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Stop Rx Drug Deserts. Say No To HB 1443!
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] HB 1443 would create a state-appointed Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to review and set upper payment limits on selected prescription drugs. While well-intentioned, this misguided legislation risks harming patients’ community pharmacies without addressing the real drivers of health care costs. Allowing government appointees to intervene in decisions between patients and their physicians raises serious concerns. Moreover, despite being enacted in multiple states, these boards have failed to deliver meaningful savings. Two states have set upper payment limits, yet in the seven years since the first board was established, there is no evidence of a single dollar saved for patients. In Illinois, community pharmacies are essential to the communities they serve, providing access to critical medicines and treatments. If upper payment limits are set below pharmacies’ acquisition costs, pharmacists could be forced to dispense drugs at a loss or stop carrying certain drugs altogether. This puts patient access at risk, especially those who depend on nearby, trusted community-based pharmacies. Illinois’ health care system is already incredibly fragile. HB 1443 advances policy with no record of lowering costs for patients or supporting the sustainability of community pharmacies. Don’t force community pharmacies to choose between financial loss and patient access. We urge you to oppose HB 1443. Paid for by PharmaScript and the Greater Chicagoland Black Chamber of Commerce
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No Cuts. Increase Funding. Save Lives.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] These hospitals are lifelines for Black and Brown communities, providing critical care, supporting local jobs, and stabilizing entire neighborhoods. After years of chronic underinvestment, many are already operating on the edge. Even small cuts could lead to closures, fewer services, and dangerous gaps in care. The message is urgent and clear: Illinois cannot balance its budget on the backs of vulnerable communities. Protecting these hospitals means more than preventing cuts, it means increasing investment so they can meet the growing needs of the people they serve. Fully fund and strengthen safety-net hospitals. Lives depend on it. Paid for by Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals
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Illinois Swipe-Fee Law: A Win For Big Retail, A Loss For Consumers
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Illinois swipe-fee law shifts billions from consumers to large retailers, without any guarantee of lower prices at the register. By cutting interchange fees, the policy takes resources away from the services consumers rely on and boosts mega retailers’ profits. Interchange fees help fund fraud protection, rewards programs, and affordable banking options. Reducing them doesn’t eliminate costs; it simply moves them. Consumers are likely to see fewer benefits, weaker protections, and higher fees elsewhere, while retailers keep the savings to line their pockets. There’s little evidence that merchants pass these savings on to shoppers. Effects from similar laws prove price reductions do not materialize. Instead, the biggest gains have flowed to large national chains, not everyday consumers. The law also risks creating a costly patchwork of state rules that complicate payments, reduce security, and increase friction at checkout. That added complexity ultimately lands on consumers through higher costs, fewer choices, and a less reliable payments system. This isn’t about lowering prices. It’s about redistributing value. If enacted, consumers will pay more in lost benefits and reduced safeguards, while major retailers come out ahead. For more information, visit https://www.icul.com/advocacy/ifpa/. Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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Transparency Is A Central Part Of 340B Bill: Protect Access To Care – Vote YES On HB 2371 SA 2
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois hospitals support transparency in House Bill 2371 SA 2—the Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act—even as rigorous audits performed regularly on 340B providers over decades do not support drugmaker claims that the federal program lacks transparency. The current status quo of drugmakers restrictions on 340B discounts, contrary to federal law, is causing significant harm to low-income and uninsured patients who benefit from the federal program. Hospitals agree with additional transparency requirements in the 340B bill because of this program’s importance in providing patients with lifesaving healthcare services. HB 2371 SA 2 requires covered entities to submit annual reports to the General Assembly that include:
• The covered entity’s community benefits report, including the amount of charity care they provide; • The number of claims for prescription drugs received under 340B; • A description of any adverse 340B audit findings in the preceding year; and • A description of the 340B program’s impact on patients and communities the covered entity serves. SA 2 also prevents duplicate discounts via policy and requires a process to pay back drugmakers for any duplicate discount. 340B is a vital lifeline for hospitals serving vulnerable Illinoisans. Vote YES on HB 2371 SA 2 to protect access to care. Learn more.
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