The Illinois department of Public Health began accepting applications from patients and caregivers for the medical marijuana pilot program today.
The state will take applications from patients with last names beginning with the letters A through L. The application period for those with names starting with the letters M through Z is scheduled to begin on November 1.
Here are the links to IDPH's online application process and a Frequently Asked Questions pamphlet.
Showing posts with label Public health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public health. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Despite court rulings, Obamacare subsidies to continue in Illinois
By Jamey Dunn
Dueling court rulings handed down today put the future of a key piece of Obamacare into question, but for now, nothing will change about the way the law is implemented in Illinois.
A three judge panel in Washington D.C. ruled this morning that under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, federal subsidies to bring down the cost of insurance should only be available to residents of states that operate their own online insurance exchange. Under the decisions, Illinois and 35 other states would lose the subsidies. Illinois partnered with the feds on Getcoveredillinois.gov, but the website still relies on the federal exchange to sign patients up for coverage.
Just hours after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit weighed in, The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia issued a diverging opinion on a similar case. That panel of judges said that the wording of the law was unclear, but the majority agreed that the law allows for the subsidies to be dispersed through the federal exchange.
In Illinois, 217,000 people obtained insurance through the exchange. More than three quarters of those qualified for a subsidy. Health officials in Illinois say that those approximately 168,000 will not lose their subsides as an immediate result of the rulings. “We are monitoring today’s appeals court decisions in which two courts have rendered differing rulings. The bottom line for now is that nothing has changed, and the subsidies created under the law to help people cover the cost of their health care remain in effect. Get Covered Illinois is focused on preparing for the enrollment period for year two that will start this fall,” Jennifer Koehler, executive director of Get Covered Illinois, said in a written statement.
President Barack Obama’s administration says it plans to ask the full panel of judges at the D.C. appeals court to consider the issue. That group is made up of seven judges appointed by Democrats and four appointed by Republicans. Two other judges, one appointed by a Democrat and one by a Republican, could sit in on the case. It is possible that the issue may end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court previously upheld the law, but allowed states to opt out of a massive Medicaid expansion called for by the Affordable Care Act. Illinois lawmakers approved and Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law the expansion in Illinois.
Dueling court rulings handed down today put the future of a key piece of Obamacare into question, but for now, nothing will change about the way the law is implemented in Illinois.
A three judge panel in Washington D.C. ruled this morning that under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, federal subsidies to bring down the cost of insurance should only be available to residents of states that operate their own online insurance exchange. Under the decisions, Illinois and 35 other states would lose the subsidies. Illinois partnered with the feds on Getcoveredillinois.gov, but the website still relies on the federal exchange to sign patients up for coverage.
Just hours after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit weighed in, The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia issued a diverging opinion on a similar case. That panel of judges said that the wording of the law was unclear, but the majority agreed that the law allows for the subsidies to be dispersed through the federal exchange.
In Illinois, 217,000 people obtained insurance through the exchange. More than three quarters of those qualified for a subsidy. Health officials in Illinois say that those approximately 168,000 will not lose their subsides as an immediate result of the rulings. “We are monitoring today’s appeals court decisions in which two courts have rendered differing rulings. The bottom line for now is that nothing has changed, and the subsidies created under the law to help people cover the cost of their health care remain in effect. Get Covered Illinois is focused on preparing for the enrollment period for year two that will start this fall,” Jennifer Koehler, executive director of Get Covered Illinois, said in a written statement.
President Barack Obama’s administration says it plans to ask the full panel of judges at the D.C. appeals court to consider the issue. That group is made up of seven judges appointed by Democrats and four appointed by Republicans. Two other judges, one appointed by a Democrat and one by a Republican, could sit in on the case. It is possible that the issue may end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court previously upheld the law, but allowed states to opt out of a massive Medicaid expansion called for by the Affordable Care Act. Illinois lawmakers approved and Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law the expansion in Illinois.
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State online insurance exchanges
Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family
Foundation, KFF State Health
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Sugary drink tax fizzles out
By Caitlin Rydinsky
Another potential revenue source hit a wall at the Statehouse today as a House committee rejected a proposed tax on sugary drinks.
House Bill 0397 calls for a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages. Sponsor Rep. Gabel, an Evanston Democrat, said the bill could potentially raise more than $600 million to ease the state’s loss in revenue from expiration of the temporary income tax. Supporters hoped that increased tax could also help to reverse obesity and health- related issues by prompting residents to drink fewer sugary beverages. The legislation called for the tax revenue to be used for physical and health education in schools and childcare centers, as well as walking paths and other community initiatives.
The bill failed by a wide margin in the committee, with only two of seven members voting in favor. Opponents argued that the tax would be hard on low- and mid-income families and would jeopardize jobs in the soft drink industry. Mark Denzler, chief executive officer of the Illinois Manufacturing Association, said, “You can’t raise the revenue without losing jobs.” The manufacturers and beverage industry raised concerns that a tax would impact stores and cause Illinoisans to go nearby states to avoid the cost. Denzler said, “If you raise the tax, and this is a tax increase by $2.88 on a case of soda, you will see consumers not necessarily changing their pattern of what they buy, but where they buy.”
Supporters said although the bill failed, they will continue efforts to pass such legislation. “Though we wish the outcome of the hearing had been different, we are glad this bill has started a public debate on the health impacts caused by sugary drinks. The fight will continue for a healthier Illinois,” said Elissa Bassler, executive director of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity, in a written statement. “The issues regarding obesity-related health impacts such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke are not going away, and we are committed to reversing the obesity epidemic in Illinois.”
Backers of the tax said that it would not limit consumers' ability to have a beverage they want, but it could encourage them to make healthier choices. They argued that while jobs might be lost in the soft drink industry, the legislation would promote growth in other sectors, such as health care and wellness. “I understand the concerns of the tax applied, but I also really want to emphasize the cost and the pain that obesity and diabetes have caused in so many working families,” said Gabel. “Particularly low-income families who don’t have proper medical care and insurance. They end up losing their legs, and so, I think we have to weigh in on these things as well as the creation of jobs in other industries.”
Another potential revenue source hit a wall at the Statehouse today as a House committee rejected a proposed tax on sugary drinks.
House Bill 0397 calls for a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages. Sponsor Rep. Gabel, an Evanston Democrat, said the bill could potentially raise more than $600 million to ease the state’s loss in revenue from expiration of the temporary income tax. Supporters hoped that increased tax could also help to reverse obesity and health- related issues by prompting residents to drink fewer sugary beverages. The legislation called for the tax revenue to be used for physical and health education in schools and childcare centers, as well as walking paths and other community initiatives.
The bill failed by a wide margin in the committee, with only two of seven members voting in favor. Opponents argued that the tax would be hard on low- and mid-income families and would jeopardize jobs in the soft drink industry. Mark Denzler, chief executive officer of the Illinois Manufacturing Association, said, “You can’t raise the revenue without losing jobs.” The manufacturers and beverage industry raised concerns that a tax would impact stores and cause Illinoisans to go nearby states to avoid the cost. Denzler said, “If you raise the tax, and this is a tax increase by $2.88 on a case of soda, you will see consumers not necessarily changing their pattern of what they buy, but where they buy.”
Supporters said although the bill failed, they will continue efforts to pass such legislation. “Though we wish the outcome of the hearing had been different, we are glad this bill has started a public debate on the health impacts caused by sugary drinks. The fight will continue for a healthier Illinois,” said Elissa Bassler, executive director of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity, in a written statement. “The issues regarding obesity-related health impacts such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke are not going away, and we are committed to reversing the obesity epidemic in Illinois.”
Backers of the tax said that it would not limit consumers' ability to have a beverage they want, but it could encourage them to make healthier choices. They argued that while jobs might be lost in the soft drink industry, the legislation would promote growth in other sectors, such as health care and wellness. “I understand the concerns of the tax applied, but I also really want to emphasize the cost and the pain that obesity and diabetes have caused in so many working families,” said Gabel. “Particularly low-income families who don’t have proper medical care and insurance. They end up losing their legs, and so, I think we have to weigh in on these things as well as the creation of jobs in other industries.”
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Lawmakers propose tax on sugary drinks
By Caitlin Rydinsky
Democratic legislators have proposed a sugar-sweetened beverage tax in hopes that it will promote healthy lifestyles within Illinois.
Supporters say the legislation was introduced in an effort to help reduce the number of people with obesity, heart disease and cancers. Rep. Robyn Gabel of Evanston introduced House Bill 5690, which requests a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages sold or offered to retailers. The proposal indicates the retailer would be responsible to collect the tax from consumers. Sen. Mattie Hunter of Chicago proposed an identical bill under Senate Bill 3524. “Now, this won’t be an easy bill to pass,” Gabel said. “Some say it is moderation and exercise, but the reality is that a person needs to walk 3.3 miles to work off just one 20-ounce soda.”
The tax on the sugary drinks, including sports drinks, soda, fruit juices and some coffees, to name a few, is estimated to raise $600 million annually. Half of the money would go to Medicaid to reinstate dental care and other cuts. The other half would go to a wellness fund to promote community health and awareness. The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity said in a written statement that the tax targets sugar-sweetened drinks because strong evidence links them to obesity and other chronic illnesses.
“(The diseases) are costing us a lot of money in terms of health care costs. The estimate is obesity alone costs Illinois $4 billion or more in health care costs,” said Elissa Bessler, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based Illinois Public Health Institute. “So it is really a fiscal crisis and a health care crisis in Illinois.” Hunter said some may call the tax regressive, but she said obesity is also a health concern that is disproportionately plaguing the poor.
“Others will say that the tax is regressive, and it hurts poor people. Well, I’ll tell you what hurts poor people. That extra marketing of these drinks in poor communities, that hurts poor people. That extra deaths of diabetes and heart diseases in poor communities. The lack of safe places to exercise and healthy places to eat in poor communities. The cuts in Medicaid hurt poor people,” Hunter said.
While sugary drinks are linked to obesity and other medical issues, some question whether a tax is the best way to get people to cut back on consumption. “The soft drink industry has done a good job at making consumers know calories — not that it wasn’t on there before, but by putting it on the front of the can and from minimizing the ounces in cans,” said Tanya Triche, vice president and general counsel of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. Triche said merchants are already working on ways to promote better choices by having healthy foods at the entrance of the stores to help consumers think of better choices as they arrive. “It is already happening without the government getting involved by taxing.” She said the organization wants consumers to spend money buying more produce and food, rather than on taxes.
The Taxpayers Federation of Illinois has not taken a stance on the bill, but President Carol Portman said, “If you want to fight obesity, taxing isn’t the way to do it.”
Democratic legislators have proposed a sugar-sweetened beverage tax in hopes that it will promote healthy lifestyles within Illinois.
Supporters say the legislation was introduced in an effort to help reduce the number of people with obesity, heart disease and cancers. Rep. Robyn Gabel of Evanston introduced House Bill 5690, which requests a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages sold or offered to retailers. The proposal indicates the retailer would be responsible to collect the tax from consumers. Sen. Mattie Hunter of Chicago proposed an identical bill under Senate Bill 3524. “Now, this won’t be an easy bill to pass,” Gabel said. “Some say it is moderation and exercise, but the reality is that a person needs to walk 3.3 miles to work off just one 20-ounce soda.”
The tax on the sugary drinks, including sports drinks, soda, fruit juices and some coffees, to name a few, is estimated to raise $600 million annually. Half of the money would go to Medicaid to reinstate dental care and other cuts. The other half would go to a wellness fund to promote community health and awareness. The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity said in a written statement that the tax targets sugar-sweetened drinks because strong evidence links them to obesity and other chronic illnesses.
“(The diseases) are costing us a lot of money in terms of health care costs. The estimate is obesity alone costs Illinois $4 billion or more in health care costs,” said Elissa Bessler, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based Illinois Public Health Institute. “So it is really a fiscal crisis and a health care crisis in Illinois.” Hunter said some may call the tax regressive, but she said obesity is also a health concern that is disproportionately plaguing the poor.
“Others will say that the tax is regressive, and it hurts poor people. Well, I’ll tell you what hurts poor people. That extra marketing of these drinks in poor communities, that hurts poor people. That extra deaths of diabetes and heart diseases in poor communities. The lack of safe places to exercise and healthy places to eat in poor communities. The cuts in Medicaid hurt poor people,” Hunter said.
While sugary drinks are linked to obesity and other medical issues, some question whether a tax is the best way to get people to cut back on consumption. “The soft drink industry has done a good job at making consumers know calories — not that it wasn’t on there before, but by putting it on the front of the can and from minimizing the ounces in cans,” said Tanya Triche, vice president and general counsel of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. Triche said merchants are already working on ways to promote better choices by having healthy foods at the entrance of the stores to help consumers think of better choices as they arrive. “It is already happening without the government getting involved by taxing.” She said the organization wants consumers to spend money buying more produce and food, rather than on taxes.
The Taxpayers Federation of Illinois has not taken a stance on the bill, but President Carol Portman said, “If you want to fight obesity, taxing isn’t the way to do it.”
