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News :: Health |
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Add Your Name To A Petition Against Discriminatory Pricing In Health Care |
Current rating: 0 |
by Brooke Anderson
Email: brooke (nospam) shout.net (verified)
Phone: (217) 352-6533, ext. 17 |
17 Oct 2003
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Champaign County Health Care Consumers is testifying about discriminatory pricing and medical debt next week before the Illinois Senate. We want to take with us hundreds of name of people in this community who support an end to discriminatory pricing in health care. Add your name to this list! |
Dear friends,
I have some exciting news and a very important favor to ask! In the next month or so, Illinois consumers have a chance to put an end to discriminatory pricing in health care and aggressive medical debt collection practices. To do this, we need your help! Right now, all I'm asking of you is to email me back with your permission to add your name to a growing list of Illinois consumers in support of legislation ending discriminatory pricing in health care. Please read on for more details and please forward this message to all of your friends, family, co-workers, etc.
* DISCRIMINATORY PRICING HURTS CONSUMERS *
Right now, the 1.8 million uninsured residents of Illinois are charged 2-3 times more than the price charged for insured patients for identical health care services because hospitals give big discounts to large insurance companies. This practice whereby health care providers charge their highest prices to those patients who are least able to afford medical care is called discriminatory pricing and it is devastating the health and financial well-being of many people in our community.
* SB 552 WOULD END DISCRIMINATORY PRICING *
As a result of the work that Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) and other groups throughout the state, there is now legislation before the Illinois Senate that would end discriminatory pricing. It is called Senate Bill 552, the Discriminatory Pricing Reform Act. This legislation would prohibit hospitals from collecting more than the cost of services for hospital care from uninsured patients whose income is below 300% of the federal poverty level or who spend over 20% of their annual income on health care.
* ADD YOUR NAME IN SUPPORT OF SB 552 *
CCHCC has been invited to testify about this issue next Wednesday (10/22/2003) in Chicago before a meeting of the Illinois Senate Health and Human Services Committee. This is very exciting for us! We're taking consumers and supporters up with us to fill the hearing room and to testify about their experiences. When we testify, we want to present to the Senate a petition with the names of hundreds of local consumers who support SB 552. If you would be willing to add your name to this list of local consumers who support SB 552, please email me back with the following information:
Your name:
Your street address:
Your city, state, and zip code:
Your telephone number:
Your email address:
Thanks so much! And if you're interested in distributing petitions, attending the hearing in Chicago, or helping to organize a future hearing on the legislation right here in Champaign County, please get in contact with me asap: (217) 352-6533, ext. 17 or brooke (at) shout.net. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Brooke Anderson
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Re: Add Your Name To A Petition Against Discriminatory Pricing In Health Care |
by Observer
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Oct 2003
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Dear CCHCC:
Congratulations on being invited to testify in support of SB 552. Your support of this very important piece of legislation makes us all proud of the work you do!
Best wishes and good luck!
Observer |
