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Illinois Democrats want Rauner to speak on health care repeal

Illinois Democrats want to know where Gov. Bruce Rauner stands on the American Health Care Act, the House approved replacement to the law often called Obamacare. 

Rauner has been fairly tightlipped on the subject other than offering that he didn’t believe Illinoisans would “do very well under the changes they’re recommending.”

A letter was sent yesterday to the Governor by the entire Illinois Democratic Congressional delegation.  This is the fourth letter Rauner has received since January on the subject.

Rauner failed to respond to a letter written by Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth in January, another in February written by House Democrats and then a follow up letter from Durbin and Duckworth in March.

Complete with a list of related questions they are asking him to give his opinion on the American Health Care Act, and to answer questions like if the House bill became law could Illinois cover increased costs without reducing coverage and how funding reductions would effect hospitals in rural and undeserved areas.

Additionally they pressed him on if the state were to lose the estimated $40 billion in Medicaid over the next decade how would that affect services to students particularly those with Individualized Education Plans.

Illinois is one of 16 states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare with a Republican governor in office. GOP governors in Michigan, Ohio, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Nevada have already publicly expressed concerns that the repeal plan would leave many of their state residents without coverage.

They also ask Rauner to explain how eliminating Planned Parenthood from Illinois’ Medicaid program would affect reproductive health services for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Rep. Cheri Bustos was among those who signed the letter to Rauner.

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