End of health insurance subsidy will be ‘devastating,’ Durbin says in metro-east

After the U.S. Senate failed to reach a consensus regarding the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says the result will be “devastating.”

“To have these prices go up and not provide assistance is unacceptable,” Durbin said at a press conference in Cahokia Heights on Friday. “We’ve got to do something about it.”

Competing partisan proposals from both Republicans and Democrats failed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation on Thursday — both at 51-48.

The Democratic proposal would have extended the ACA subsidies for three years. Four Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, voted for it. While Durbin said he doesn’t believe lawmakers will reach a consensus before the subsidies expire at the end of the year, he said they will need to act.

“I think there’ll be another consideration of this issue right after the first of the year — but people will face these monthly premium increases at least one time.” he said. “I hope the next time around that we’ll have 13 Republicans instead of four.”

A Republican plan would have provided up to $1,500 a year for health savings accounts for Americans that earn less than 700% of the poverty level.

“It’s not practical,” Durbin said. “It doesn’t reflect the reality of the situation. I voted against it, and I’ll do it again. It’s not a good way to approach this at all.”

To the dismay of many Democrats, Durbin was one of eight from the Senate’s Democratic Caucus who joined Republicans in voting to reopen the federal government last month. That deal reached between the GOP and the eight included a promise to vote on ACA extension.

After that vote, Durbin said it wasn’t a certainty that Republican leadership of the Senate would even bring the extension for a vote. On Friday, Durbin said Majority Leader Sen. John Thune of South Dakota delivered.

Asked if he feels differently about his vote to end the shutdown, Durbin said “not at all.” Overworked air traffic controllers that could have resulted in an airline crash or President Donald Trump further cutting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were not options, he said.

“We’ve lost sight of what the goal is here — helping people,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do. We had to bring it to a close, and we did that.”

One of Durbin’s constituents wrote to this office that health insurance premiums purchased via the Affordable Care Act market will increase from $162 per month to $1,136, and that will be without vision or dental coverage like they had previously.

Premiums are expected to increase $1,500 per year for a St. Clair County family and increase $1,700 per year in Madison County, said Dr. Dolores Gunn, chief medical officer at the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation.

“It’s not sustainable, and it is something that every politician — regardless if you’re Democrat, Republican or independent — should be aware of,” Gunn said.

The nonprofit foundation operates clinics in 11 counties in southern Illinois, particularly in the Metro East. Its hospital, Touchette Regional in Cahokia Heights, will expect to feel the change too, said President Brad Goacher.

“Self-pay percentages will go up, and hospitals across the country will have their emergency departments flooded with patients seeking primary care because they couldn’t afford to go to the primary care providers,” Goacher said.

Foundation Chief Executive Officer Larry McCulley compared the situation to the sinking of the Titanic: The working class will be forced into the worst situations, and the dilemma didn’t come without warning.

“History has shown even the greatest vessels are sunk, not by size or ambition, but by arrogance and the failure to do due diligence to protect the most vulnerable passengers,” McCulley said.

Indiana redistricting vote was ‘pleasant surprise’

Lawmakers in the Indiana Senate voted 31-19 on Thursday against redrawing the state’s congressional maps to heavily favor Republicans.

Currently, the GOP controls seven of the state’s nine U.S. House seats. The proposal President Trump had pushed could have given Indiana Republicans all nine seats.

If Indiana lawmakers had approved the redistricting effort, Gov. JB Pritzker said he would consider asking the Illinois General Assembly to counter with their own mid-decade redistricting.

The Indiana senate’s vote was a “pleasant surprise,” Durbin said.

“When Donald Trump calls on these states to redraw their congressional maps, he is conceding the obvious,” he said. “He doesn’t believe his candidates or his issues are going to win that primary election, so he’s got to rig the election by changing the boundaries of the districts. I’m glad that Indiana saw through it.”

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