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Medical marijuana law goes into effect in January, but patients will have to wait
By Jamey Dunn
The agencies in charge of licensing medical marijuana dispensaries, patients and growers will not begin accepting application until well into 2014. In the meantime, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is warning patients to avoid scams.
The law creating the state’s medical marijuana pilot program goes into effect on January 1, 2014. But many details still have to go through the rule-making process. A release from the IDFPR said the rules would not be completed until the winter of 2014. Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the department, said her agency would not begin issuing licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries until the rules are in place. The Illinois Department of Public Health, which will license patients, and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which will license growers, will also not be able to sign off on any participants until the rule-making process is complete. Hofer said the soonest that could possibly happen would be the summer of 2014, but she said adopting the rules would likely take longer than that. “This is a really complicated thing,” she said, because three state agencies are all integrally involved in the oversight of the three-year pilot program.
The department warns patients to be wary of any clinics or doctors that claim to specialize in medical marijuana. “Unlike some states, Illinois law does not allow for ‘medical cannabis clinics’ or practices that exist solely to offer cannabis certifications,” IDFPR Acting Secretary Manuel Flores said in a written statement. “We want to make sure that patients who would truly benefit from the relief of medical cannabis are not misled and physicians are not violating the law.” IDPH has already filed a complaint against one such clinic in Chicago.
Patients who are ultimately approved for the program are required to have a “bona fide” existing relationship with a doctor who has been treating them for the condition that qualifies them for the program. "There is no specialty in medicine that treats all the various qualifying debilitating medical conditions listed in the act. This means that one physician could not properly treat all patients eligible to use medical cannabis,” said a news release from the department. “Additionally, IDFPR would not consider a physician to be treating a patient for a condition if the only treatment being provided is a written authorization for the used of medical cannabis.” The release said that any doctor or operation that is advertising as a medical marijuana clinic would “immediately” fall under its scrutiny. Patients who obtain cannabis illegally before the program goes into effect run the risk of being disqualified to participate.
The agencies in charge of licensing medical marijuana dispensaries, patients and growers will not begin accepting application until well into 2014. In the meantime, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is warning patients to avoid scams.
The law creating the state’s medical marijuana pilot program goes into effect on January 1, 2014. But many details still have to go through the rule-making process. A release from the IDFPR said the rules would not be completed until the winter of 2014. Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the department, said her agency would not begin issuing licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries until the rules are in place. The Illinois Department of Public Health, which will license patients, and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which will license growers, will also not be able to sign off on any participants until the rule-making process is complete. Hofer said the soonest that could possibly happen would be the summer of 2014, but she said adopting the rules would likely take longer than that. “This is a really complicated thing,” she said, because three state agencies are all integrally involved in the oversight of the three-year pilot program.
The department warns patients to be wary of any clinics or doctors that claim to specialize in medical marijuana. “Unlike some states, Illinois law does not allow for ‘medical cannabis clinics’ or practices that exist solely to offer cannabis certifications,” IDFPR Acting Secretary Manuel Flores said in a written statement. “We want to make sure that patients who would truly benefit from the relief of medical cannabis are not misled and physicians are not violating the law.” IDPH has already filed a complaint against one such clinic in Chicago.
Patients who are ultimately approved for the program are required to have a “bona fide” existing relationship with a doctor who has been treating them for the condition that qualifies them for the program. "There is no specialty in medicine that treats all the various qualifying debilitating medical conditions listed in the act. This means that one physician could not properly treat all patients eligible to use medical cannabis,” said a news release from the department. “Additionally, IDFPR would not consider a physician to be treating a patient for a condition if the only treatment being provided is a written authorization for the used of medical cannabis.” The release said that any doctor or operation that is advertising as a medical marijuana clinic would “immediately” fall under its scrutiny. Patients who obtain cannabis illegally before the program goes into effect run the risk of being disqualified to participate.
Friday, December 13, 2013
State launches outreach on big issues
By Jamey Dunn
The state of Illinois is trying to compete with the glittery distraction of the holiday season to inform residents about the impending implementation of concealed carry, a medical marijuana pilot program and insurance coverage.
The state will not begin accepting concealed carry permit applications until January 5, but the Illinois State Police launched a website this week that is meant to allow applicants to get a jump start on the process. The website gives applicants a checklist of what they will need to apply and directs them to a page where they can get an Illinois Digital ID, which is required for online application. It also provides information on how to obtain electronic fingerprints, which the state police say would expedite the process for applicants.
But not everyone is happy with the state’s high-tech approach to the process. A spokeswoman for the state police said the agency plans to only offer online applications for the “initial phase” of implementing concealed carry. She said that the online system would allow the state to meet the deadlines that are set out in the law. “We are also sensitive the needs of those applicants who may not have the ability to apply online, and we will need to further explore those options as the process moves forward,” Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for the state police, said in an email. Among supporters of the new law there is concern about access for those seeking licenses and skepticism that the site will be able to handle a potentially large number of applicants. They point to issues with the online setup — for instance, the page used to issue digital IDs does not work with some popular Internet browsers. (When I tried to access it using Google Chrome, I received an error message that directed me to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.)
Harrisburg Democratic Rep. Brandon Phelps, who sponsored the new law that will allow for the carry of concealed firearms in the state, said an online only permitting process was never his intent. Phelps said that he has been encouraging people to apply online because he believes that the process will be faster than paper applications. “You’re taking a chance by filing on paper [that] it may take you longer.” But he said that a paper option needs to exist, too. “There are people in this state that do not have access and the resources to do everything electronically.” Phelps said he hopes that the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules will resolve the issue at their meeting, which is scheduled for next week. He wants people to have the option to mail in applications when the state begins accepting them on January 5.
The state also launched a website to inform Illinoisans about the new medical marijuana pilot program. The new law goes into effect on January 1, but the Illinois Department of Public Health has not yet released a date on which it will begin issuing permits to patients. The homepage of the site says: “Members of the public should be aware that full implementation of MCPP will take time. The State of Illinois is warning that it will not be legal for anyone to grow, offer to provide, or to possess, medical cannabis until licenses have been issued and the program is up and running.” In the meantime, visitors to the website can find information about the program and sign up for email alerts.
In addition to both of those efforts, Illinois is kicking off its television advertising campaign to encourage residents to visit the state’s online insurance exchange and purchase coverage. “Now that the federal website has improved, we are shifting from educating consumers to the next phase of encouraging enrollment. We are urging thousands of uninsured residents in Illinois to get covered in this new state of health care that we are entering in 2014,” Jennifer Koehler, Executive Director of Get Covered Illinois, said in a prepared statement. “If you visited GetCoveredIllinois.gov before but didn’t select a plan, come back and try again. With the upgrades to the federal website that were recently put in place, the enrollment system is working much more smoothly. Now is the time to select a plan and get covered.”
The federal online exchange has come under fire for serious glitches. Illinois’ exchange is tied to the federal website, so it has experienced issues as well.
A news release issued by the state’s online marketplace described the advertising campaign: “The nearly $1-million TV ad buy includes the eight major-media markets in Illinois, and is targeted to reach Illinois’ uninsured population. The campaign features one 30-second ad that highlights the all-inclusive nature of the new state of health care across Illinois; and two 15-second spots: one that highlights the fact that insurers can no longer deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and one that features a mom-to-be.” The campaign, along with 300 events planned statewide, is meant to encourage people to sign up for insurance before the December 23 deadline. People who sign up by that date and pay a premium by December 31 will see their coverage start on January 1. Open enrollment on the exchange will continue through March 31.
The state of Illinois is trying to compete with the glittery distraction of the holiday season to inform residents about the impending implementation of concealed carry, a medical marijuana pilot program and insurance coverage.
The state will not begin accepting concealed carry permit applications until January 5, but the Illinois State Police launched a website this week that is meant to allow applicants to get a jump start on the process. The website gives applicants a checklist of what they will need to apply and directs them to a page where they can get an Illinois Digital ID, which is required for online application. It also provides information on how to obtain electronic fingerprints, which the state police say would expedite the process for applicants.
But not everyone is happy with the state’s high-tech approach to the process. A spokeswoman for the state police said the agency plans to only offer online applications for the “initial phase” of implementing concealed carry. She said that the online system would allow the state to meet the deadlines that are set out in the law. “We are also sensitive the needs of those applicants who may not have the ability to apply online, and we will need to further explore those options as the process moves forward,” Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for the state police, said in an email. Among supporters of the new law there is concern about access for those seeking licenses and skepticism that the site will be able to handle a potentially large number of applicants. They point to issues with the online setup — for instance, the page used to issue digital IDs does not work with some popular Internet browsers. (When I tried to access it using Google Chrome, I received an error message that directed me to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.)
Harrisburg Democratic Rep. Brandon Phelps, who sponsored the new law that will allow for the carry of concealed firearms in the state, said an online only permitting process was never his intent. Phelps said that he has been encouraging people to apply online because he believes that the process will be faster than paper applications. “You’re taking a chance by filing on paper [that] it may take you longer.” But he said that a paper option needs to exist, too. “There are people in this state that do not have access and the resources to do everything electronically.” Phelps said he hopes that the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules will resolve the issue at their meeting, which is scheduled for next week. He wants people to have the option to mail in applications when the state begins accepting them on January 5.
The state also launched a website to inform Illinoisans about the new medical marijuana pilot program. The new law goes into effect on January 1, but the Illinois Department of Public Health has not yet released a date on which it will begin issuing permits to patients. The homepage of the site says: “Members of the public should be aware that full implementation of MCPP will take time. The State of Illinois is warning that it will not be legal for anyone to grow, offer to provide, or to possess, medical cannabis until licenses have been issued and the program is up and running.” In the meantime, visitors to the website can find information about the program and sign up for email alerts.
In addition to both of those efforts, Illinois is kicking off its television advertising campaign to encourage residents to visit the state’s online insurance exchange and purchase coverage. “Now that the federal website has improved, we are shifting from educating consumers to the next phase of encouraging enrollment. We are urging thousands of uninsured residents in Illinois to get covered in this new state of health care that we are entering in 2014,” Jennifer Koehler, Executive Director of Get Covered Illinois, said in a prepared statement. “If you visited GetCoveredIllinois.gov before but didn’t select a plan, come back and try again. With the upgrades to the federal website that were recently put in place, the enrollment system is working much more smoothly. Now is the time to select a plan and get covered.”
The federal online exchange has come under fire for serious glitches. Illinois’ exchange is tied to the federal website, so it has experienced issues as well.
A news release issued by the state’s online marketplace described the advertising campaign: “The nearly $1-million TV ad buy includes the eight major-media markets in Illinois, and is targeted to reach Illinois’ uninsured population. The campaign features one 30-second ad that highlights the all-inclusive nature of the new state of health care across Illinois; and two 15-second spots: one that highlights the fact that insurers can no longer deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and one that features a mom-to-be.” The campaign, along with 300 events planned statewide, is meant to encourage people to sign up for insurance before the December 23 deadline. People who sign up by that date and pay a premium by December 31 will see their coverage start on January 1. Open enrollment on the exchange will continue through March 31.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Fewer than 2,000 Illinoisans have picked an insurance plan through the online exchange
By Jamey Dunn
Since the online insurance exchange, a key piece of the federal health care reform law, was launched in October, fewer than 2,000 Illinoisans have chosen insurance plans through the Internet marketplace.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released enrollment numbers today for the insurance exchange, which is an important part of the federal health care law known as Obamacare. The statistics also included state-run exchanges. Nationwide, 106,185 people have selected plans. In Illinois, the number is 1,370. However, 30,901 have completed applications seeking information on coverage for 56,636 people. According to HHS, 11,603 Illinoisans have been deemed eligible for federal subsidies to buy insurance, and 19,447 have been deemed eligible for Medicaid.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during a conference call announcing the numbers today that the federal exchange has had 28.6 million unique hits since its launch on October 1. “In every part of our country, Americans are very interested in the affordable health coverage that’s being offered through the marketplace and through Medicaid.” But the website has been unable to meet that demand, and users have been greeted by slow load times and crashes. Sebelius has apologized for the problems and said HHS is “working 24/7” to fix the problems. She admits that things are still not working as well as hoped but said that the goal is to have the site fully operational by the end of this month for the “vast majority” of users. “We are clearly, here on the 13th of November, not where we want to be on the 30th of November.”
The department has sent emails to users who tried to create an account previously, asking them to come back and give it another shot. However, one reporter participating in the conference call said he was unable to create an account when he tried. I was also unable to create an account after trying for more than an hour. HHS staff said that our experiences were isolated incidents, which were not necessarily indicative of the majority of consumers’ experiences with the website. “It is getting better. It’s getting better everyday. So I would urge people to visit the site,” Sebelius said. Contrasting that positivism are the descriptions opponents use to characterize the rollout of the exchange. U.S. Rep. Aaron Shock, a Republican from Illinois, called it an “unmitigated disaster” yesterday. “This was a monumental mistake to go live and effectively explode on the launch pad,” U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, said during a recent congressional hearing on the rollout. House Republicans have voted more than 40 times to repeal the law, and many refused to vote for a federal budget unless Obamacare was defunded or the mandate that individuals get insurance was delayed. That stance led to the more than two-week shutdown of the federal government in October.
