Legal Council Blog
Views expressed in this blog belong to the respective author unless otherwise specified.
Policy Update: Legal Council Advocacy Victories
May was a busy month for the legal experts here at Legal Council for Health Justice. When we weren’t serving and empowering low-income people with chronic illnesses or disabilities at over a dozen on-site clinics across the city, or suing the State of Illinois on behalf of thousands of Illinoisans wrongfully delayed or denied Medicaid coverage, OR leading advocacy efforts in the State Board of Education investigation into CPS’ special education program and procedural violations, our team was hard at work advocating for numerous policies across the State.
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Pharmacies: An Endangered Species
A growing trend in the low income neighborhoods of Chicago is causing a great deal of concern for public health. Compared to white neighborhoods, black and Latino communities are being labeled as pharmacy deserts. “Pharmacy deserts” are neighborhoods that are suffering from various pharmacy closures. These vulnerable communities are usually less affluent and home to minorities and senior citizens. When pharmacies close, these residents are left behind without basic needs.
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Legal Council Advocates VS. CPS Special Education
After a public inquiry team, led by the Illinois State Board of Education, spent the last five months investigating Chicago Public Schools’ Special Education policies and practices and found significant and unnecessary delays and denials in services, the Board voted Wednesday to approve an independent monitor to oversee CPS as it works to implement changes.
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Attorneys enforce Medicaid class action
Attorneys from Legal Council for Health Justice, the Shriver Center, and Sidley Austin LLP filed in court today on behalf of thousands of low-income people to enforce federal law and…
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4th Annual May Ball was a Derby Day Success!
Thanks to all those who supported the 4th Annual May Ball on May 5 at the stunning home of Dr. Nabeela Rasheed and Fawzia Mirza. Over 175 attendees packed the house on…
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Stop Junk Insurance in Illinois
Quality and affordable health insurance should be available to every Illinoisan and every American citizen, full stop. Unfortunately, this notion is being challenged by pending federal regulations that could result in a large expansion of the number of short term plans offered to hardworking Illinoisans. Short term plans differ from other health insurance plans; their long lists of what is not covered leaves many consumers with expensive medical bills. Plans sold in Illinois can exclude coverage for preexisting conditions, prescription drugs, hospital room and board on a weekend, and treatment for mental and health or substance abuse disorders.
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Medicaid Matters for Seniors and Older Adults
More than 6.9 million American seniors ages 65 and older have Medicaid coverage, and more than 8.5 million adults ages 50 to 64 are enrolled in Medicaid. Medicaid is a lifeline for seniors and older Americans.
About 1 in 3 seniors live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line while the cost of nursing home care for a typical year is around $82,000. Thanks to Medicaid, about 6 in 10 nursing home residents are covered, making nursing home care more accessible and affordable.
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Medicaid Matters in the Opioid Crisis
In 2016, more Americans died from drug overdose than in both the Vietnam War and Iraq War combined. Two-thirds of these overdoses involved opioids. Over two million Americans are dependent on opioids, and medical professionals worry that this public health crisis will only continue to grow. In Illinois, 14.1 percent of deaths in 2015 are drug-related. Despite these numbers, there are treatments to help people with an opioid use disorder—and those treatments work.
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Do No Harm to Illinois Health
As both Congress and the President continue to threaten the well-being of Illinoisans through cutting benefits, rolling back consumer protections, and restricting access to coverage, we must ensure protections at the state level to guarantee any attempt to restrict access to healthcare is open to public debate, oversight, and scrutiny.
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