Illinois health care legislation on Medicaid and insurance reform

Health care reform is term used to refer to the creation of government health policy that impact the delivery of healthcare in the United States of America. Primarily, healthcare attempts to widen the population that gets healthcare through the two common insurance programs, public and private. It widens the horizon of care providers that the public can choose from. Healthcare also enhances the access to health care specialists, enhances quality of care as well as decreasing the cost of health care. Basically, Health care covers four basic functional components of the U.S. health care delivery system include financing, insurance, delivery, and quality care

Legislation for Health Care Finance

The name of the bill name is Medicaid Revenue Act 2012 and number of legislation is IL S. 159. This bill was proposed by the Illinois Democratic Senator Antonio Munoz previously of General Assembly (93rd) and currently of the 1st District ( Legislative Information System, 2012). The Medicaid Revenue Act 2012 was introduced on the 2nd of September 2011 and to the same day to the Senate Committee on Assignments; on the 3rd of January 2011, it was introduced to the Senate Committee on Human Services. It was postponed the same day and on the 18th of March referred to the Senate Committee on Assignments.

This legislation is about Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is meant to amend the current Medicaid Revenue Act. The proposed bill stipulates that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, is required by the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to put in place a basic health program and synchronize it with the current Medicaid managed care as well as other care-based programs in the State to look into the care needs of the persons who are considered as economically challenged and rated between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty level (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2012 ).

Legislation for Health Care Insurance

The name of the bill name is Statewide Health Insurance Plan and Health Care Reform 2011 and number of legislation is IL H. 223. This bill was proposed by the Illinois Representative Camille Y. Lilly of the 78th District ( Legislative Information System, 2012). This bill was introduced on the 20th of January 2011 and the following day 21st of January 2011 it was taken to the House Committee on Rules. On the 8th of February 2011 it was taken to the House Committee on Health Care Availability and Accessibility. The bill was then taken to the House Committee on Health Care Availability and Access on the 1st of March 2011 where an amendment was filed. On the same day it reached the House Committee on Rules where another Amendment was filed. On the 8th of March 2011, the House Committee on Health Care Availability and Access adopted the proposed amendment. It was placed on calendar order for second reading on the 9th March 2011 and on 14th March same year, the state mandated Fiscal Note filed as amended. On the 17th March there was a second amendment and then referred to Rules. On the 23rd March 2011 the state mandated a Fiscal Note filed as amended. The bill was read for the second time on the 1st of April 2011 and the second amendment was adopted then. On the same day, it was placed on Calendar Order Third Reading and on the 5th April 2011 a short debate ensued and the bill was lost.

This bill is meant to strengthen the mission goals of the Health Care Justice Implementation Task Force that looks into the implementation of the federal health care reforms. It is meant to give way forward concerning additional reforms that are necessary to ensure that care is affordable, evaluate ongoing programs and recommend ways of implementing a statewide health insurance plan. This is in line with the State's Health Insurance Plan, which adopts single-payer as a universal coverage system. It is expected that by 1st of March 2013 there will be a recommendation by the Task Force on the implementation of a statewide health insurance plan offered by the State. This plan will be referred to as the Illinois State Health insurance Plan and this plan will enable the residents of the state buy medical care and other available medical assistance services under the Public Aid Code (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2012 ). Therefore this plan will be established to offer affordable insurance option that one may choose in relation to the working of a health insurance exchange in Illinois. This health insurance plan will be administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and this will be done either directly or by contract, separate from the traditional plans and programs. In its recommendations, the Task Force will include the structure and function of an oversight committee charged with the task of reviewing and approving the criteria, standards, and procedures for the operation of the insurance plan and for undertaking oversight of its operation (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2012 ).

Legislation for Quality Health Care

The name of the bill name is Patient Protection 2011 and number of legislation is MI HR 25. This bill was proposed by the Michigan house representative Bob Genetski of the District 88, Saugatuck (Michigan House Republicans, 2012).

This bill was introduced on the 10th of February 2011 and on the same day presented to the House Committee on Health Policy. The bill pushes the congress to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to adopt tax-favored health plans that compensate the costs of over-the-counter medication (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2012 ).

Health Care Insurance

Out of the four basic functional components of the U.S. health care delivery system, Insurance is more important than the other three. There has been much debate on the healthcare reform with numerous proposed bill, but none draws greater attention than that of insurance (Turner, 2012). This makes insurance the most controversial and the most critical of the three components of the U.S. healthcare.

Human rights organizations are most likely to lobby for insurance in the health care sector. It is highly unlikely for any for profit organization to lobby for such a course; the insurance sector would be lobbying against most popular insurance bills such as the universal coverage. Therefore, those organizations that fights for basic human rights are the most likely to feature prominently in this activity.

Conclusion

The debate on health care in the United States includes issues of right to health care, access issues, fairness, sustainability, and quality as well as the amounts spent by either the state or the federal government. As seen in the preceding paragraphs, there are numerous pending bills waiting approval by various state governments as well as the federal government most concerning the reforms in healthcare. According to World Health Organization (2009), the healthcare in the United States which is a mixed of both public and private care system is the most expensive in the world. This is the reason for such heated denate on the healthcare reform and also the reason for so much legislation on issues related to healthcare on the federal and the statelevel.

Reference

Legislative Information System. (2012). Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved October 7, 2012, from www.ilga.gov.

Michigan House Republicans. (2012). Michigan House Representative. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://www.gophouse.com/welcome.asp?District=088

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2012, September 25). Federal Health Reform: State Legislative Tracking Database. Retrieved October 2012, from www.ncsl.org.

Turner, G.-M. (2012, June 13 ). If ObamaCare Is Judged Unconstitutional, Here's How To Reform Healthcare. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from www.forbes.com.

World Health Organization. (2009, May). World Health Statistics 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2012