Opponents say that if not enough people — especially the young and healthy, who will help to balance out the costs of older people and those with preexisting conditions — sign up, Obamacare could be doomed. “At the current pace, it would take Illinois more than 14 years to reach its 2014 target,” Naomi Lopez-Bauman, director of health policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said in a prepared statement. “This low level, whether attributed to website obstacles or lack of demand, is a cause for alarm for two reasons. First, if these enrollment trends continue, the exchange will almost certainly face an insurance death spiral, where older and sicker patients are far more motivated to enroll, driving up prices further. Second, the number of people losing their health insurance coverage in the individual and small group markets as a result of Obamacare could leave the state with a higher uninsured rate.”
But Sebelius said today that there is no cause for alarm. She noted that HHS, state entities and community groups working to educate people about their options under Obamacare and encouraging them to get insured are “only a month into a sustained six-month enrollment and outreach effort.” Sebelius pointed to the enrollment pattern of the Massachusetts state exchange, upon which the federal concept is modeled. Under that state’s plan, many residents waited until later in the enrollment period to sign up. “I think what we saw in Massachusetts is that people visited the site multiple times before they made a decision.” She said that people want to take time to think over their choices, talk to their families and make sure that their doctors will be in the provider networks for their new plans. “We have every reason to expect more people will enroll.” Those who want their insurance to kick in by January 1 must sign up by December 15. The enrollment period ends on March 31. The uninsured face a potential fine after that point under the individual mandate. There are exemptions for religious objectors and those who cannot afford insurance.
Illinois’ exchange is run as partnership between the federal government and the state. Illinois officials echoed Sebelius’ take on the enrollment numbers. “We have consistently urged Illinois residents to take their time getting educated, rather than make an impulsive decision on something as important as health care for themselves and their families,” Jennifer Koehler, executive director of Get Covered Illinois (the state's exchange portal), said in a prepared statement. “When healthcare.gov is ready to handle more users, we expect to see more website traffic to Get Covered Illinois and significant growth in our enrollment numbers.”
Since the online insurance exchange, a key piece of the federal health care reform law, was launched in October, fewer than 2,000 Illinoisans have chosen insurance plans through the Internet marketplace.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released enrollment numbers today for the insurance exchange, which is an important part of the federal health care law known as Obamacare. The statistics also included state-run exchanges. Nationwide, 106,185 people have selected plans. In Illinois, the number is 1,370. However, 30,901 have completed applications seeking information on coverage for 56,636 people. According to HHS, 11,603 Illinoisans have been deemed eligible for federal subsidies to buy insurance, and 19,447 have been deemed eligible for Medicaid.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during a conference call announcing the numbers today that the federal exchange has had 28.6 million unique hits since its launch on October 1. “In every part of our country, Americans are very interested in the affordable health coverage that’s being offered through the marketplace and through Medicaid.” But the website has been unable to meet that demand, and users have been greeted by slow load times and crashes. Sebelius has apologized for the problems and said HHS is “working 24/7” to fix the problems. She admits that things are still not working as well as hoped but said that the goal is to have the site fully operational by the end of this month for the “vast majority” of users. “We are clearly, here on the 13th of November, not where we want to be on the 30th of November.”
The department has sent emails to users who tried to create an account previously, asking them to come back and give it another shot. However, one reporter participating in the conference call said he was unable to create an account when he tried. I was also unable to create an account after trying for more than an hour. HHS staff said that our experiences were isolated incidents, which were not necessarily indicative of the majority of consumers’ experiences with the website. “It is getting better. It’s getting better everyday. So I would urge people to visit the site,” Sebelius said. Contrasting that positivism are the descriptions opponents use to characterize the rollout of the exchange. U.S. Rep. Aaron Shock, a Republican from Illinois, called it an “unmitigated disaster” yesterday. “This was a monumental mistake to go live and effectively explode on the launch pad,” U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, said during a recent congressional hearing on the rollout. House Republicans have voted more than 40 times to repeal the law, and many refused to vote for a federal budget unless Obamacare was defunded or the mandate that individuals get insurance was delayed. That stance led to the more than two-week shutdown of the federal government in October.
Opponents say that if not enough people — especially the young and healthy, who will help to balance out the costs of older people and those with preexisting conditions — sign up, Obamacare could be doomed. “At the current pace, it would take Illinois more than 14 years to reach its 2014 target,” Naomi Lopez-Bauman, director of health policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said in a prepared statement. “This low level, whether attributed to website obstacles or lack of demand, is a cause for alarm for two reasons. First, if these enrollment trends continue, the exchange will almost certainly face an insurance death spiral, where older and sicker patients are far more motivated to enroll, driving up prices further. Second, the number of people losing their health insurance coverage in the individual and small group markets as a result of Obamacare could leave the state with a higher uninsured rate.”
But Sebelius said today that there is no cause for alarm. She noted that HHS, state entities and community groups working to educate people about their options under Obamacare and encouraging them to get insured are “only a month into a sustained six-month enrollment and outreach effort.” Sebelius pointed to the enrollment pattern of the Massachusetts state exchange, upon which the federal concept is modeled. Under that state’s plan, many residents waited until later in the enrollment period to sign up. “I think what we saw in Massachusetts is that people visited the site multiple times before they made a decision.” She said that people want to take time to think over their choices, talk to their families and make sure that their doctors will be in the provider networks for their new plans. “We have every reason to expect more people will enroll.” Those who want their insurance to kick in by January 1 must sign up by December 15. The enrollment period ends on March 31. The uninsured face a potential fine after that point under the individual mandate. There are exemptions for religious objectors and those who cannot afford insurance.
Illinois’ exchange is run as partnership between the federal government and the state. Illinois officials echoed Sebelius’ take on the enrollment numbers. “We have consistently urged Illinois residents to take their time getting educated, rather than make an impulsive decision on something as important as health care for themselves and their families,” Jennifer Koehler, executive director of Get Covered Illinois (the state's exchange portal), said in a prepared statement. “When healthcare.gov is ready to handle more users, we expect to see more website traffic to Get Covered Illinois and significant growth in our enrollment numbers.”
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Half of Illinois' fast-food workers rely on public aid
By Jamey Dunn
More than half of front-line fast food workers in Illinois are recipients of public aid.
A new report titled Fast Food. Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California Berkley’s Labor Center found that 51 percent of the 84,000 workers in the fast food industry in the state rely on public aid programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Illinois’ stats were similar to national finding. Across the country, 52 percent of the employees of fast food restaurants are enrolled in public assistance programs. That compares with 25 percent of the workforce as a whole. The study also says that 73 percent of those enrolled in the programs covered in the study — Medicaid, SNAP, Earned Income Tax Credits and Medicaid programs specifically for children — are employed or are part of a family that has at least one employed member.
The median pay for fast food employees across the nation is $8.69. The report notes that pay for fast food workers is usually at or near minimum wage, which is $8.25 an hour in Illinois. The median number of working hours available to fast food workers each week is 30. An estimated 87 percent of fast-food workers do not receive health care coverage through their employers.
“The combination of low wages and benefits, often coupled with part-time employment, means that many of the families of fast-food workers must rely on taxpayer-funded safety net to make ends meet,” the study says. “People working in fast-food jobs are more likely to live in or near poverty. One in five families with a member holding a fast-food job has an income below the poverty line.”
The estimated national cost for public benefits given to fast food workers is $7 billion each year. In Illinois, the cost is $368 million annually. About 60 percent of the total national cost, or $3.8 billion, comes from the 10 largest fast food companies, according to a companion report issued today by the New-York-based National Employment Law Project. Last year, those companies reported $7.4 billion in profits and paid $52.7 million to their highest-level corporate employees.
The authors of Fast Food. Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry say these costs should be considered when public policy choices about public aid and minimum wages are made. “Although extensive, the hidden public cost of low-wage work rarely factors into debates about state and national policy. The public benefits discussed in this report provide a vital support system for millions of the working poor. The findings of this report suggest those programs could be more effective if supplemented by measures that improve workers’ wages and benefits, either through public policy measures such as living and minimum wage laws, or through collective bargaining.”
More than half of front-line fast food workers in Illinois are recipients of public aid.
A new report titled Fast Food. Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California Berkley’s Labor Center found that 51 percent of the 84,000 workers in the fast food industry in the state rely on public aid programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Illinois’ stats were similar to national finding. Across the country, 52 percent of the employees of fast food restaurants are enrolled in public assistance programs. That compares with 25 percent of the workforce as a whole. The study also says that 73 percent of those enrolled in the programs covered in the study — Medicaid, SNAP, Earned Income Tax Credits and Medicaid programs specifically for children — are employed or are part of a family that has at least one employed member.
The median pay for fast food employees across the nation is $8.69. The report notes that pay for fast food workers is usually at or near minimum wage, which is $8.25 an hour in Illinois. The median number of working hours available to fast food workers each week is 30. An estimated 87 percent of fast-food workers do not receive health care coverage through their employers.
“The combination of low wages and benefits, often coupled with part-time employment, means that many of the families of fast-food workers must rely on taxpayer-funded safety net to make ends meet,” the study says. “People working in fast-food jobs are more likely to live in or near poverty. One in five families with a member holding a fast-food job has an income below the poverty line.”
The estimated national cost for public benefits given to fast food workers is $7 billion each year. In Illinois, the cost is $368 million annually. About 60 percent of the total national cost, or $3.8 billion, comes from the 10 largest fast food companies, according to a companion report issued today by the New-York-based National Employment Law Project. Last year, those companies reported $7.4 billion in profits and paid $52.7 million to their highest-level corporate employees.
The authors of Fast Food. Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry say these costs should be considered when public policy choices about public aid and minimum wages are made. “Although extensive, the hidden public cost of low-wage work rarely factors into debates about state and national policy. The public benefits discussed in this report provide a vital support system for millions of the working poor. The findings of this report suggest those programs could be more effective if supplemented by measures that improve workers’ wages and benefits, either through public policy measures such as living and minimum wage laws, or through collective bargaining.”
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Former Public Health chief of staff charged with corruption
By Jamey Dunn
An indictment released today alleges that the former chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Public Health accepted bribes and kickbacks for directing grants and contracts to certain providers.
Quinshaunta Golden is accused of taking $433,000 in kickbacks from state grant and contract funds. Golden, who is the niece of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, is charged with bribery, theft and fraud. Golden was chief of staff to from 2003 to 2008, serving for most of that time under Department of Public Health Director Eric Whitaker. The indictment does not indicate that Whitaker knew of Golden’s alleged misdeeds. “At this point the evidence has taken us to Quinn Golden, and the evidence has not taken us farther,” Jim Lewis, U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, said at a Springfield news conference. Golden is also accused of witness tampering/obstruction of justice because prosecutors say she tried the influence a witness in an attempt to cover up the alleged crimes.
Today’s indictment stems from an investigation that has led to charges against 12 other people, including former Chicago Democratic state Rep. Constance Howard. She pleaded guilty in July to one count of wire fraud. Howard is accused of spending money from a scholarship fund on personal and campaign costs. She faces a sentencing date in November. Prosecutors have said they will seek a six-month prison sentence and six months home confinement for Howard. “Charges filed against these 13 defendants collectively allege the misuse of more than $16 million in taxpayers’ money intended to provide a wide range of health care, student assistance, job training programs and services to disadvantaged citizens. These include programs to promote wellness and improve health care; to prepare for major health and natural disaster emergencies; to provide health care advocacy programs and student job training assistance; to provide skill training and apprenticeships; and to provide statewide HIV prevention plans and HIV/AIDS facilities to assist African-Americans,” stated a news release from Lewis’ office.
The IDPH did not respond for a request for comment, and Golden could not be reached. Her first court appearance is scheduled for August 23. Lewis said that the investigation continues. However, he said that the charges do not indicate that the corruption touched all the programs at the IDPH. He said that so far, the focus has been on about $16 million in grants and contracts. “That’s a fraction of the money that was used [by the department]. My assumption is that a lot of the money for job training went to job training, that a lot of the money for education went to education; a lot of the money for health went to health. What we’re saying is that certain individuals, either grantees or contractors or an individual in the department, would occasionally steer some of the money into their private pocket.”
However, Lewis said he did not want to downplay the severity of the charges. “Public corruption makes my blood boil. It strikes at the heart of who we are as a people, how we govern ourselves. And do we live up to the contract, the agreement, that we have with each other?” Lewis called on state workers and the public to blow the whistle if they suspect corruption. He said anyone who suspects wrongdoing can call his office at (217) 492-4450. “I encourage everybody, if you see something that’s wrong, say something. Say it to the authorities, and let’s see if there’s something there.”
An indictment released today alleges that the former chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Public Health accepted bribes and kickbacks for directing grants and contracts to certain providers.
