Governor Rod Blagojevich rallies volunteers to participate in the newly funded training so that more low income seniors will be included in health insurance benefits.
The announcement of slightly less than one million dollars in federal funding for training and outreach of volunteers heartened those citizens who struggle to understand all the programs that are currently in place. Illinois health insurance programs try to be age inclusive, ranging from children to seniors. It falls to these senior health insurance program volunteers to help people sort out the best health care support. Their organization is called SHIP. Originating in 1988, SHIP now has 180 offices statewide.
Faced with a 28% to 31% increase in health insurance premiums, at a time when people are losing their jobs everywhere, elevates nationwide health care to the crises point. Illinois reported that 89% of hospitalizations were unnecessary last year. This is a direct result of the 47 million uninsured or 16 million underinsured citizens postponing routine health care until a possible life threatening event becomes a reality. Policy makers are aware of the health insurance problems and struggling to piece together programs that address this huge problem.
Prescription drugs, especially those used to control diabetes are prohibitive. For example, a single diabetes test strip retails at $1.00. For a senior who must test 3 times a day in order to determine insulin needs, this amounts to at least $90.00 per month. If blood sugar rises in response to a deliberate reduction in the amount of insulin used, coma, or worse results; and yet a 10 day supply of Lantus, the leading long lasting insulin, costs at least $86.00 for a 10 day supply at 10 units a day. Many people need more insulin than that just to control blood sugar to prevent blindness, congestive heart failure or kidney failure; all common to diabetes.
In response to these health care situations, health insurance in Illinois includes programs, such as I-SaveRX, Circuit Breaker Pharmaceutical Assistance, and the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance (CHIP) program all attempt to provide health care coverage. I-SaveRx provides patients with access to pharmacies in Canada, Ireland and the UK provided they have been Illinois State inspected and approved, thereby cutting drug costs by 50% on a 90 day supply. However, a 50% reduction of a monthly expense may still amount to more than a senior or handicapped person has for income for a month. Circuit Breaker, CHIP and Senior Care all provide some relief, but still low income or uninsured people have to make the hard choice between medicine or/and food every month. Circuit Breaker provides assistance for the most common health treatment medications for arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions, etc. CHIP addresses those under 65 as a Medicare supplement health insurance. It also creates a risk pool so self employed or those changing jobs will still have health insurance coverage. Senior Care recognizes the needs of low income seniors by requiring no enrollment fee and covering most common prescriptions and even many over the counter medication if a doctor prescribes them.
