Melissa Bean’s Healthcare101 – Part 6 of 13

From the Palatine Tea Party…

(Palatine, Illinois) – In response to the letter Melissa Bean wrote to the constituents in district 8 dated April 16, 2010. We will respond to each of her statements Melissa Bean made based on emotion with factual responses where she stated the following:

“Starting in 2014, those limited to the Individual market will be able to choose from a variety of benefit plans in a state-wide Exchange. By pooling together, they will have more benefit options, volume pricing, and reduced risk. An Estimated 31,500 uninsured Eighth District families will get access to affordable coverage.”

Illinois residents ALREADY have a plethora of options from a multitude of health insurance carriers. In fact, the Exchanges will be offering them coverage from the exact same Insurance companies that they have access to today. Their choices may be even LESS in 2014 due to the onerous 85/15 medical loss ratio and increased taxation forced upon health insurance companies under this new legislation.

The only difference in the Exchanges will be that the Illinois tax payer will be subsidizing large portions of those 31,500 uninsured family’s premiums. The LAST thing we need is another tax burden on the Illinois tax payers brought about by providing “subsidies” to 31,500 uninsured Eighth district families, some making as much as 88,000 a year.

This is why 35 states are now attempting to legally remove themselves from the fiscal burdens placed upon them by this new legislation. If they are successful, the fiscal burden on the other 15 states will be catastrophic.

In fact, the new legislation puts increased burden on the majority of tax payers by expanding Medicaid spending by $48 Billion. Medicaid itself (thanks in part to the “stimulus”) grew by 23% last year. Such a course is unsustainable. Expanding Medicaid is not the answer, most especially to a State like Illinois that is already facing a “historic” fiscal crisis. This is, in part, why the former CBO director stated last month that U.S. Fiscal Policy is UNSUSTAINABLE.

Palatine Tea Party


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