Quinshaunta Golden is accused of taking $433,000 in kickbacks from state grant and contract funds. Golden, who is the niece of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, is charged with bribery, theft and fraud. Golden was chief of staff to from 2003 to 2008, serving for most of that time under Department of Public Health Director Eric Whitaker. The indictment does not indicate that Whitaker knew of Golden’s alleged misdeeds. “At this point the evidence has taken us to Quinn Golden, and the evidence has not taken us farther,” Jim Lewis, U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, said at a Springfield news conference. Golden is also accused of witness tampering/obstruction of justice because prosecutors say she tried the influence a witness in an attempt to cover up the alleged crimes.
Today’s indictment stems from an investigation that has led to charges against 12 other people, including former Chicago Democratic state Rep. Constance Howard. She pleaded guilty in July to one count of wire fraud. Howard is accused of spending money from a scholarship fund on personal and campaign costs. She faces a sentencing date in November. Prosecutors have said they will seek a six-month prison sentence and six months home confinement for Howard. “Charges filed against these 13 defendants collectively allege the misuse of more than $16 million in taxpayers’ money intended to provide a wide range of health care, student assistance, job training programs and services to disadvantaged citizens. These include programs to promote wellness and improve health care; to prepare for major health and natural disaster emergencies; to provide health care advocacy programs and student job training assistance; to provide skill training and apprenticeships; and to provide statewide HIV prevention plans and HIV/AIDS facilities to assist African-Americans,” stated a news release from Lewis’ office.
The IDPH did not respond for a request for comment, and Golden could not be reached. Her first court appearance is scheduled for August 23. Lewis said that the investigation continues. However, he said that the charges do not indicate that the corruption touched all the programs at the IDPH. He said that so far, the focus has been on about $16 million in grants and contracts. “That’s a fraction of the money that was used [by the department]. My assumption is that a lot of the money for job training went to job training, that a lot of the money for education went to education; a lot of the money for health went to health. What we’re saying is that certain individuals, either grantees or contractors or an individual in the department, would occasionally steer some of the money into their private pocket.”
However, Lewis said he did not want to downplay the severity of the charges. “Public corruption makes my blood boil. It strikes at the heart of who we are as a people, how we govern ourselves. And do we live up to the contract, the agreement, that we have with each other?” Lewis called on state workers and the public to blow the whistle if they suspect corruption. He said anyone who suspects wrongdoing can call his office at (217) 492-4450. “I encourage everybody, if you see something that’s wrong, say something. Say it to the authorities, and let’s see if there’s something there.”
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Quinn signs off on medical marijuana
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois became the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana today as Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that proponents say are some of the strongest regulations of the drug in the nation.
House Bill 1 creates a four-year pilot program for medical cannabis in the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health will screen patients seeking medical marijuana permits. With the approval of their doctors, patients with one of 35 debilitating illnesses listed in the new law or their caregivers would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2014.
Growers would be licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and only 22 permits will be issued — one for every state police district. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will license 60 dispensary operations. Patients, caregivers, owners and employees of growing operations and dispensaries will all be required to pass background checks. Owners of growing operations or dispensaries will be banned from making campaign contributions.
“This bill is a very carefully drafted bill,” Quinn said in Chicago today. He did not openly support the bill as it moved through the legislature but said he would keep an open mind if it reached his desk. “Our law enforcement will be involved, our Department of Public Health, our Department of Agriculture. And the reason I’m signing the bill is because it is so tightly and properly drafted.” Last week, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a medical marijuana bill into law. Medical cannabis is also legal in Washington, D.C.
Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, sponsor of SB 1 and a longtime advocate for medical marijuana, said he has been trying to get a medical cannabis bill passed in Illinois for years because of stories he hears from the patients who are turning to an illegal solution for their pain. “Are we really going to be a state where we’re going to allow a 74-year-old granny with colon cancer to have to search for a remedy for her pain and her nausea? I don’t think that’s the kind of state we want to be,” he said. Lang said he is already getting calls from lawmakers in states that do not have legalized medical marijuana “asking for copies [of the legislation], asking how we did it.” Lang said the drug should be an option for patients who know have to rely on powerful pain killers such as oxycodone, which can leave patients dazed, unresponsive and ultimately addicted. “Those medications, which are designed to help them feel better, actually ruined their lives,” he said.
Marijuana is illegal at the federal level. But Lang said that growers and sellers who follow the rules in Illinois run little risk of getting arrested by the feds. He said that when the federal government has intervened in other states, it was when growers or sellers were “breaking state law,” “selling product out the back door,” or when the “grow sites are way larger than they need to be.”
The bill has the support of several prominent groups in the legal and medical communities, including the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Nurses Association. However, opponents have voiced concerns that the law would send the wrong message to young people about the drug or may open the door to the eventual legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the drug for recreational use. But Army veteran Jim Champion, who has been advocating for the new law, says that it is a template for other states looking for a way to tightly regulate medical cannabis. “They’re looking at Illinois and saying, ‘That is the right way to conduct a legitimate medical cannabis program,’ and it makes me proud. Illinois gets dissed on a whole lot, but I’m proud to stand here today to say that this isn’t a Cheech and Chong bill. We’re an actual model for the rest of the United States,” said Champion, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago. Champion said he is proud of his service in the Army, but he says, “I have always been ashamed that I was criminalized by the actions that I was forced to take for my pain relief.”
It is likely that Champion's story, along with input from other veterans whom Quinn talked to, played a significant role in the governor’s decision to sign the bill. Quinn is known as a passionate advocate for veterans’ issues. Under the new law, patients must have longstanding relationships with the doctors who prescribe them marijuana. However, there is an exception for veterans because presumably they will not be able to obtain prescriptions from doctors working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who have been treated by a military doctor for one of the illnesses listed under the law would be able to seek approval from a civilian doctor.
Sandy Champion, Jim's wife, said that at first she was opposed to him using the drug, until she saw how much it helped relieve his pain. She is her husband’s caretaker and also obtains marijuana for his treatment. “When I go out to the streets to get this medicine, I risk my life, I risk my career future and I risk getting him bad product because any of us know that there can be some chemicals put in this stuff and it can be really bad for them,” she said today. “So this bill is going to help me to be able to go into a dispensary legally, walk in and buy it with no fear.”
Illinois became the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana today as Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that proponents say are some of the strongest regulations of the drug in the nation.
House Bill 1 creates a four-year pilot program for medical cannabis in the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health will screen patients seeking medical marijuana permits. With the approval of their doctors, patients with one of 35 debilitating illnesses listed in the new law or their caregivers would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2014.
Growers would be licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and only 22 permits will be issued — one for every state police district. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will license 60 dispensary operations. Patients, caregivers, owners and employees of growing operations and dispensaries will all be required to pass background checks. Owners of growing operations or dispensaries will be banned from making campaign contributions.
“This bill is a very carefully drafted bill,” Quinn said in Chicago today. He did not openly support the bill as it moved through the legislature but said he would keep an open mind if it reached his desk. “Our law enforcement will be involved, our Department of Public Health, our Department of Agriculture. And the reason I’m signing the bill is because it is so tightly and properly drafted.” Last week, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a medical marijuana bill into law. Medical cannabis is also legal in Washington, D.C.
Skokie Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, sponsor of SB 1 and a longtime advocate for medical marijuana, said he has been trying to get a medical cannabis bill passed in Illinois for years because of stories he hears from the patients who are turning to an illegal solution for their pain. “Are we really going to be a state where we’re going to allow a 74-year-old granny with colon cancer to have to search for a remedy for her pain and her nausea? I don’t think that’s the kind of state we want to be,” he said. Lang said he is already getting calls from lawmakers in states that do not have legalized medical marijuana “asking for copies [of the legislation], asking how we did it.” Lang said the drug should be an option for patients who know have to rely on powerful pain killers such as oxycodone, which can leave patients dazed, unresponsive and ultimately addicted. “Those medications, which are designed to help them feel better, actually ruined their lives,” he said.
Marijuana is illegal at the federal level. But Lang said that growers and sellers who follow the rules in Illinois run little risk of getting arrested by the feds. He said that when the federal government has intervened in other states, it was when growers or sellers were “breaking state law,” “selling product out the back door,” or when the “grow sites are way larger than they need to be.”
The bill has the support of several prominent groups in the legal and medical communities, including the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Nurses Association. However, opponents have voiced concerns that the law would send the wrong message to young people about the drug or may open the door to the eventual legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the drug for recreational use. But Army veteran Jim Champion, who has been advocating for the new law, says that it is a template for other states looking for a way to tightly regulate medical cannabis. “They’re looking at Illinois and saying, ‘That is the right way to conduct a legitimate medical cannabis program,’ and it makes me proud. Illinois gets dissed on a whole lot, but I’m proud to stand here today to say that this isn’t a Cheech and Chong bill. We’re an actual model for the rest of the United States,” said Champion, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago. Champion said he is proud of his service in the Army, but he says, “I have always been ashamed that I was criminalized by the actions that I was forced to take for my pain relief.”
It is likely that Champion's story, along with input from other veterans whom Quinn talked to, played a significant role in the governor’s decision to sign the bill. Quinn is known as a passionate advocate for veterans’ issues. Under the new law, patients must have longstanding relationships with the doctors who prescribe them marijuana. However, there is an exception for veterans because presumably they will not be able to obtain prescriptions from doctors working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who have been treated by a military doctor for one of the illnesses listed under the law would be able to seek approval from a civilian doctor.
Sandy Champion, Jim's wife, said that at first she was opposed to him using the drug, until she saw how much it helped relieve his pain. She is her husband’s caretaker and also obtains marijuana for his treatment. “When I go out to the streets to get this medicine, I risk my life, I risk my career future and I risk getting him bad product because any of us know that there can be some chemicals put in this stuff and it can be really bad for them,” she said today. “So this bill is going to help me to be able to go into a dispensary legally, walk in and buy it with no fear.”
Monday, July 22, 2013
Quinn approves key piece of federal health care plan
By Jamey Dunn
Illinois took a major step today toward implementing federal health care reform law when Gov. Pat Quinn signed a substantial Medicaid expansion.
Senate Bill 26 will expand Medicaid coverage to individuals who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, which is $15,860 for adults and $21,408 for couples. This expansion of Medicaid benefits to childless adults, who were previously ineligible in Illinois, is a key piece of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Quinn said he wanted to be sure to sign the bill before President Barack Obama makes a visit to Illinois on Wednesday.
“So we can tell him we got the job done,” Quinn said in Chicago today. “This is essentially implementing the Affordable Care Act. Some call it Obamacare. I call it ‘I do care.’ And this is the way that we, the people of Illinois, are going to get more health insurance coverage for at least 342,000 of our neighbors. I think that’s really an important objective, that all of us have decent health care for everybody.” Quinn's administration estimates that 342,000 people will be covered under the expansion by 2017.
The new Illinois Medicaid population will be able to enroll in October, and their coverage will kick in on January 1, 2014.
The Affordable Care Act, as originally written, would have required all states to make the expansion or risk losing their federal reimbursements for Medicaid. But the United States Supreme Court viewed that as an overreach and ruled that states had the option to forgo the expansion without the penalty. Illinois is one of 24 states, including the District of Columbia, that moving is ahead with the expansion. Six states are still debating the issue, and 21 states have no immediate plans to expand. (For more on the Supreme Court ruling and the Medicaid expansion, see Illinois Issues September 2012.)
The federal government will cover the cost of the expansion for the first three years. Then the federal match is scheduled to taper down to 90 percent by 2020. Illinois officials estimate that the state will receive $12 billion in federal funds under the expansion by 2020. Chicago Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored SB 26 and serves on the Senate’s budgeting committees, said the federal money will cover some medical costs currently being covered by the state. “It replaces what the state is paying for now, what local governments are paying for right now and really all the uncompensated care that hospitals are having to do. So this is going to help every single hospital throughout the state of Illinois.” She said that more than $200 million in spending from the state’s general revenue fund would be replaced by the federal match. “This is in my view very strongly both fiscally and morally the right thing to be doing.”
Steans said that most of the people who will be able to get Medicaid coverage are employed. She said the expansion will make health care accessible for people all over Illinois. “Sixty percent of these folks have jobs ... but low-income jobs that don’t provide affordable health care,” Steans said. “It’s every single part of the state where we have people who are going to be newly eligible here. It’s critical for downstaters, for our suburbanites, for the city of Chicago. It’s everywhere.”
Chicago Democratic Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, said the expansion will bring coverage to traditional underserved residents, such as those living with mental health issues. “From the perspective of a legislator trying to meet a need, trying find a medical home for our constituents, this legislation today is the game changer.” (For more on how the expansion could affect mental health care in the state, see Illinois Issues March 2013.)
Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the expansion is not just about getting more people coverage, it’s about making sure they have efficient and effective care that will make them healthier overall. “The Affordable Care Act and the promise of the Affordable Care Act is not just about putting a health insurance card in everybody’s pocket. It’s about redesigning the health care delivery system, and we are very hard at work doing that to create coordinated integrated delivery systems that will really serve the clients,” she said. “The promise of the Affordable Care Act is to get better health outcomes for all the people in Illinois and the country, that’s the most exciting part. That’s the work still ahead of us.”
