Health Alliance, SB178 and the Governor
Health Alliance.
O.k.
My understanding is that SB178 passed in both the House and Senate with big enough numbers to override the Governor’s likely veto. The fly in the ointment however is that there isn’t a veto session until October which means for the time being we are still right where we were. The passage of this bill did give a big boost to probable Health Alliance litigation, which I imagine will follow pretty quickly.
Oh, and I LOVE how the State is saying they’ll give us a second benefits choice period in the fall after providers have a chance to build new networks. Well…huh…I guess that means the freaking networks aren’t in PLACE right now after all, HUH?
One of the tidbits that I found absolutely astounding was in Health Alliance’s twitter feed of the COFGA meeting. ILSenateGOP tweeted “Humana representative was contacted by Dept. of Human Services to remove website info for members to contact Gov, legislators on this issue.” And another one, “Health Alliance was also asked by Governor’ (sic) office to remove contact info of Gov. and legislators on member website.
Read that over and think about that. Good God….what balls. It makes me want to tell Owen and Leo that I’ll pay them a buck a piece to call the Governor’s office over and over and over and over. And over. And knowing Leo perhaps he would try to franchise it the way he did with lemonade stands and we could have hundreds and hundreds of little workers calling the Governor's office. I won't though.
Anyway----that’s all a roundabout way of saying that although Governor Quinn evidently will not sign SB178 into law despite the overwhelming and non-partisan passage of it in the House and Senate----let’s tell him that we think he SHOULD! And let’s just tell him a LOT, o.k? And maybe forward the contact information to everyone you know. Just because.
Contact the Governor
Springfield
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-0244
TTY: 888-261-3336
Chicago
Office of the Governor
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-2121
Governor's Online Contact Form