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ACA/Medicaid Expansion Talking Points for Meetings with Conservative Legislators in Illinois

In-district meetings with elected officials will be critical in defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA), especially with Republicans who have voiced support for the ACA repeal. They need to know how the ACA repeal will impact their constituents. Below are some talking points to help you organize what to share. You certainly don’t need to touch on all of these points, but think of this as a menu for what could be helpful in speaking to a conservative lawmaker about the ACA.

Don’t vote to repeal the ACA without a replacement plan that provides comprehensive coverage for at least as many people as the ACA does

  • This is the most important message – make sure they know that is what you expect as a constituent
  • If on a relevant committee (Rep Roskam (IL-6), Rep Shimkus (IL-15), Rep Kinzinger (IL-16)), press them to oppose irresponsible ACA repeal plans in committee
  • Try to get a commitment on these points

The ACA is working for my program and those we serve

  • Mention any new staff you have been able to hire
  • Any new sites or programs you have been able to start
  • Any services your program participants can now access that they couldn’t before
  • Share how the new staff, sites, and services are lowering costs and aiding the economy
  • Share what the landscape was like for your program before the ACA and how it has improved post-ACA – emphasize that you don’t want to go back to the pre-ACA days

The ACA has helped real people in our communities

  • A program participant who has turned their life around thanks to the ACA
  • Someone who has had their life saved or avoided financial ruin thanks to the ACA
  • A friend or family member who benefited thanks to the ACA
  • Stories related to how the ACA is helping to combat the opioid epidemic

Repealing the ACA would harm my program and those we serve

  • Share any numbers or analysis you might have done on how losing ACA-related revenue would impact your program’s budget
  • Any expected layoffs or closures in the event of an ACA repeal
  • Impact on specific populations like seniors, people with disabilities, kids, women, or those struggling with mental illness or substance use disorders

It is irresponsible to repeal the ACA without a replacement plan available to the public

  • We are very concerned about what might replace the ACA, and so far, we haven’t seen a replacement plan
  • Governor Rauner and many other conservative Governors and Senators have expressed concern over repealing the ACA without a full replacement. Where do you stand?
  • We hear from participants and community members all the time about how they’re worried about what is going to happen
  • Why is the replacement plan not public? The public has a right to know what you’re proposing before you repeal what is currently working
  • Congress needs to be careful and thoughtful – you should not rush. The ACA only passed after hundreds bipartisan of hearings and almost a year of debate. It should not be undone in a matter of weeks.
  • The Marketplace will collapse without a viable replacement – even if repeal is delayed

Our sector can’t handle any further disruption after the Illinois budget crisis

  • Share how stretched thin you already are due to delayed payments, having taken out lines of credit, and other consequences of the two year state budget impasse