Health Care Task Force

Current Activities

Local Level

The health care task force is pleased to present the findings of our 2010-2011 health needs assessment. LAC leaders collected nearly 400 surveys from residents of Lakeview and Uptown who are uninsured, underinsured or on Medicare or Medicaid. We also conducted focus groups for healthcare providers and consumers. Download a copy of the findings here. The task force is working with local health care providers to address the findings from the needs assessment. The goal is to increase access to healthcare at the community level.

State Level

In March of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court issued its ruling in the Provena Hospital case. It ruled that the hospital had not provided enough charity care to merit its local property tax exemption. With this new legal precedent, the LAC health care task force is working in conjunction with the Fair Care Coalition to pass legislation at the state level that would establish a standard for property-tax exemption for non-profit hospitals. The Fair Care Coalition's legislative principles are to:

Help people get the care they need regardless of their ability to pay.
Fairly distribute the cost of caring for the uninsured among all non-profit hospitals.
Ensure taxpayers get a real service in return for the tax exemptions given to non-profit hospitals.

The Health Care Task Force has also joined forces with United Power for Action and Justice to fight for a consumer-friendly health benefits exchange. Each state is mandated to establish a health benefits exchange through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It will be an organized marketplace where small business owners and individuals can compare and purchase health insurance plans.

The Health Care Task Force meets on a monthly basis. If you are interested in getting involved, contact Hannah at (773) 549-1947 x387 or hgelder@lakeviewaction.org.

(Last updated: 1/2012)