AARP
Illinois joins Governor Blagojevich in fight for
Health Care reform…Would establish nation's most
comprehensive plan - Helping over 1 million
Illinoisans access health care
CHICAGO, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- With health care costs soaring and the
number of uninsured people in Illinois climbing
to nearly 1.5 million, AARP says enough is
enough, things have to change.
Today, AARP
Illinois joined Governor Rod R. Blagojevich in
pressing for what is the nation's most
comprehensive health care reform initiative.
"The uninsured
and underinsured cannot continue to fall through
the
cracks in
Illinois," said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois state
director. "AARP
commends Governor
Blagojevich for his commitment to the people of
Illinois and his leadership to ensure people of
all age groups have access to the health care
they need to live healthy lives."
"AARP is one
of the largest member organizations in the
country.
They've been so
successful because they stay tuned in to the
needs of their membership and put their
resources into efforts that will improve the way
of life for millions of people. I'm pleased to
have their support here in Illinois for our
ambitious and desperately needed plan to give
every person in our state access to affordable
and comprehensive health coverage," said Gov.
Blagojevich.
"As the
individuals here today have so clearly
articulated, lack of access to healthcare is a
problem that impacts adults at every stage of
life. Thousands of Illinoisans who have been in
the workforce for decades and raised their
families still can't get the coverage they need
to be able to see a physician regularly and stay
on top
of conditions
that could have serious health consequences. We
want to change that, and with the help of AARP,
we're a step closer to getting it done."
To mark the day,
AARP also kicked off a statewide campaign to
urge
lawmakers to
support the governor's plan. As part of the
efforts, AARP members will lobby in Springfield
and take the message to the streets in their
legislative districts.
"AARP is
dedicated to a full court press on this issue,"
added Gallo.
"Access to
affordable health care is a fundamental right
for all Americans and Illinoisans should be no
exception."
There are nearly
1.5 million uninsured people in the state of
Illinois.
AARP is pressing
Illinois state lawmakers to address the problem
by passing the governor's health care reform
initiative to help ensure people without
coverage do not continue to fall through the
cracks.
---
AARP has over 1.7
million members in Illinois. AARP is a
nonprofit,
nonpartisan
membership organization dedicated to making life
better for people 50 and over. We provide
information and resources; engage in
legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy;
assist members in serving their communities; and
offer a wide range of unique benefits, special
products, and services for our members. These
include AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly;
AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; Segunda
Juventud, our quarterly newspaper in Spanish;
Live and Learn, our quarterly newsletter
for National
Retired Teachers Association members; and our
web site,
http://www.aarp.org.
We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