But opponents of the expansion are concerned that it would further damage an already troubled system. Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said such a large expansion would redefine the nature of the program. “Medicaid was supposed to be a safety net for the poor, but when you add 25 percent of the population onto Medicaid, then it is no longer a safety net. It’s become so bloated and so expensive to run that the poorest of the poor can’t get access.” Stagnant reimbursement rates have led to some health care providers opting to not serve Medicaid patients.
Dabrowski said there could be access problems after the expansion. He said that the problems with health care in the state should be solved through the insurance market instead of through a “top down” federal plan that grows state programs. “There are legitimate problems that need to be handled,” he said. “We should fix those problems and attack those problems directly but not totally turn upside down the private market in order to reach those problems.” He said that by deciding to implement the expansion, the state is taking on future responsibility for residents who could instead buy insurance in the online marketplace that also comes along with the Affordable Care Act. SB 26 would roll back the expansion if the federal matching rates decline. But Dabrowski said that once the benefits have been given out, it is unlikely that lawmakers would support reducing them. “Most state governments have a hard time taking away any benefits they have given.”
Supporters say that the state should not pass on a golden opportunity to offer health care to a group that currently has few options and often seeks costly treatment in emergency rooms. “One would wonder why we wouldn’t want $12 billion of health care that is 100 percent match[ed by federal funds],” Feigenholtz said.
“That’s an important fundamental right that everyone has. It’s not a privilege to have decent health care, it’s a fundamental right,” Quinn said.
Illinois took a major step today toward implementing federal health care reform law when Gov. Pat Quinn signed a substantial Medicaid expansion.
Senate Bill 26 will expand Medicaid coverage to individuals who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, which is $15,860 for adults and $21,408 for couples. This expansion of Medicaid benefits to childless adults, who were previously ineligible in Illinois, is a key piece of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Quinn said he wanted to be sure to sign the bill before President Barack Obama makes a visit to Illinois on Wednesday.
“So we can tell him we got the job done,” Quinn said in Chicago today. “This is essentially implementing the Affordable Care Act. Some call it Obamacare. I call it ‘I do care.’ And this is the way that we, the people of Illinois, are going to get more health insurance coverage for at least 342,000 of our neighbors. I think that’s really an important objective, that all of us have decent health care for everybody.” Quinn's administration estimates that 342,000 people will be covered under the expansion by 2017.
The new Illinois Medicaid population will be able to enroll in October, and their coverage will kick in on January 1, 2014.
The Affordable Care Act, as originally written, would have required all states to make the expansion or risk losing their federal reimbursements for Medicaid. But the United States Supreme Court viewed that as an overreach and ruled that states had the option to forgo the expansion without the penalty. Illinois is one of 24 states, including the District of Columbia, that moving is ahead with the expansion. Six states are still debating the issue, and 21 states have no immediate plans to expand. (For more on the Supreme Court ruling and the Medicaid expansion, see Illinois Issues September 2012.)
The federal government will cover the cost of the expansion for the first three years. Then the federal match is scheduled to taper down to 90 percent by 2020. Illinois officials estimate that the state will receive $12 billion in federal funds under the expansion by 2020. Chicago Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored SB 26 and serves on the Senate’s budgeting committees, said the federal money will cover some medical costs currently being covered by the state. “It replaces what the state is paying for now, what local governments are paying for right now and really all the uncompensated care that hospitals are having to do. So this is going to help every single hospital throughout the state of Illinois.” She said that more than $200 million in spending from the state’s general revenue fund would be replaced by the federal match. “This is in my view very strongly both fiscally and morally the right thing to be doing.”
Steans said that most of the people who will be able to get Medicaid coverage are employed. She said the expansion will make health care accessible for people all over Illinois. “Sixty percent of these folks have jobs ... but low-income jobs that don’t provide affordable health care,” Steans said. “It’s every single part of the state where we have people who are going to be newly eligible here. It’s critical for downstaters, for our suburbanites, for the city of Chicago. It’s everywhere.”
Chicago Democratic Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, said the expansion will bring coverage to traditional underserved residents, such as those living with mental health issues. “From the perspective of a legislator trying to meet a need, trying find a medical home for our constituents, this legislation today is the game changer.” (For more on how the expansion could affect mental health care in the state, see Illinois Issues March 2013.)
Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the expansion is not just about getting more people coverage, it’s about making sure they have efficient and effective care that will make them healthier overall. “The Affordable Care Act and the promise of the Affordable Care Act is not just about putting a health insurance card in everybody’s pocket. It’s about redesigning the health care delivery system, and we are very hard at work doing that to create coordinated integrated delivery systems that will really serve the clients,” she said. “The promise of the Affordable Care Act is to get better health outcomes for all the people in Illinois and the country, that’s the most exciting part. That’s the work still ahead of us.”
But opponents of the expansion are concerned that it would further damage an already troubled system. Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said such a large expansion would redefine the nature of the program. “Medicaid was supposed to be a safety net for the poor, but when you add 25 percent of the population onto Medicaid, then it is no longer a safety net. It’s become so bloated and so expensive to run that the poorest of the poor can’t get access.” Stagnant reimbursement rates have led to some health care providers opting to not serve Medicaid patients.
Dabrowski said there could be access problems after the expansion. He said that the problems with health care in the state should be solved through the insurance market instead of through a “top down” federal plan that grows state programs. “There are legitimate problems that need to be handled,” he said. “We should fix those problems and attack those problems directly but not totally turn upside down the private market in order to reach those problems.” He said that by deciding to implement the expansion, the state is taking on future responsibility for residents who could instead buy insurance in the online marketplace that also comes along with the Affordable Care Act. SB 26 would roll back the expansion if the federal matching rates decline. But Dabrowski said that once the benefits have been given out, it is unlikely that lawmakers would support reducing them. “Most state governments have a hard time taking away any benefits they have given.”
Supporters say that the state should not pass on a golden opportunity to offer health care to a group that currently has few options and often seeks costly treatment in emergency rooms. “One would wonder why we wouldn’t want $12 billion of health care that is 100 percent match[ed by federal funds],” Feigenholtz said.
“That’s an important fundamental right that everyone has. It’s not a privilege to have decent health care, it’s a fundamental right,” Quinn said.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Senate approves fracking regulations
By Jamey Dunn
A bill to regulate horizontal fracturing is headed to Gov. Pat Quinn, who plans to sign the bill.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract oil and natural gas by pumping water, chemicals and sand into the ground. The water fractures a source rock, allowing gas or oil to escape and be collected. Sand is used to hold the cracks in the rock open. Chemicals are added to the water for a variety of reasons, such as disinfection, lubrication and making the water thicker to keep the sand from sinking.
Senate Bill 1715 would set standards for the construction of fracking wells, as well as for the storage and disposal of what is used in the process. If fracking chemicals are found in water, it would assumed that it was the fracking well operator's fault, and the operator would be required to prove otherwise. It also sets fees for permits at $13,500 per well. The measure would set the tax on oil or gas extracted from fracking wells at 3 percent for the first two years of the life of a well and then on a sliding scale based on production.
Senate Bill 1715 has a broad coalition of supporters, including business groups, unions and some environmental organizations, which dubbed it the strictest fracking regulations in the nation. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, permits the agency has reviewed indicate that fracking is already taking place in the state. Supporters also tout the economic development that fracking would bring to struggling southern Illinois economies. At present, the state does not have laws specifically regulating fracking. Democratic Sen. Michael Frerichs of Champaign told senators tonight that “the choice is between regulated responsible fracking” or the “wild West.”
But supporters of a moratorium say the state should slow down and wait on the results of some studies, that are under way. “There’s still a lot of questions out there that need to be asked. We’re talking about water contamination,” said Chicago Democratic Sen. Iris Martinez. “These studies are still pending out there. ... I’m just very scared about the environment. I am very worried about what these reports might have to say about what fracking has done in other states. I think we can wait a little bit when it comes to lives and our environment.”
Frerichs responded by saying that lawmakers must move to regulate fracking now. “It is not between a moratorium and fracking. Fracking has already come into the state.”
A bill to regulate horizontal fracturing is headed to Gov. Pat Quinn, who plans to sign the bill.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract oil and natural gas by pumping water, chemicals and sand into the ground. The water fractures a source rock, allowing gas or oil to escape and be collected. Sand is used to hold the cracks in the rock open. Chemicals are added to the water for a variety of reasons, such as disinfection, lubrication and making the water thicker to keep the sand from sinking.
Senate Bill 1715 would set standards for the construction of fracking wells, as well as for the storage and disposal of what is used in the process. If fracking chemicals are found in water, it would assumed that it was the fracking well operator's fault, and the operator would be required to prove otherwise. It also sets fees for permits at $13,500 per well. The measure would set the tax on oil or gas extracted from fracking wells at 3 percent for the first two years of the life of a well and then on a sliding scale based on production.
Senate Bill 1715 has a broad coalition of supporters, including business groups, unions and some environmental organizations, which dubbed it the strictest fracking regulations in the nation. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, permits the agency has reviewed indicate that fracking is already taking place in the state. Supporters also tout the economic development that fracking would bring to struggling southern Illinois economies. At present, the state does not have laws specifically regulating fracking. Democratic Sen. Michael Frerichs of Champaign told senators tonight that “the choice is between regulated responsible fracking” or the “wild West.”
But supporters of a moratorium say the state should slow down and wait on the results of some studies, that are under way. “There’s still a lot of questions out there that need to be asked. We’re talking about water contamination,” said Chicago Democratic Sen. Iris Martinez. “These studies are still pending out there. ... I’m just very scared about the environment. I am very worried about what these reports might have to say about what fracking has done in other states. I think we can wait a little bit when it comes to lives and our environment.”
Frerichs responded by saying that lawmakers must move to regulate fracking now. “It is not between a moratorium and fracking. Fracking has already come into the state.”
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Fracking bill has a clear path to becoming law
By Jamey Dunn
The Illinois House today overwhelmingly approved regulations for horizontal fracturing, which supporters say will be the strictest in the nation.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract oil and natural gas by pumping water, chemicals and sand into the ground. The water fractures a source rock, allowing gas or oil to escape and be collected. Sand is used to hold the cracks in the rock open. Chemicals are added to the water for a variety of reasons, such as disinfection, lubrication and making the water thicker to keep the sand from sinking. “There are strong requirements and standards regarding water usage, regarding water disposal, regarding water containment,” said Marion Democratic Rep. John Bradley, who sponsors the bill. Senate Bill 1715 would create standards for drilling wells and requires water testing before and after fracking begins. If fracking chemicals are found in water, it would assumed that it was the well operator's fault, and the operator would be required to prove otherwise.
It also sets fees for permits at $13,500 per well. The measure would set the tax on oil or gas extracted from fracking wells at 3 percent for the first two years of the life of a well and then on a sliding scale based on production. Supporters say that fracking will be a boon for the state and struggling economies in southern Illinois. “When the coal mines closed, we lost tens of thousands of jobs downstate,” Bradley said.
The bill has a broad coalition of supporters, including business leaders and environmental groups. The environmental advocates who backed the bill said they would prefer a ban on fracking, but they said it is already happening in the state, and current law would not specifically regulate it. The Department of Natural Resources has reported that according to their permits, fracking is already taking place in Illinois. “While it will not make fracking safe, this is a critical step to make sure that Illinois has some protections to prevent environmental degradation,” said Democratic Rep. Sam Yingling of Round Lake Beach.
Some southern Illinois groups and environmental activist have been leading a loud push back against the bill. They were not involved in the negotiations, and members of those groups have been staging sit-ins this week outside Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, hoping to get a meeting with the governor, who supports the bill, and change his mind. Quinn’s staff met with some of those in opposition, but they did not have a sit down with the governor. Chicago Democratic Rep. Deborah Mell, who cast one of the nine votes against the bill, said she would like to see fracking put on hold for a few years so the results of some high-profile pending studies could come in before the state makes a decision on the issue. “I just hope that we’re not making a big mistake here. I just wish that we could kind of stop the clock a little bit.”
Champaign Democratic Sen. Michael Frerichs, who sponsors SB 1715, said he expects it to pass in the Senate tomorrow. The Senate approved a fracking regulatory bill last year with no votes in opposition. Quinn plans to sign the bill. “Today’s passage of hydraulic fracturing legislation in the House brings good news for jobs, economic development and environmental protection in Illinois. This legislation will unlock the potential for thousands of jobs in southern Illinois, while ensuring that our state has the nation‘s strongest environmental protections in place for this industry,” Quinn said in a written statement. “Over the past year, we have brought together lawmakers, industry and labor leaders and environmental groups in a collaborative, bipartisan effort to develop the best possible legislation. This approach has not only worked but been praised as a national model for transparency, public participation, environmental safety and economic development.”
