Editor’s Note: Dr. Angel Love Miles is a healthcare policy analyst at Access Living. She authored this article for Protect Our Care IL as part of a series about the Illinois Healthcare Affordability and Feasibility Study mandated by the Illinois Healthcare Affordability Act.
Protect Our Care Illinois: Challenges and Opportunities in Quality Affordable Health Care Coverage for People with Disabilities
By Dr. Angel Loves Miles, PhD
By prohibiting discrimination of people with pre-existing conditions, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded medical coverage for people with disabilities throughout the nation who were previously uninsured or underinsured. In spite of these strides towards ensuring all Americans have adequate health care coverage, significant gaps in insurance coverage and quality of care remain. The upcoming release of the Healthcare Affordability Feasibility Study conducted by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Insurance will provide some opportunities to improve access to affordable coverage. Protect Our Care Illinois (POCIL) firmly believes state lawmakers and administrators must use the ideas generated from the study to expand affordable coverage. Furthermore, any improvements in health care coverage must prioritize the needs of people with disabilities given the disparities that exist in coverage for this community.
Read the rest of this article on Protect Our Care Illinois’ website.