The 15th District of Illinois is a rural district. Therefore, many kids rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. There are many structural problems with Medicaid that must be tackled. We must address these systemic issues as well as the other drivers that increase the cost of healthcare for individuals and families.
- Reduce costs of prescription drugs by allowing foreign sourcing and competitive bidding.
- In areas with one or no provider, offer a public option. This would be similar to Medicare, but with higher premiums but with more manageable deductibles.
- In order to reduce costs in the marketplace, allow the chronically ill and the disabled to gain access to Medicare, regardless of ability to work. This will give stability and certainty to this population while simultaneously reducing costs of insurance for the broader population.
- For those accessing insurance through either Medicaid or the marketplace, increase access to credits and subsidies for being healthy, exercising plans, and non-utilization of healthcare. This will decrease the cost of healthcare for those who may not need it but who might need it for catastrophic conditions.
- We have to allow insurance companies to sell across state lines. Also, if an insurance company sells a policy to a business, that same policy should be available for sell to individuals or families, creating real competition in the marketplace.
- And, we must provide more access and choices for women and families across the country, especially in rural areas that are underserved.
Together, we can make healthcare more affordable for all of our citizens. This is a difficult problem to address, but it is possible. If you have problems accessing healthcare, I want to hear about it. Please contact me with your specific issues.
Kevin Gaither, kevin@gaither4il.com
(217) 246-8281
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