Health Care

Day 1: ObamaCare at the Supreme Court

Day 1: ObamaCare at the Supreme Court

Today was a big day. This morning, the Supreme Court began oral arguments over the constitutionality of ObamaCare. You can preview those arguments and see how the law will affect Illinois by clicking here. While the most important questions will be heard tomorrow and Wednesday, today’s argument was notable because the Justices seemed in general agreement...

By Jonathan Ingram

Supreme Court should strike ObamaCare mandate

Supreme Court should strike ObamaCare mandate

On Tuesday, March 27, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the most controversial part of ObamaCare: the “individual mandate,” which requires that everyone not otherwise covered purchase government-approved health insurance. The government claims that the individual mandate is constitutional because it falls under Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce. In an amicus brief filed by the...

Illinois’ future under ObamaCare

Illinois’ future under ObamaCare

On Monday, the Supreme Court will begin 3 days of oral arguments on the constitutionality of ObamaCare. The case pits the Obama administration against 26 states, and could be one of the biggest federalism showdowns the Court has seen in years. The case centers primarily around two key components of the law: the individual mandate and the...

By Jonathan Ingram

Preview: ObamaCare at the Supreme Court

Preview: ObamaCare at the Supreme Court

Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the ObamaCare litigation. The case, Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, pits the Obama administration against a bipartisan group of twenty-six states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Two other states, Oklahoma and Virginia, are part of separate lawsuits also aimed at undoing...

By Jonathan Ingram

Giving states the flexibility to fix Medicaid

Giving states the flexibility to fix Medicaid

By now, you’ve probably read the Institute’s alternate vision for Illinois. Our plan would return $7 billion to taxpayers, grow the economy and put us back on the path to prosperity. Fundamentally restructuring the state’s Medicaid program is a key part of that plan. Despite record levels of spending, the current Medicaid program is failing the...

By Jonathan Ingram

Giving states the flexibility to fix Medicaid

Giving states the flexibility to fix Medicaid

By now, you’ve probably read the Institute’s alternate vision for Illinois. Our plan would return $7 billion to taxpayers, grow the economy and put us back on the path to prosperity. Fundamentally restructuring the state’s Medicaid program is a key part of that plan. Despite record levels of spending, the current Medicaid program is failing the...

By Jonathan Ingram

Budget Solutions 2013: Innovation for Illinois

Budget Solutions 2013: Innovation for Illinois

This is the Illinois Policy Institute’s fourth annual alternative vision for Illinois. In this report, we’ve charted a path that significantly reduces the state’s backlog of bills without borrowing and without new taxes, while meeting its pension liabilities. In addition, the state returns billions of dollars to taxpayers by repealing the January 2011 tax hikes....

By Jonathan Ingram

Fact Finder: The truth about ObamaCare exchanges

Fact Finder: The truth about ObamaCare exchanges

The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as ObamaCare, permits states to establish health insurance exchanges. These exchanges will operate as new bureaucracies to oversee the purchase of government-approved health insurance. States electing to create these exchanges must comply with federal rules that will dictate virtually all aspects of the exchanges’ operations. If Illinois chooses...

By Jonathan Ingram

Diagnosis: Disaster – The $44 billion price tag of state retiree health insurance

Diagnosis: Disaster – The $44 billion price tag of state retiree health insurance

The problem Illinoisans are beginning to see the dangers of another unfunded liability: free or subsidized health care for retired state workers. The state has promised, in today’s dollars, nearly $44 billion in retiree health benefits to government employees over the next thirty years. Unfortunately, it has not set aside any funds for those future...

By Jonathan Ingram

The truth about ObamaCare exchanges

The truth about ObamaCare exchanges

While a number of people are urging the state to immediately create an ObamaCare exchange, the reasons are based on myths, not facts. In this report, we respond to those myths.

ObamaCare headed to Supreme Court

ObamaCare headed to Supreme Court

by Jonathan Ingram There’s good news for those of us who love liberty. Earlier this morning, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear the constitutional challenges to ObamaCare. These are the challenges brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business. The biggest question, of course, is whether the federal government can force everyone to purchase...