Chicago, IL – Today, JB Pritzker released the following post on Medium to announce IllinoisCares: his plan to expand, not eliminate, access to affordable healthcare for all Illinoisans. Read JB’s full plan here.

Medium: Let’s Expand Access to Affordable Healthcare, Not Eliminate It
By JB Pritzker

With Donald Trump as president and Republicans in control of Congress, our healthcare is under attack.

While Democratic and Republican governors across the country are speaking out about the disastrous effects repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on their states, Bruce Rauner remains silent. He is refusing to stand up for the millions of Illinoisans who could see their rates skyrocket or could lose coverage if Donald Trump and Republicans get their way.

I’ve been honored to take part in protests and events across Illinois, joining with thousands of you in the resistance, making calls, sending letters, and making sure Washington understands that we will not allow the ACA to be repealed. And while we’ve temporarily succeeded, we must remain vigilant in the fight ahead. We must continue resisting.

But what if we could do more than just protect the coverage people already receive? What if we could expand coverage to more people and make it more affordable?

IllinoisCares: A Plan to Lead the Nation In Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare

Illinois has the opportunity to lead the country in providing more affordable health care options to its citizens.

Today, I am proposing a public health insurance option that would allow every Illinois resident the chance to buy low-cost health insurance. I will work with legislators and the healthcare community to design this public option to provide another choice in the health insurance marketplace and act as a buffer against rising premiums and market uncertainty.

If ACA remains the law of the land, my plan would provide an important avenue to expand access to healthcare in Illinois. But if Republicans in Washington are ever successful in repealing the ACA, this program would become even more necessary and could give Illinois a path to expanded innovative healthcare coverage at the state level.

I hope there continues to be conversation about how we can expand healthcare coverage across our country, including the consideration of a federal single payer system, which I support. But with Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans in control of the House and Senate, it’s now up to the states to innovate. That’s why I’m proposing a public option for Illinois, which would be the first in the nation leading in this way.

How it would work:

• Because Medicaid is individually administered by states, the program offers a unique opportunity for states to function as laboratories and lead in the creation of progressive healthcare policy.

• By allowing individuals the option of buying into Medicaid at cost, Illinois will become the first state in the nation to expand Medicaid in this manner.

• Illinois currently spends about $3,350 per year per adult and $2,108 per child for Medicaid coverage. While an actuarial analysis will have to be completed to set premiums and cost-sharing rates for IllinoisCares, it is clear that the cost to Illinois families will be competitive with plans being offered in the private insurance market.

• As a Medicaid buy-in option, IllinoisCares would require Illinoisans who do not receive federal healthcare subsidies to pay premiums to cover the full cost of Medicaid coverage. As a result, there should be no additional cost to taxpayers for this program.

• Participants who qualify for ACA tax credits could use those to help pay their premiums.

• Because Medicaid can be offered in every county, it avoids one of the challenges that currently exists, where many counties face a declining number of plans offered under the ACA.

Charting our own future when it comes to healthcare

I’m running for governor because I think we need to change things in Illinois.

We can’t afford to sit back and watch Bruce Rauner continue to damage our state, and we all know the threat posed by Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington.

Together, let’s promote a progressive agenda that expands affordable healthcare coverage and lowers costs so we can create opportunity throughout our state.

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Chicago, IL — In response to Bruce Rauner issuing an amendatory veto on Senate Bill 1, a bill that funds schools and ensures they open on time, JB Pritzker released the following statement:

“Apparently 736 days worth of damage done by Bruce Rauner wasn’t enough. Now he is holding school funding for Illinois children and families hostage and pitting communities against each other again by vetoing Senate Bill 1,” said JB Pritzker. “Bruce Rauner is so blinded by his crusade against Chicago’s children and families that he seems incapable of understanding a very simple fact: every child and every school district benefits under SB 1. Even though he supports 90% of the bill, Rauner and his new team of radicals once again chose to use our kids, parents, and teachers as leverage to try and score a political win.”

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Chicago, IL — Yesterday, JB Pritzker was joined by Congressman Luis Gutierrez to lay out his plan to resist Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner’s hateful agenda. JB’s “Resist Trump” plan laid out five areas where he will focus on fighting for Illinois families: protecting health care, funding education, protecting our environment, fighting for immigration reform, and standing up to intolerance. Read the full plan here.

Here’s what Illinoisans are reading and seeing in the news:

From the Chicago Tribune, Pritzker Says He’ll Lead Illinois as Resistance State to Trump: 

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker Monday pledged if elected to lead Illinois as a resistance state to President Donald Trump’s policies and said Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s silence on federal issues demonstrated he was “complicit” with the president.

… “It takes a tough, stand-up governor to stand up to the president of the United States —speaking out against the president, speaking out against his policies and, more than that, having actual policies that will help expand health care while … Trump is trying to diminish it for Illinois families,” he said. “That’s standing up for Illinois. Where is our governor? Silent.”

From CBS Chicago, JB Pritzker Outlines Plan to Stand Strong Against Elected Governor:

Gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker outlined a multi-point plan to resist President Donald Trump with state actions; and he accuses Governor Bruce Rauner of being silent about the President’s policies.

… “We have put out a real plan, you have it in your hand, of policies that we will put in place that will stand up to Donald Trump. It’s not just about rhetoric. It’s about fact,” Pritzker said. “I also have the longest, strongest history of getting things done for the people of Illinois.”

From the Chicago Sun-Times, Pritzker Wants State Health Care Marketplace to Have ‘Public Option’:

Health care was just one of the issues on which Pritzker, making a campaign stop across the river from Trump International Hotel & Tower, sought to hang President Donald Trump around the neck of Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Unlike the Republican Rauner, Pritzker said, his administration would make Illinois a firewall against Trump’s agenda.

Pritzker, joined by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), said he would fight against Trump’s agenda not only on health care, but also on abortion, education and immigration.

From WMAY, Pritzker Compares Rauner to Trump: 

J.B. Pritzker says Rauner has remained silent on issues ranging from the GOP efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare to Trump’s recent tweet banning transgender people from serving in the military.

Pritzker says he will be an outspoken opponent of Trump’s agenda… and says that will start with defeating Rauner next year.

From Decatur Radio, JB Pritzker Vows to Make Illinois Part of Resistance:

The front runner in the Democratic field for governor says he wants to turn Illinois into the center of the resistance to President Trump.  Candidate JB Pritzker yesterday vowed to ‘stand up’ to the President, and said he’s proud to “be part of the resistance.”  Pritzker then told a crowd in Chicago he wants to expand the government’s involvement in health care, and offer new protections to immigrants and supporters of gay rights.