J.B. Pritzker on Health Care

	J.B. Pritzker on Health Care

Rein in the unfair practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers

I'm introducing the Prescription Drug Affordability Act to rein in the unfair practices of PBMs, reduce drug costs for Illinois patients by hundreds of dollars per year on average, and protect independent pharmacists. We'll give full statutory authority to the Department of Insurance to examine the books of PBMs and require them to submit to annual auditing. We're going to end their overcharging for drugs people rely on, from insulin for diabetics to chemotherapy for cancer patients. Source: 2025 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 19, 2025

The only bottom line that matters is keeping people healthy

I am introducing a bill to curb predatory insurance practices--putting power back into the hands of patients and their doctors. It's called the Healthcare Consumer Access and Protection Act.

We should never, ever, ever, ever cede decisions to the whims of insurance executives whose focus is always on the bottom line. When it comes to patient care, the only bottom line that really matters is what needs to be done to keep people healthy.

Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 21, 2024

Expand who is recognized as Medicaid healthcare providers

In Illinois, a serious effort to reduce maternal mortality rates is long overdue. And Black women in our state are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Beginning this year, doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants can now be recognized as Medicaid healthcare providers, ensuring that they can be fairly compensated. That will make more services more readily available to communities with the highest mortality rates. Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 21, 2024

Fund early intervention services for infants and toddlers

Smart Start Early Intervention funding will support the essential state program that gives infants and toddlers birth to age three with developmental delays, autism, or other diagnosed medical conditions the services they need, including for speech and language challenges and occupational and physical therapies. For years, these families have suffered from underfunding of Early Intervention services. Not any longer. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 15, 2023

Remove barriers for new front-line healthcare workers

Our healthcare institutions and healthcare workers need help. That's why this proposed budget creates the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce--or PATH--program. The PATH program will invest $25 million in our community colleges to remove barriers for recruitment and training of new front-line healthcare workers. My budget also proposes to invest new resources in nursing scholarships and loan forgiveness programs. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 2, 2022

Made health care more available & more affordable

We made healthcare more available--and more affordable. We capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 for a 30-day supply so that no one in Illinois has to decide between buying food and paying for the medicine they need to stay alive. We expanded insurance coverage for mammograms and reproductive health. And we protected people who need treatment for life-threatening allergic reactions. Source: 2020 Illinois State of the State address , Jan 29, 2020

Expand health care but can't do it all at once

We increase the income eligibility threshold in the Child Care Assistance Program which will give quality care to approximately 10,000 more children. We will be able to hire an additional 126 direct service staff for DCFS to protect children. We will provide funding to help investigate cases of kids' exposure to lead. This is less than what I would like to do. But it is what we can afford to do in year one of our recovery. Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Illinois legislature , Feb 20, 2019

Add public option to healthcare

I propose a public health insurance option that would allow every Illinois resident the chance to buy low-cost health insurance. I will work with legislators and the health care community to design this public option to provide another choice in the health insurance marketplace, to lower the cost of premiums and mitigate market uncertainty--at no cost to taxpayers. Source: 2018 Illinois Gubernatorial website JBPritzker com , Sep 15, 2017

Irresponsible to not fully fund Medicaid

The Republicans' elimination of Medicaid funding will force some hospitals to close and others to cut services and lay-off healthcare professionals. This is not only morally unconscionable, it is fiscally irresponsible. I will fight to preserve full Medicaid funding and work with health experts and leaders across the state to expand health coverage for all Illinoisans. Source: 2018 Illinois gubernatorial campaign website JBPritzker.com , Jul 17, 2017

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