Several citizen action groups will hold a rally in Daley Plaza at 5 p.m. today praising the Supreme Court ruling as a “profound victory for American consumers.”
“With this seminal Supreme Court decision, the constitutional debate over the law ended and the quest toward affordable and accessible healthcare moved triumphantly forward,” according to a statement from Citizen Action/Illinois.
Healthcare advocates said that 30 million more Americans can now be covered and that the worst insurance company abuses will become a relic of the past.
William McNary, co-director of Citizen Action/Illinois, called on Illinois lawmakers to continue to press forward on health care reform.
“Today’s decision was a historic moment for affordable health care in Illinois,” he said. “Now, our legislators must seize the opportunity to pass a high-quality health benefits exchange and restore the cuts made to family care by participating in the expansion of Medicaid. There should be no more excuses for inaction.”
Groups participating in the rally include Citizen Action/Illinois, SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana, Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition, and the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans.
Citizen Action/Illinois cited several important provisions of the law:
- Allowing children to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26, which already has benefited 102,600 young adults in Illinois
- Preventing insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions
- Creating transparent and competitive health benefits exchanges for individuals and small businesses to purchase insurance
- Ending lifetime limits on health insurance benefits, which has helped 4,670,000 people in Illinois.
“With the constitutional debate in the rearview mirror, advocates and lawmakers can now get down to the hard work of ensuring that every American has access to quality and affordable health care, said Lynda DeLaforgue, co-director, Citizen Action/Illinois.