Last month, the Illinois General Assembly ended the 2023 legislative session. For 25 years, EverThrive IL has advocated for state policies and funding to advance our shared priorities of eliminating racial and gender disparities in care, promoting bodily autonomy, and creating a health care system that is deserving of trust from those most affected by injustices.
EverThrive Illinois applauds the state legislature for passing the following bills, which will improve health and wellbeing of Illinois families.
Accountability for fake abortion clinics
Illinois Senate Bill 1909 (SB1909) creates a mechanism for the Illinois Attorney General to bring legal action against anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers for deceiving and misinforming pregnant clients. Following last year’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson, this is yet another important policy which ensures Illinois remains a safe haven for abortion and reproductive health care.
Unprecedented funding for early childhood programs
The state’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes an historic $300 million increase in statewide investments in the state’s core early care and education supports for families with young children. As a leader in the Raising Illinois coalition, EverThrive Illinois celebrates this victory, which will provide new and ongoing support for crucial programs that support families and young children.
Regulation of Private Health Insurance
Nearly 10 years after the Affordable Care Act became law, the legislature has finally approved legislation to create a state-based health insurance exchange, allowing the state considerably more flexibility in how and to whom we provide access to high-quality, affordable health insurance and financial support. This will also generate new revenue for the state, as insurers selling marketplace plans had previously been paying an assessment to the federal government. A related bill giving significantly more authority to the Illinois Department of Insurance to review and reject insurance premium hikes will provide crucial protections for Illinois consumers.
While we celebrate these successes, there is more to do. In the last legislative session, we supported efforts to expand access to health care for immigrants, create a diaper allowance for low-income families, and better support pregnant and postpartum people experiencing substance use disorders that did not advance. EverThrive IL will join with our partners to continue to build public and legislative support for these priorities and others. But we all have a part to play in making these policy priorities into laws—sign up for our email list today so that you can receive action alerts and other updates on when you can help us advance our shared priorities!