Seven Central Illinois lawmakers applaud 90 day health insurance contract, vow to continue to fight

State lawmakers offer comments on the 90 day extension, including (from left) State Representative Keith Sommer, State Representative Bill Mitchell, State Senator Bill Brady, State Representative Mike Unes, State Senator Shane Cultra, and State Representative Jason Barickman. Also speaking, State Representative Dan Brady (not pictured) Stephanie Pawlowski/WJBC

Seven Central Illinois lawmakers agree on the latest turn in the health insurance contract fight.

“Let me start by saying we’re sorry. This is an embarrassing moment for the State of Illinois,” State Senator Bill Brady said. He the other lawmakers, speaking in Normal today, say they’ll have to put pressure on the governor’s office to fix the issue. State Representative Bill Mitchell says the healthcare provider switch affects people’s lives, and he doesn’t think the governor understands that.

“So, I’ve invited Governor Quinn, and I invite him today, to come to downstate Illinois, come to my district, and why don’t you take questions from these people who don’t know where their healthcare is gonna come from.”

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability unanimously approved a plan at an emergency hearing Tuesday in Chicago. The vote gives the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services the power to negotiate 90-day health insurance contracts that will start July 1. Officials say without the new contracts, thousands of state employees would’ve been forced to choose new health care providers that, in some cases, were far from their existing ones.

State Representative Dan Brady says the 90 day extension is welcome, but says it still may be confusing for employees, so his office will continue to answer any questions.

“Quite frankly, this has been an issue that has, whether it’s the phones or e-mails, to stopping in to see (me) in person, is foremost on everyone’s mind. You know, we’re talking about people’s lives here,” Brady said.

State Representative Jason Barickman says at least now, employees and retirees have choices.

“This was a terrible, awful, devastating decision by the Quinn Administration, to treat so many state employees and retirees in such an awful way.” Barickman says the network is in 38 of 102 counties. When asked why the state changed providers, and if there’s some part of the story the rest of the state isn’t getting, Barickman says he thinks there’s a lot of pressure on lawmakers to save money.

“This decision, I believe, is a result of that pressure, in of individuals in the Quinn Administration going down a path with all the best intentions, but not acknowledging the facts of the situation,” Barickman said.

State Representative Keith Sommer says this proves the process is flawed.

“We hope that we’re getting this resolved now, but we cannot have a replay down the road. People in charge need to think this out and see that the people are truly represented.”

State Senator Shane Cultra says although the change is good news, there’s more work to do, in order to get back to the original health contract.

“We have to at least congratulate the legislature and the Department of Human Services at least coming together to make this process a little bit better,” Cultra said.