Petition: Governor Pat Quinn: Don't cut Illinois' Medicaid budget.

The ISPC Board of Directors created the following petition on change.org in May 2012.

Governor Pat Quinn: Don't cut Illinois' Medicaid budget. Support Medicare for All (single-payer) instead!

Illinois governor Pat Quinn proposes to cut $2.7 billion (19%) from the state's $14 billion Medicaid budget. Three million Illinois residents (almost 1 in 4) depend on Medicaid for access to health care.

By making these steep cuts, the Governor is essentially cutting off access to health care, hospice care, and prescription drugs  to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents who have no other options. He is also cutting home care for the disabled. In addition he proposes to cut Medicaid’s already low provider reimbursements by another 8%, making it more difficult for all Medicaid patients to find doctors who can afford to treat them.

Like the government in Greece, Quinn is forcing those who depend on Medicaid to suffer the results of the financial crisis caused by Wall Street's casino operators.

Instead of cutting off health care to state residents, Governor Quinn should support Illinois' Medicare for All (single-payer) bill, HB 311. It would be more efficient, provide universal coverage and cost the state far less than the current system. Punishing the poor is cruel and unnecessary. Medicare for All (single-payer) is the right thing to do.

Text of petition published on change.org:

Illinois governor Pat Quinn proposes to cut $2.7 billion (19%) from the state's $14 billion Medicaid budget. Three million Illinois residents (almost 1 in 4) depend on Medicaid for access to health care. 

By making these steep cuts, the Governor is essentially cutting off access to health care, hospice care,  and prescription drugs to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents who have no other options.  He is also cutting home care for the disabled.  In addition he proposes to cut Medicaid’s already low provider reimbursements by another 8%, making it more difficult for all Medicaid patients to find doctors who can afford to treat them.

Like the government in Greece, Quinn is forcing those who depend on Medicaid to suffer the results of the financial crisis caused by Wall Street's casino operators.

Instead of cutting off health care to state residents, Governor Quinn should support Illinois' Medicare for All (single-payer) bill, HB 311.  It would be more efficient, provide universal coverage and cost the state far less than the current system.  Punishing the poor is cruel and unnecessary.  Medicare for All (single-payer) is the right thing to do.

Text of suggested letter:

Dear Governor Quinn, I just signed the following petition addressed to: Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn.

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Don't cut Illinois' Medicaid budget. Support Illinois' Medicare for All (single-payer) bill, HB 311 instead!

I am deeply dismayed at your proposed cuts to the state’s Medicaid program. Nearly 1 in 4 Illinois residents depend on Medicaid for access to health care. Your cuts would reduce or eliminate healthcare access for hundreds of thousands.

Medicaid already offers the lowest reimbursement rates of any health care funding source public or private, and now you threaten to lower them further. That’s unacceptable.

As you know the financial crisis that Illinois faces has much to do with the corruption and greed of the financial industry and nothing to do with the people whose health care access you are prepared to cut. How can you compare the value of budget balancing with the human cost of seniors, children and the disabled not getting the services they need to maintain their quality of life? Just like the political leaders in Greece, you propose to punish the people for the crimes of the rich and powerful.

Before becoming governor, you presented yourself as an ethical and progressive reformer. While I am concerned about the state’s financial distress, the ethical progressive solution is not reducing health care access for millions of Illinois residents while government officials receive full health care coverage.

The ethical progressive solution is to go outside the box and support Medicare for All (single-payer) in Illinois.

Countries that use single-payer enjoy universal coverage at a cost approximately half of what Illinois spends per capita. Medicare for All is the right thing to do.

Thank you. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,