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PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
4:27pm
Wed May 15

Immigrant Communities Face Major Barriers In Navigating Affordable Care Act Eligibility, Report Finds

Health Care

Nearly 260,000 uninsured immigrants in Illinois will be eligible for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when open enrollment begins in October. But a plethora of barriers, including language, literacy and culture, may stand in the way, according to a recent report by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
5:31pm
Thu May 9
1 comment

IL Senate Committee Passes Legislation For State-based Health Insurance Exchange

The Illinois Senate Insurance Committee passed a measure Wednesday that looks to establish a state-run health insurance marketplace for small businesses and individuals as part of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Some health care and consumer advocates are pushing for a state-based insurance exchange, but questions still remain on how to make the marketplace the best it can be.

"We're walking into a new territory. We haven’t been here yet," said Brigid Leahy, director of legislative affairs at Planned Parenthood of Illinois. "But at least we know that if we're running things at the state level, we can fix things, we can make them better, we have better control over making sure that it works for consumers. If it’s in the hands of the feds, we don’t have that power." 

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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
11:47am
Tue Apr 9

Nearly One Million Illinoisans Eligible For Health Coverage Tax Credits Under The Affordable Care Act

About 957,000 Illinoisans will be eligible for premium tax credits in 2014 that will help them pay for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, a report released Thursday from Families USA shows.

More than half of the nearly one million people who will qualify have annual incomes between 200 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (or $47,100 to $94,200 for a family of four), allowing the premium tax credits to reach deep into the middle class, said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA.

“The tax credit subsidies are a game changer,” Pollack said on a conference call with reporters. “They will make health coverage affordable for huge numbers of uninsured families who would have been priced out of the health coverage and care they need.”

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