The Illinois House today overwhelmingly approved regulations for horizontal fracturing, which supporters say will be the strictest in the nation.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract oil and natural gas by pumping water, chemicals and sand into the ground. The water fractures a source rock, allowing gas or oil to escape and be collected. Sand is used to hold the cracks in the rock open. Chemicals are added to the water for a variety of reasons, such as disinfection, lubrication and making the water thicker to keep the sand from sinking. “There are strong requirements and standards regarding water usage, regarding water disposal, regarding water containment,” said Marion Democratic Rep. John Bradley, who sponsors the bill. Senate Bill 1715 would create standards for drilling wells and requires water testing before and after fracking begins. If fracking chemicals are found in water, it would assumed that it was the well operator's fault, and the operator would be required to prove otherwise.
It also sets fees for permits at $13,500 per well. The measure would set the tax on oil or gas extracted from fracking wells at 3 percent for the first two years of the life of a well and then on a sliding scale based on production. Supporters say that fracking will be a boon for the state and struggling economies in southern Illinois. “When the coal mines closed, we lost tens of thousands of jobs downstate,” Bradley said.
The bill has a broad coalition of supporters, including business leaders and environmental groups. The environmental advocates who backed the bill said they would prefer a ban on fracking, but they said it is already happening in the state, and current law would not specifically regulate it. The Department of Natural Resources has reported that according to their permits, fracking is already taking place in Illinois. “While it will not make fracking safe, this is a critical step to make sure that Illinois has some protections to prevent environmental degradation,” said Democratic Rep. Sam Yingling of Round Lake Beach.
Some southern Illinois groups and environmental activist have been leading a loud push back against the bill. They were not involved in the negotiations, and members of those groups have been staging sit-ins this week outside Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, hoping to get a meeting with the governor, who supports the bill, and change his mind. Quinn’s staff met with some of those in opposition, but they did not have a sit down with the governor. Chicago Democratic Rep. Deborah Mell, who cast one of the nine votes against the bill, said she would like to see fracking put on hold for a few years so the results of some high-profile pending studies could come in before the state makes a decision on the issue. “I just hope that we’re not making a big mistake here. I just wish that we could kind of stop the clock a little bit.”
Champaign Democratic Sen. Michael Frerichs, who sponsors SB 1715, said he expects it to pass in the Senate tomorrow. The Senate approved a fracking regulatory bill last year with no votes in opposition. Quinn plans to sign the bill. “Today’s passage of hydraulic fracturing legislation in the House brings good news for jobs, economic development and environmental protection in Illinois. This legislation will unlock the potential for thousands of jobs in southern Illinois, while ensuring that our state has the nation‘s strongest environmental protections in place for this industry,” Quinn said in a written statement. “Over the past year, we have brought together lawmakers, industry and labor leaders and environmental groups in a collaborative, bipartisan effort to develop the best possible legislation. This approach has not only worked but been praised as a national model for transparency, public participation, environmental safety and economic development.”
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Sex education bill likely to become law
By Jamey Dunn
Legislation that would end abstinence-only sex education in the state’s public schools is headed to Gov. Pat Quinn, who is expected to sign the bill.
House Bill 2675 would require schools that teach sexual education to provide students with information that is “age-appropriate, medically accurate, evidence-based and complete." Schools would have discretion to decide which curriculum meets those requirements, and parents could opt to keep children out of sex education if they don’t approve of the curriculum. An attempt to pass a similar bill last year fell short of the needed support.
Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, the sponsor of the bill, said that the intent of the bill is to ensure that students learn about safe sex in addition to abstinence because studies show “there are districts where they’re not teaching complete, medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education curriculum. ... Abstinence only, for example is shown to be not as effective at giving kids the ability to, one, reduce the likelihood that they’re going to engage in sexual intercourse, or two, know how to prevent unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.” According to a 2008 study from the University of Chicago, 93 percent of Illinois schools offer sexual education, but only 42 percent give information on how to use and obtain contraceptives. Less than a third of those teaching to classes had any formal training on the topic.
Opponents said that decisions about sex education curriculum should be left to local school districts, and abstinence-only education should be an option for those districts that choose to use it. “That’s the issue here, is whether or not a school district will be allowed to teach any kind of sex education class that does not talk about contraception. And the answer to that is clearly no because that’s what’s in the bill,” said Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican. Righter said that teaching kids about contraceptives might not protect them. He pointed to Chicago, which has comprehensive sex education and high rates of sexually transmitted infections when compared with the rest of the state. “Telling a teenager, a 15- or a 16-year-old or a 13-year-old: ‘You’ll be fine. You can do it. Just get the condom on, man,’ gives a false send of security that is absolutely not real.”
Steans said the bill calls for schools to emphasize abstinence as a positive choice and the only way to absolutely protect against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. Some Republican opponents said that embracing such sex education would send a permissive message to teenagers. They specifically complained that the bill would change the current law by removing a provision that said sexual education would presume that abstinence was the norm for students. “Have we given up on that? It sounds like we have simply given up on those standards that we all agree should happen,” said Okawville Republican Sen. David Luechtefeld.
But supporters said that giving kids information is not the same as telling them it is OK to have sex. “Information, factually accurate information in these decisions that our children have to make, is power. It is not permission. We need to give them the tools they need to have to make the best choices that they can, hopefully in accordance with what we as parents instill in them as they are coming up,” said Olympia Fields Democratic Sen. Toi Hutchinson. “But they need to get factual, accurate information so that when they’re making these choices, they’re not making it based on what some kid around the corner told them. The fact [is], parents today are not just competing against other kids, we’re competing with 700, 800 different channels and social media and the Internet. ... When we send them to school, I want them to go to school and get factually accurate, medically sound information that helps them do the best they can with the values we’ve instilled in them, to protect themselves and the people around them.”
A spokesperson for Quinn said the governor supports the bill.
Legislation that would end abstinence-only sex education in the state’s public schools is headed to Gov. Pat Quinn, who is expected to sign the bill.
House Bill 2675 would require schools that teach sexual education to provide students with information that is “age-appropriate, medically accurate, evidence-based and complete." Schools would have discretion to decide which curriculum meets those requirements, and parents could opt to keep children out of sex education if they don’t approve of the curriculum. An attempt to pass a similar bill last year fell short of the needed support.
Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, the sponsor of the bill, said that the intent of the bill is to ensure that students learn about safe sex in addition to abstinence because studies show “there are districts where they’re not teaching complete, medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education curriculum. ... Abstinence only, for example is shown to be not as effective at giving kids the ability to, one, reduce the likelihood that they’re going to engage in sexual intercourse, or two, know how to prevent unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.” According to a 2008 study from the University of Chicago, 93 percent of Illinois schools offer sexual education, but only 42 percent give information on how to use and obtain contraceptives. Less than a third of those teaching to classes had any formal training on the topic.
Opponents said that decisions about sex education curriculum should be left to local school districts, and abstinence-only education should be an option for those districts that choose to use it. “That’s the issue here, is whether or not a school district will be allowed to teach any kind of sex education class that does not talk about contraception. And the answer to that is clearly no because that’s what’s in the bill,” said Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican. Righter said that teaching kids about contraceptives might not protect them. He pointed to Chicago, which has comprehensive sex education and high rates of sexually transmitted infections when compared with the rest of the state. “Telling a teenager, a 15- or a 16-year-old or a 13-year-old: ‘You’ll be fine. You can do it. Just get the condom on, man,’ gives a false send of security that is absolutely not real.”
Steans said the bill calls for schools to emphasize abstinence as a positive choice and the only way to absolutely protect against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. Some Republican opponents said that embracing such sex education would send a permissive message to teenagers. They specifically complained that the bill would change the current law by removing a provision that said sexual education would presume that abstinence was the norm for students. “Have we given up on that? It sounds like we have simply given up on those standards that we all agree should happen,” said Okawville Republican Sen. David Luechtefeld.
But supporters said that giving kids information is not the same as telling them it is OK to have sex. “Information, factually accurate information in these decisions that our children have to make, is power. It is not permission. We need to give them the tools they need to have to make the best choices that they can, hopefully in accordance with what we as parents instill in them as they are coming up,” said Olympia Fields Democratic Sen. Toi Hutchinson. “But they need to get factual, accurate information so that when they’re making these choices, they’re not making it based on what some kid around the corner told them. The fact [is], parents today are not just competing against other kids, we’re competing with 700, 800 different channels and social media and the Internet. ... When we send them to school, I want them to go to school and get factually accurate, medically sound information that helps them do the best they can with the values we’ve instilled in them, to protect themselves and the people around them.”
A spokesperson for Quinn said the governor supports the bill.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Legislative roundup
By Jamey Dunn
The Illinois General Assembly had a busy week, as the House worked toward its Friday deadline for final votes on bills that originated from the chamber.
Sex Education
The House approved House Bill 2675, which calls for curriculum standards for sexual education that would emphasize abstinence but also teach students about contraceptives and using condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The curricula would be for middle schools and high schools, but local districts would not be obligated to use it. Parents could also opt not to allow their kids to attend sex education classes.
Abuse and neglect reporting
Lawmakers voted in favor of HB 948, which is an effort to address problems in the system for reporting abuse and neglect of disabled adults. The Belleville News-Democrat uncovered problems with the system and found that the Office of the Inspector General Department of Human Services did not follow up on reports connected to the deaths of more than 50 people. The office claimed that “the dead are ineligible for services.” (George Pawlaczyk and Beth Hundsdorfer, the reporters who uncovered the department’s practices penned an overview of their findings for the October 2012 Illinois Issues.) Under HB 948, the Department of Aging will create a system and standards for responding to allegations of abuse and neglect. The legislation creates a multi-disciplinary advisory panel that would assist with response.
Workplace violence
The House voted in favor of HB 2590, which allows employers to obtain orders of protection against employees who commit an act of violence at work or threaten individuals in the workplace. The order would bar the person from returning to the workplace.
Child Support
Under HB2843, which the House approved, parents who get lucky at Illinois casinos or racetracks and owe child support could see their debt deducted from their winnings. The racetrack or casino would be required to hold out the child support owed and send the money to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. In exchange, the casino or racetrack would be paid a fee of the lesser of either 4 percent of the winnings or $150.
Guns and pensions
The House voted down HB 1296, which would have barred the state’s pension systems from investing in firearm manufactures.
Drones
The Senate approved Senate Bill 1587, which would regulate the use of unmanned aerial drones in the state. The bill would require law enforcement agencies to obtain warrants to use drones over private property and would ban them from using drones equipped with weapons. The legislation contains exemptions for emergency situations. Drones could also be used to photograph traffic accidents and crime scenes.
Concealed carry
The House rejected two bills this week to regulate concealed carrying of firearms. Supporters of concealed carry in Illinois are pushing for a “shall issue” licensing system that would require the state to give permits to applicants who meet the requirements set out in the law. But earlier this week the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear a challenge to New York’s “may issue” law. That statute allows law enforcement officials to deny applicants who may be qualified on paper for a license if they think the applicants present a danger. A “may issue” amendment came before the House on Wednesday, and members voted 31 to 76 against adopting it to a bill. On Thursday, HB 997, a more permissive “shall issue” bill, fell seven votes short of passage. Those who are working on concealed carry in the Senate expect to present legislation in the coming weeks. A federal court overturned the state’s ban on carrying firearms in public and gave lawmakers until June to pass legislation regulating carry.
The House is not scheduled for session next week. The Senate is scheduled for session from Tuesday through Thursday, which is the deadline for passing bills that originate from that chamber. Senate President John Cullerton warned there will probably be long hours next week. While lawmakers are trying to get their legislation out of each chamber before the voting deadlines, there are always ways around those deadlines for more controversial bills, such as employee pension changes, concealed carry and same sex marriage. As the adage goes, no legislation under the dome is every truly “dead.”
The Illinois General Assembly had a busy week, as the House worked toward its Friday deadline for final votes on bills that originated from the chamber.
Sex Education
The House approved House Bill 2675, which calls for curriculum standards for sexual education that would emphasize abstinence but also teach students about contraceptives and using condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The curricula would be for middle schools and high schools, but local districts would not be obligated to use it. Parents could also opt not to allow their kids to attend sex education classes.
Abuse and neglect reporting
Lawmakers voted in favor of HB 948, which is an effort to address problems in the system for reporting abuse and neglect of disabled adults. The Belleville News-Democrat uncovered problems with the system and found that the Office of the Inspector General Department of Human Services did not follow up on reports connected to the deaths of more than 50 people. The office claimed that “the dead are ineligible for services.” (George Pawlaczyk and Beth Hundsdorfer, the reporters who uncovered the department’s practices penned an overview of their findings for the October 2012 Illinois Issues.) Under HB 948, the Department of Aging will create a system and standards for responding to allegations of abuse and neglect. The legislation creates a multi-disciplinary advisory panel that would assist with response.
Workplace violence
The House voted in favor of HB 2590, which allows employers to obtain orders of protection against employees who commit an act of violence at work or threaten individuals in the workplace. The order would bar the person from returning to the workplace.
