Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » *** UPDATED x1 *** Pritzker signs fourth Black Caucus “pillar” into law
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
*** UPDATED x1 *** Pritzker signs fourth Black Caucus “pillar” into law

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

In a major step forward in the work to expand health equity across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker today signed the Health Care and Human Services Reform Act into law.

The legislation, which represents the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ healthcare pillar, takes sweeping action to address health inequities and obstacles while establishing new programs, increasing oversight and trainings, building out a Community Health Worker certification and training program and improving transparency.

“Today, it’s my privilege to sign the fourth and final pillar from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus into law, the Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation advances a key belief of mine that I know is shared by everyone standing with me, and millions of residents across Illinois: healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Thanks to the Black Caucus’ four pillars, now law, Illinois is a few steps closer to the justice our residents deserve.”

This legislation builds upon significant administration efforts toward health equity including expanding telehealth coverage in order to increase healthcare access to vulnerable and rural populations, including mental health services; eliminating the Medicaid backlog; bringing an additional $250 million in federal healthcare funding to Illinois; signing the Healthcare and Hospital Transformation bill into law; and working with the General Assembly to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer healthcare access assistance to undocumented seniors.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the systemic economic, educational and health disparities that have historically plagued African Americans across our country. For centuries, Black people have been disrespected, abused and misused in the name of health care, starting with the abuse of the enslaved,” said Senate Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). “To prevent future harm to one of our most vulnerable populations, we have enacted this informed policy, with the goal of deep, intense reform.”

“The four pillars of the ILBC Black Policy Agenda to address systemic racism and will provide justice while improving the lives of underserved families across Illinois,” said State Representative Camille Y. Lilly (D-Chicago). “The Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will improve the quality of healthcare, ensure dignity for our seniors as they age, increase the availability of mental health services, improve hospital access and combat medical racism and implicit bias in order build trust between Black, Brown and poor communities and health care providers.”

“People in the Black community have lost faith in Illinois’ health care system because of unequal access to care. Quality health is a necessity and should be available to everyone, regardless of race or income,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “The Black community’s health and our care has been devalued for far too long. With this law, we are taking the first steps to reshape the direction of our state’s health care, leading with diversity, inclusion, and justice at the center.”

“The Healthcare pillar for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is about equity and access to quality healthcare,” said State Representative LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis). “The importance of implicit bias training for hospital staff and perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services to be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance will be critical to all Illinoisans. We have more work to do to address black maternal mortality which is a health crisis in our state, but this is another step in the right direction,”

“This legislation takes a wide range of steps to address the inequities that exist in health care for too many people across our state, particularly for people of color, but also for people in rural communities and working families across the state,” said Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson. “Removing barriers and making sure all Illinoisans can reach the services they need is critical to achieving better health outcomes for children, adults, and families, and will make for a healthier Illinois.”

The Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will:

Expand Health Care Access and Equity

    • Creates a Community Health Workers program which will include training and certification, ensuring Illinoisans are better able to access help from trained health workers.
    • Adds implicit bias training to the required training for interns, residents and physicians so that they are better prepared to serve all of Illinois’ residents.
    • Creates the Underlying Causes of Crime and Violence Study Act, which will study how to create a process to identify high violence communities, also known as R3 (Restore, Reinvest, and Renew) areas, and prioritize state dollars to address underlying health issues and underlying causes of violence.
    • Reduces taxes on all blood sugar testing products to 1%.
    • Amends the Employee Paid Sick Leave Act to include care of children, parents, step-parents, in-laws, and grandparents.
    • Requires the Health Facilities and Services Review Board conduct a racial equity impact assessment for all future hospital closure applications that is publicly viewable.
    • Creates the Health and Human Services Taskforce which will review health and human service departments and programs with the goal of improving health and human service outcomes for Illinois residents.
    • Creates the Anti-Racism Commission to identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism.
    • Creates the Medicaid Business Opportunity Commission within HFS to develop a program to support and grow minority, women, and persons with disability owned businesses.

Improve Children’s Health, Women’s Health, Mental Health and Addresses Substance Abuse

    • Requires day care providers to be trained in childhood emotional learning, trauma, and adverse experiences.
    • Creates the Special Commission on Gynecologic Cancer to study issues relating to gynecologic cancer and present a report to reduce disparities and promote best practices.
    • Prevents a person who seeks or obtains emergency medical assistance for an overdose or someone experiencing an overdose from being arrested or charged.
    • Expands coverage of doula services and home visiting services for pregnant women.
    • Increases payment rates for psychiatric treatment at hospitals serving primarily low-income patients.

Improve Quality of Care for All Illinois Residents

    • Requires that any intern, resident, or physician providing services at a hospital have proper credentials and any required certificates for ongoing training.
    • Instructs hospitals to provide N95 masks to all physicians and nurses free of charge.
    • Increases dementia training and requires continuing annual trainings.

HB 158 takes effect immediately.

*** UPDATE *** Eleni Demertzis of the House Republicans…

Today, the governor signed a bill that will cost billions of dollars of fantasy money we just don’t have. Anyone who believes his inaccurate rhetoric on costs of this bill should refer to his false statements on independent redistricting.

       

5 Comments
  1. - CMZ - Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 1:51 pm:

    I can see some race specific parts of this but honestly this looks like something that most people in Illinois will benefit from regardless of race.


  2. - Amalia - Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 2:15 pm:

    yes there are benefits. but right now if one has health insurance, you should have a PCP. get one with a big hospital chain and your location choices will be greater if the pcp is unavailable or leaves. you don’t even need one close to home….find a pcp on a transit line if you don’t want to use or don’t have access to a car. if you are in a big system, if your pcp is on vacation, someone else can take you.


  3. - Perrid - Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 2:34 pm:

    The focus on BEP is somewhat worrisome to me. If the GA wants to micromanage the program at HFS to this degree (and in some ways its understandable, because HFS/the MCOs have not met the goal), I hope someone is watching them -the legislators- to make sure no one is steering government contracts. Equity is good, cronyism isn’t, and I don’t really trust the GA to know the difference.


  4. - ClearEyes - Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 2:43 pm:

    When he says “final” does that mean we’re done, problem solved?


  5. - Demoralized - Tuesday, Apr 27, 21 @ 3:04 pm:

    Republicans against healthcare for more people. What a surprise.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away
* Question of the day
* Today's must-read
* We have the receipts, Mr. Mayor
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller