ACTION NEEDED: Call your U.S. Representative TODAY, (especially if they are: Peter Roskam (6th District), Mike Bost (12th District), Rodney Davis (11th District), Randy Hultgren (14th District), and Darin LaHood (18th District), all of whom either support, or are undecided about the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Ask them to commit to vote for a bill that is an acceptable and genuine replacement for ACA. Encourage them to vote no on any bill, including the AHCA,that does not do so. Even if your Representative agrees that there can be no repeal of ACA without adequate replacement, please call them and ask them to stress to others in the Illinois Congressional delegation that an inadequate replacement would severely affect Illinois financially, and do harm to many of their constituents. Any member of Congress may be reached through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. To get their direct phone numbers, use your zip code to look up http://ift.tt/yH98Ig Also call Governor Rauner in Chicago 312-814-2121 or Springfield 217-782-0244, and ask him to reinforce with the Illinois Congressional delegation the dire effects that a repeal, without adequate replacement would have on Illinois financial status. WHY IT MATTERS: House leadership is planning to schedule another vote on the Affordable Care Act repeal bill. The vote counts are close-so close that Illinois’ Representatives can literally make the difference! We need your help to stop this bill. Here’s what you need to know: The amended AHCA includes all of the features that made the original bill untenable and will: • Result in at least 24 million people eventually losing coverage; • Hike premiums for older adults, women, and persons with pre-existing conditions; • Slash billions dollars from Medicaid, leading to huge service and eligibility cuts for low-income people; • Impose Medicaid funding caps that are unrelated to beneficiaries’ actual care needs, shifting costs to state governments. The amended AHCA creates a whole new set of problems because it will: • Let insurance companies charge people with pre-existing conditions and older adults significantly higher premiums. • Gut the requirement that health care plans cover basic health care services (“essential health benefits”), such as maternity care, prescription drugs, and mental health care.