to proposed federal changes to the healthcare system that would jeopardize 1.3 million Illinoisans’ access to life-saving care and saddle countless more residents with inferior healthcare plans and higher monthly premiums.

“Rather than stripping healthcare from millions of Illinoisans, we need to be working together to lower costs and improve care,” Hoffman said. “The well-being of our families should always come first and I’m proud of this bipartisan measure that ensures access to healthcare for working families in Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As Washington politicians push for reckless changes to a federal law which would strip insurance from people with preexisting conditions and increase premiums, state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, is fighting to stop massive insurance companies from gouging middle-class families and ensure no one can be denied care because of their medical history.

“Our neighbors deserve access to healthcare regardless of any preexisting medical condition,” said Willis. “Denying people, from cancer patients to kids with disabilities, from the treatments and procedures they need to be healthy would be devastating to millions of families throughout the state.”

Willis sponsored and voted to pass House Bill 2624, which creates an independent Health Insurance Rate Review Board to review and approve proposed insurance premiums and block unjustified increases intended only to increase corporate profits at the expense of consumers.

Additionally, Willis passed state-level protections for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. While Washington politicians continue fighting to repeal federal protections for these at-risk individuals, Willis’s House Bill 2959 would prevent insurance companies selling policies in Illinois from discriminating against the sickest, oldest and most in need of care. The legislation passed the House with bipartisan support.

“Families in our community would be protected from Washington’s disastrous healthcare policies under these measures,” said Willis. “The healthcare needs of working people, seniors and children must be prioritized over the profits of large insurance companies.”