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Illinois Expands Drug Benefits
Produced by Gabriel Spitzer on Monday, November 02, 2009
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State lawmakers have boosted prescription drug coverage for tens of thousands in Illinois. The expansion comes as state government is facing big cash shortfalls.
The Illinois Cares RX program is aimed at people who can’t afford drug coverage, but aren’t poor enough to get federal help. This gap has been called the “doughnut hole” in Medicare’s drug program. The new law expands the benefits for some seniors and for people with disabilities. Before, people in those categories could only get a handful of specific medicines. Stephanie Altman is with Health and Disability Advocates, which lobbied for the changes.
ALTMAN: We have several clients with disabilities who might have only gotten coverage for a heart medication who also have some very expensive mental health medications that weren’t covered at all.
Altman says the changes will affect about 20,000 people. Lawmakers overrode an amendatory veto Friday, which would have delayed the expansion until 2012. A spokeswoman for Governor Pat Quinn says the administration supports the bill – and was simply trying to save money by waiting to implement it.
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