Child Support
Under HB2843, which the House approved, parents who get lucky at Illinois casinos or racetracks and owe child support could see their debt deducted from their winnings. The racetrack or casino would be required to hold out the child support owed and send the money to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. In exchange, the casino or racetrack would be paid a fee of the lesser of either 4 percent of the winnings or $150.
Guns and pensions
The House voted down HB 1296, which would have barred the state’s pension systems from investing in firearm manufactures.
Drones
The Senate approved Senate Bill 1587, which would regulate the use of unmanned aerial drones in the state. The bill would require law enforcement agencies to obtain warrants to use drones over private property and would ban them from using drones equipped with weapons. The legislation contains exemptions for emergency situations. Drones could also be used to photograph traffic accidents and crime scenes.
Concealed carry
The House rejected two bills this week to regulate concealed carrying of firearms. Supporters of concealed carry in Illinois are pushing for a “shall issue” licensing system that would require the state to give permits to applicants who meet the requirements set out in the law. But earlier this week the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear a challenge to New York’s “may issue” law. That statute allows law enforcement officials to deny applicants who may be qualified on paper for a license if they think the applicants present a danger. A “may issue” amendment came before the House on Wednesday, and members voted 31 to 76 against adopting it to a bill. On Thursday, HB 997, a more permissive “shall issue” bill, fell seven votes short of passage. Those who are working on concealed carry in the Senate expect to present legislation in the coming weeks. A federal court overturned the state’s ban on carrying firearms in public and gave lawmakers until June to pass legislation regulating carry.
The House is not scheduled for session next week. The Senate is scheduled for session from Tuesday through Thursday, which is the deadline for passing bills that originate from that chamber. Senate President John Cullerton warned there will probably be long hours next week. While lawmakers are trying to get their legislation out of each chamber before the voting deadlines, there are always ways around those deadlines for more controversial bills, such as employee pension changes, concealed carry and same sex marriage. As the adage goes, no legislation under the dome is every truly “dead.”
Thursday, April 18, 2013
House approves additional funds for home health care for seniors
By Meredith Colias
The Illinois House approved a temporary fix in an attempt to solve a $173 million funding shortfall for a program that provides in-home services for the elderly.
The Community Care Program in the state Department of Aging administers services including adult day care and pays providers to help its elderly clients at home with everyday tasks such as errands, groceries and bathing. It is estimated the yearly costs to care for elderly in their homes are about one-fourth the cost of paying for someone living in a nursing home.
Pending the potential influx of money, Department of Aging Director John Holton confirmed that the agency does not have the funding in its budget to pay providers until next fiscal year’s budget funds become available on July 1. To cover that shortfall, the House approved a supplemental appropriation that will keep the program operating through the remainder of this fiscal year.
Jacquie Algee, director of relations for Service Employees International Union health care, said the House vote was a positive development, since 85,000 people depend on services paid for by the state. “We’re really pleased that [they] did the right thing, in our opinion,” she said. If the measure passes the Senate and is signed into law, she said, providers dependent on payments from the state “should be in a good place.” A similar issue could also arise in Fiscal Year 2014 because the department is scheduled to use about $142 million of that year’s budget to pay off expenses from FY 2013.
Rep. Patricia Bellock, a Hinsdale Republican, said dealing with unbudgeted expenses was less than ideal because the state was forced to divert money from a plan to pay past Medicaid bills that were matched by the federal government. “Those are all pressures above the line. How are you going to pay for that?”
Because demand for the Community Care Program is expected to grow in the years to come as the elderly population grows, other lawmakers are looking for ways for the program to cut its future costs. House Bill 2275, sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat, hopes to avoid a similar situation in the future by prohibiting the department from pushing off bills onto the next year’s budget unless approved by the comptroller and governor.
The legislation would also restrict the amount of hours that employees are allowed to claim for tasks such as doing laundry and be subject to GPS tracking to make sure they are actually going to homes to take care of clients. “All of the levers in the bill need to be pulled in order for this to work,” she said of the efforts to cut costs. It is necessary to make sure the services can still be provided, she said. “If we don’t pay these bills, what is going to end up happening is the doors of community care providers around the state of Illinois are going to close, and seniors will have nowhere to go except for a nursing home,” she said.
The Illinois House approved a temporary fix in an attempt to solve a $173 million funding shortfall for a program that provides in-home services for the elderly.
The Community Care Program in the state Department of Aging administers services including adult day care and pays providers to help its elderly clients at home with everyday tasks such as errands, groceries and bathing. It is estimated the yearly costs to care for elderly in their homes are about one-fourth the cost of paying for someone living in a nursing home.
Pending the potential influx of money, Department of Aging Director John Holton confirmed that the agency does not have the funding in its budget to pay providers until next fiscal year’s budget funds become available on July 1. To cover that shortfall, the House approved a supplemental appropriation that will keep the program operating through the remainder of this fiscal year.
Jacquie Algee, director of relations for Service Employees International Union health care, said the House vote was a positive development, since 85,000 people depend on services paid for by the state. “We’re really pleased that [they] did the right thing, in our opinion,” she said. If the measure passes the Senate and is signed into law, she said, providers dependent on payments from the state “should be in a good place.” A similar issue could also arise in Fiscal Year 2014 because the department is scheduled to use about $142 million of that year’s budget to pay off expenses from FY 2013.
Rep. Patricia Bellock, a Hinsdale Republican, said dealing with unbudgeted expenses was less than ideal because the state was forced to divert money from a plan to pay past Medicaid bills that were matched by the federal government. “Those are all pressures above the line. How are you going to pay for that?”
Because demand for the Community Care Program is expected to grow in the years to come as the elderly population grows, other lawmakers are looking for ways for the program to cut its future costs. House Bill 2275, sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat, hopes to avoid a similar situation in the future by prohibiting the department from pushing off bills onto the next year’s budget unless approved by the comptroller and governor.
The legislation would also restrict the amount of hours that employees are allowed to claim for tasks such as doing laundry and be subject to GPS tracking to make sure they are actually going to homes to take care of clients. “All of the levers in the bill need to be pulled in order for this to work,” she said of the efforts to cut costs. It is necessary to make sure the services can still be provided, she said. “If we don’t pay these bills, what is going to end up happening is the doors of community care providers around the state of Illinois are going to close, and seniors will have nowhere to go except for a nursing home,” she said.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
House approves medical marijuana after years of rejecting the idea
By Meredith Colias
Patients with debilitating illnesses may soon be allowed to buy medical marijuana legally in Illinois.
After years of rejecting plans to legalize medical marijuana, the House narrowly approved House Bill 1 on a 61-57 vote today. The measure now advances to the Senate. If it passes that chamber, Gov. Pat Quinn said he would be “open minded” but would not commit to signing the bill.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, said stricter restrictions in the current measure helped to persuade some representatives who had not voted for legalization in the past. “This is not about getting high,” Lang said. The measure was designed to “better provide health care to people who desperately need this product,” he said. Lang told the House his priority was to assist patients in chronic pain. “I know every single one of you has compassion in your heart,” he said. “This is the day to show it.”
The measure would implement a four-year pilot program legalizing medical marijuana from 2014 through 2018. Patients at least 18 years old applying for a medical marijuana card through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) would have to prove they have one of 33 serious or chronic conditions specifically listed in the bill, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease or cancer. IDPH is authorized to add to the list in the future. Applicants must show they have an established relationship with their doctor who approves the use, and they would have to submit medical records for verification. Both patients and their caregivers, who must be 21 or older, would be subject to background checks. If a patient's or caregiver's card is revoked, he or she would not be allowed to reapply for a new one later.
The measure would allow patients 2.5 ounces of loose marijuana per a two-week period, unless a doctor certifies to the state a patient might need more. Each registered patient would have the purchase entered into a database, which would be monitored to prevent a patient or caregiver from obtaining more than the approved quota.
Growing, selling and distributing medical marijuana would only be done by personnel in facilities approved and administered by the state, built away from schools and day care centers. Potential employees would have to be at least 21 and would subject to state and federal background checks and fingerprinting. Twenty-two growing centers would be set up, one in each state police district, with 60 dispensary centers across the state. Dispensaries would be registered with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and growers would have with the register with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Past proposals from Lang would have allowed private individuals to grow marijuana on their own.
The measure also includes everyday restrictions. Marijuana smoking in public would not be allowed. Landlords would have the option to refuse to allow marijuana smoking, employers could punish employees coming to work under the influence and patients would still be subject to DUI laws if pulled over and tested by police during a traffic stop.
Rep. David Harris, an Arlington Heights Republican, said he was satisfied the bill was regulated “from seed to sale” and voted for it. Several supporters during the floor debate cited people they knew who could have benefited from access to medical marijuana.
Rep. JoAnn Osmond, an Antioch Republican, said with visible emotion that she changed her vote to yes because of a friend with cancer whom she did not allow to use marijuana once when he lived with her. “Sometimes I regret that because I know it might have helped him,” she said.
Opponents were concerned that legalizing medical marijuana would have unintended consequences. “Even if I vote no, I still have compassion. Every state that has implemented this has had problems,” said Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican. Bost said marijuana could not be effectively legalized only for its intended medicinal usage. “Don’t try to piecemeal it like this,” he said. Others said the move was the first step in possible future efforts to legalize the drug for recreational use, as Washington and Colorado have done recently.
Lang said his only motivation was to aid people who are critically sick. “Some of these people are going to die. Why would we say to them, 'You can’t have a product your doctor wants you to have?'” As the bill advances to the Senate, Lang said he hoped it would have a “strong vote."
The Senate approved a medical marijuana bill in 2009, but the makeup of the chamber has changed since then.
Patients with debilitating illnesses may soon be allowed to buy medical marijuana legally in Illinois.
After years of rejecting plans to legalize medical marijuana, the House narrowly approved House Bill 1 on a 61-57 vote today. The measure now advances to the Senate. If it passes that chamber, Gov. Pat Quinn said he would be “open minded” but would not commit to signing the bill.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, said stricter restrictions in the current measure helped to persuade some representatives who had not voted for legalization in the past. “This is not about getting high,” Lang said. The measure was designed to “better provide health care to people who desperately need this product,” he said. Lang told the House his priority was to assist patients in chronic pain. “I know every single one of you has compassion in your heart,” he said. “This is the day to show it.”
The measure would implement a four-year pilot program legalizing medical marijuana from 2014 through 2018. Patients at least 18 years old applying for a medical marijuana card through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) would have to prove they have one of 33 serious or chronic conditions specifically listed in the bill, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease or cancer. IDPH is authorized to add to the list in the future. Applicants must show they have an established relationship with their doctor who approves the use, and they would have to submit medical records for verification. Both patients and their caregivers, who must be 21 or older, would be subject to background checks. If a patient's or caregiver's card is revoked, he or she would not be allowed to reapply for a new one later.
The measure would allow patients 2.5 ounces of loose marijuana per a two-week period, unless a doctor certifies to the state a patient might need more. Each registered patient would have the purchase entered into a database, which would be monitored to prevent a patient or caregiver from obtaining more than the approved quota.
Growing, selling and distributing medical marijuana would only be done by personnel in facilities approved and administered by the state, built away from schools and day care centers. Potential employees would have to be at least 21 and would subject to state and federal background checks and fingerprinting. Twenty-two growing centers would be set up, one in each state police district, with 60 dispensary centers across the state. Dispensaries would be registered with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and growers would have with the register with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Past proposals from Lang would have allowed private individuals to grow marijuana on their own.
The measure also includes everyday restrictions. Marijuana smoking in public would not be allowed. Landlords would have the option to refuse to allow marijuana smoking, employers could punish employees coming to work under the influence and patients would still be subject to DUI laws if pulled over and tested by police during a traffic stop.
Rep. David Harris, an Arlington Heights Republican, said he was satisfied the bill was regulated “from seed to sale” and voted for it. Several supporters during the floor debate cited people they knew who could have benefited from access to medical marijuana.
Rep. JoAnn Osmond, an Antioch Republican, said with visible emotion that she changed her vote to yes because of a friend with cancer whom she did not allow to use marijuana once when he lived with her. “Sometimes I regret that because I know it might have helped him,” she said.
Opponents were concerned that legalizing medical marijuana would have unintended consequences. “Even if I vote no, I still have compassion. Every state that has implemented this has had problems,” said Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican. Bost said marijuana could not be effectively legalized only for its intended medicinal usage. “Don’t try to piecemeal it like this,” he said. Others said the move was the first step in possible future efforts to legalize the drug for recreational use, as Washington and Colorado have done recently.
Lang said his only motivation was to aid people who are critically sick. “Some of these people are going to die. Why would we say to them, 'You can’t have a product your doctor wants you to have?'” As the bill advances to the Senate, Lang said he hoped it would have a “strong vote."
The Senate approved a medical marijuana bill in 2009, but the makeup of the chamber has changed since then.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Quinn signs fee increase for doctors
By Meredith Colias
Doctors will have to pay more in fees so a state agency can continue to investigate and license them.
