Fellow Illinoisan,

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is under attack once again. Two years after trying and failing to repeal the ACA through Congress, President Trump is now trying to destroy the law through the courts.

The ACA helped 20 million Americans gain health insurance - including more than one million in Illinois. Thanks to the law, the uninsured rate in our state was cut in half, people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against, young adults can stay on their parents’ health plans longer, seniors are paying less for their prescription drugs, and insurers must cover certain essential health benefits such as hospitalizations, newborn and maternity care, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. Yet, this week, the Trump Administration and 18 Republican-led states are arguing that the entire law should be thrown out, ruled unconstitutional.

Protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including nearly five million Illinoisans?

President Trump wants them struck down as unconstitutional.

A prohibition on insurers imposing annual or lifetime caps on benefits? 

President trump wants that protection eliminated, deemed unconstitutional.

Tax credits to help people afford health insurance?

Unconstitutional, according to our President.

If you thought that the President of the United States would be on the side of Americans with pre-existing conditions, women in need of maternity and newborn care, young adults just out of college, or seniors with high drug costs ... well, you’d be wrong. Millions of Americans, including so many in Illinois, will lose their health care coverage if the President and congressional Republicans have their way.

I wish the President would spend his days trying to find ways to help Americans with their health insurance, I really do. Unfortunately, he prefers to look for new ways to take away their health insurance.

Republicans have never had a plan to replace the ACA, and still don’t, but that isn’t stopping them from trying to eliminate the entire law. We must continue to fight for the ACA. So many lives depend on it. 

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)