Senate Bill 622 passed on a 65-49 vote today, with two voting present. The legislation has already been approved by the Senate, and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign it. UPDATED FRIDAY MARCH 8: Gov. Quinn has signed the bill. The law and new fee took effect upon the governor's signature.
Because it was low on funds, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation recently transferred 18 of the 26 staffers responsible for licensing physicians. Lower staffing levels created a backlog of applications and left fewer investigators to look into malpractice claims. If the licensing process remained funded at current levels, delays in processing were expected to be problematic for incoming medical students starting their residencies in July. “Right now, they are hard-pressed to do anything in the arena because there are not resources in the department,”said the House bill’s sponsor, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat. She said without a fee increase, the wait time for licenses could be up to a year.
SB 622 would borrow $6.6 million from the Local Government Tax Fund to cover immediate costs. The money would be repaid by 2018. Currently. doctors pay $300 every three years to be licensed in the state. The measure raises fees to $700 paid every three years through 2018 to allow the department to rehire cut staff and be able to repay borrowed funds. At that time, fees would drop to $500 every three years. The increase would be the first time fees have been changed since 1987.
Currie cautioned that the plan might not be a long-term fix. She previously proposed increasing the fees to $750. Under her earlier plan, the fees would not have been reduced in 2018. “This will not be a long-term solution to the problem. It will certainly get us over the immediate crisis,” she said. “It is not the long-term solution that the department has requested of us.”
The fund that the fees go into has been swept to bolster previous state budgets. Rep Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat, said protections should be built into the bill to protect it from more sweeps. He said doctors would be punished having to pay higher fees to fund an agency where the same issue could reoccur. “There’s nothing protecting where these same monies won’t be swept again. …What we have here amounts to double taxation.”
Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said the agency was “relieved” it would be able to start speeding up the application process.
In a prepared statement, the Illinois Medical Society said the legislation is shortsighted. “Better solutions were left on the table.” The group has acknowledged that a fee increase is needed but also wants the money from the sweeps paid back.
Doctors will have to pay more in fees so a state agency can continue to investigate and license them.
Senate Bill 622 passed on a 65-49 vote today, with two voting present. The legislation has already been approved by the Senate, and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign it. UPDATED FRIDAY MARCH 8: Gov. Quinn has signed the bill. The law and new fee took effect upon the governor's signature.
Because it was low on funds, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation recently transferred 18 of the 26 staffers responsible for licensing physicians. Lower staffing levels created a backlog of applications and left fewer investigators to look into malpractice claims. If the licensing process remained funded at current levels, delays in processing were expected to be problematic for incoming medical students starting their residencies in July. “Right now, they are hard-pressed to do anything in the arena because there are not resources in the department,”said the House bill’s sponsor, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat. She said without a fee increase, the wait time for licenses could be up to a year.
SB 622 would borrow $6.6 million from the Local Government Tax Fund to cover immediate costs. The money would be repaid by 2018. Currently. doctors pay $300 every three years to be licensed in the state. The measure raises fees to $700 paid every three years through 2018 to allow the department to rehire cut staff and be able to repay borrowed funds. At that time, fees would drop to $500 every three years. The increase would be the first time fees have been changed since 1987.
Currie cautioned that the plan might not be a long-term fix. She previously proposed increasing the fees to $750. Under her earlier plan, the fees would not have been reduced in 2018. “This will not be a long-term solution to the problem. It will certainly get us over the immediate crisis,” she said. “It is not the long-term solution that the department has requested of us.”
The fund that the fees go into has been swept to bolster previous state budgets. Rep Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat, said protections should be built into the bill to protect it from more sweeps. He said doctors would be punished having to pay higher fees to fund an agency where the same issue could reoccur. “There’s nothing protecting where these same monies won’t be swept again. …What we have here amounts to double taxation.”
Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said the agency was “relieved” it would be able to start speeding up the application process.
In a prepared statement, the Illinois Medical Society said the legislation is shortsighted. “Better solutions were left on the table.” The group has acknowledged that a fee increase is needed but also wants the money from the sweeps paid back.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Medical marijuana moves forward
By Meredith Colias
Chronically ill residents would have another option to relieve long-term pain under a plan to legalize medical marijuana, which an Illinois House committee approved today.
The committee approved House Bill 1 on a 11-4 vote. The legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, cited the18 other states, plus Washington, D.C., that already legalize marijuana for medical use in some form. “We can help sick people have a quality of life,” he said. Lang said it was important that there were specific restrictions to the measure to limit participation to those with an actual medical need with “continual pain, nausea and discomfort.” Patients older than 18 afflicted with chronic or terminal ailments specifically listed in the bill, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and HIV/AIDS, would qualify to apply for a medical cannabis card issued by the Department of Public Health. Patients issued permits would be limited to possessing 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.
Opponents said the measure would set a bad example for children. “The law’s a teacher,” Ralph Rivera of the Illinois Family Institute said. He cited a study showing marijuana usage for those 25 and younger increased in states such as Colorado that previously legalized medicinal usage. If the measure becomes law, “the students, the children [will] think it’s OK.” Colorado voters recently approved a measure to legalize the possession of marijuana for recreational use.
Limey Nargelenas, a lobbyist with the Illinois Association of Police, said he was concerned that those who would be approved to use medical marijuana would be allowed to drive under the influence, giving them a “back door to get out of the situation.”
But Lang said the law was not meant to open the door for those who smoke marijuana recreationally, who he says will smoke regardless of the law. “We know teenagers are going to smoke marijuana whether we pass this bill or not,” he said.
Lang said patients would also have to pass background checks, verify they are ill and demonstrate that other possible medical solutions had been tried. Licensed patients would have to prove that they are regularly seeing the doctor who prescribed medical marijuana. Caregivers and state employees overseeing growing and dispensary operations also would be required to pass a background test. Lang said the law would not spare legally impaired drivers: If caught, “the legal system will take its course.” He said that he thinks the committee’s approval of the legislation will help him as he lobbies for votes to pass the bill out of the House. Lang called bills to legalize medical marijuana for three floor votes in the House in 2011. All three times, the measures failed. “I think it will be easier to find the votes on the floor once it’s out of committee. Many members of the floor will say, let me know when it’s out of committee, and then I’ll commit to you,” Lang said before today’s committee vote.
Chronically ill residents would have another option to relieve long-term pain under a plan to legalize medical marijuana, which an Illinois House committee approved today.
The committee approved House Bill 1 on a 11-4 vote. The legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, cited the18 other states, plus Washington, D.C., that already legalize marijuana for medical use in some form. “We can help sick people have a quality of life,” he said. Lang said it was important that there were specific restrictions to the measure to limit participation to those with an actual medical need with “continual pain, nausea and discomfort.” Patients older than 18 afflicted with chronic or terminal ailments specifically listed in the bill, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and HIV/AIDS, would qualify to apply for a medical cannabis card issued by the Department of Public Health. Patients issued permits would be limited to possessing 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.
Opponents said the measure would set a bad example for children. “The law’s a teacher,” Ralph Rivera of the Illinois Family Institute said. He cited a study showing marijuana usage for those 25 and younger increased in states such as Colorado that previously legalized medicinal usage. If the measure becomes law, “the students, the children [will] think it’s OK.” Colorado voters recently approved a measure to legalize the possession of marijuana for recreational use.
Limey Nargelenas, a lobbyist with the Illinois Association of Police, said he was concerned that those who would be approved to use medical marijuana would be allowed to drive under the influence, giving them a “back door to get out of the situation.”
But Lang said the law was not meant to open the door for those who smoke marijuana recreationally, who he says will smoke regardless of the law. “We know teenagers are going to smoke marijuana whether we pass this bill or not,” he said.
Lang said patients would also have to pass background checks, verify they are ill and demonstrate that other possible medical solutions had been tried. Licensed patients would have to prove that they are regularly seeing the doctor who prescribed medical marijuana. Caregivers and state employees overseeing growing and dispensary operations also would be required to pass a background test. Lang said the law would not spare legally impaired drivers: If caught, “the legal system will take its course.” He said that he thinks the committee’s approval of the legislation will help him as he lobbies for votes to pass the bill out of the House. Lang called bills to legalize medical marijuana for three floor votes in the House in 2011. All three times, the measures failed. “I think it will be easier to find the votes on the floor once it’s out of committee. Many members of the floor will say, let me know when it’s out of committee, and then I’ll commit to you,” Lang said before today’s committee vote.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
House misses deadline on doctor licensing fees
By Meredith Colias
The state agency that licenses doctors says it needs budget relief to ensure that a new crop of doctors coming to the state to complete residency training will receive licenses by the time they start this summer.
Lawmakers failed to address a shortfall in a state budget fund for licensing doctors in time for a deadline today for medical students nationwide to decide where they would like to complete their residencies. Danny Chun, spokesman for the Illinois Hospital Association, said he was concerned the issue could deter prospective medical students from coming to Illinois. “We would hope these medical students still hope to choose Illinois,” he said.
Dr. William Werner, president of the Illinois State Medical Society, said it was unlikely that medical students would reject Illinois because of licensing issues. Students usually rank their residency choices on where they would get the best training for their specialties, rather than the state, he said. Some heads of teaching hospitals were concerned, but “I’ve not heard a lot of concerns” that programs will fail to attract good candidates, Werner said..
But there is worry that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the state agency that approves doctor licenses and investigates medical malpractice complaints, does not have enough money and staff to ensure that licenses are approved for medical students before they are scheduled to start their residencies in July. Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said money was needed to restore staff the department recently cut from 26 to eight. The reduction in staff has prolonged the processing time for a medical license application from about 15 business days to close to six months.
Werner said excessive application delays need to be resolved by April and called the matter “unacceptable”. “You can’t expect a young person to delay their training that long. This has to be solved by the spring, so residents can get their licenses,” he said.
An Illinois House committee today approved Senate Bill 622, which would transfer $6.6 million from the Local Government Tax Fund to the fund that pays for doctor licensing and increase three-year medical licensing fees from $300 to $750. The money from the local tax fund would be paid back by 2015. Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie told the committee that approving the measure “would be an indication to medical students across the country that Illinois is going to solve the problem.”
Manuel Flores, the acting secretary of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said the long-term viability of the fund should be examined with the fee structure. “[Administrative] costs are going to continue to rise,” he said.
“The one thing Illinois isn’t last place in is our hospitals,” said Rep. Michael Tryon, a Crystal Lake Republican.
James Tierney of the Illinois State Medical Society said a fee increase is necessary but not to the $750 figure that Currie proposed. The society has said it would agree to increasing the fee to $500 every three years. He said doctors should not have to pay for a problem created when money from the fund was swept and spent in other areas of the budget. The measure “really amounts to nothing more than a tax on physicians,” he said.
The state agency that licenses doctors says it needs budget relief to ensure that a new crop of doctors coming to the state to complete residency training will receive licenses by the time they start this summer.
Lawmakers failed to address a shortfall in a state budget fund for licensing doctors in time for a deadline today for medical students nationwide to decide where they would like to complete their residencies. Danny Chun, spokesman for the Illinois Hospital Association, said he was concerned the issue could deter prospective medical students from coming to Illinois. “We would hope these medical students still hope to choose Illinois,” he said.
Dr. William Werner, president of the Illinois State Medical Society, said it was unlikely that medical students would reject Illinois because of licensing issues. Students usually rank their residency choices on where they would get the best training for their specialties, rather than the state, he said. Some heads of teaching hospitals were concerned, but “I’ve not heard a lot of concerns” that programs will fail to attract good candidates, Werner said..
But there is worry that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the state agency that approves doctor licenses and investigates medical malpractice complaints, does not have enough money and staff to ensure that licenses are approved for medical students before they are scheduled to start their residencies in July. Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said money was needed to restore staff the department recently cut from 26 to eight. The reduction in staff has prolonged the processing time for a medical license application from about 15 business days to close to six months.
Werner said excessive application delays need to be resolved by April and called the matter “unacceptable”. “You can’t expect a young person to delay their training that long. This has to be solved by the spring, so residents can get their licenses,” he said.
An Illinois House committee today approved Senate Bill 622, which would transfer $6.6 million from the Local Government Tax Fund to the fund that pays for doctor licensing and increase three-year medical licensing fees from $300 to $750. The money from the local tax fund would be paid back by 2015. Chicago Democratic Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie told the committee that approving the measure “would be an indication to medical students across the country that Illinois is going to solve the problem.”
Manuel Flores, the acting secretary of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said the long-term viability of the fund should be examined with the fee structure. “[Administrative] costs are going to continue to rise,” he said.
“The one thing Illinois isn’t last place in is our hospitals,” said Rep. Michael Tryon, a Crystal Lake Republican.
James Tierney of the Illinois State Medical Society said a fee increase is necessary but not to the $750 figure that Currie proposed. The society has said it would agree to increasing the fee to $500 every three years. He said doctors should not have to pay for a problem created when money from the fund was swept and spent in other areas of the budget. The measure “really amounts to nothing more than a tax on physicians,” he said.
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