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Congressman Mike Quigley

Representing the 5th District of Illinois

Health Care

Since coming to Congress in 2009, I have been a strong supporter of policies that will improve the overall health of my constituents. This includes supporting the Affordable Care Act, advocating for robust biomedical research funding and protecting Medicare for seniors. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans can now access affordable health insurance. With a focus on personal responsibility, preventive care, consumer protections and increased choices, the Affordable Care Act has helped empower Americans to lead healthier lives.

Rep. Quigley discusses ER management at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Rep. Quigley discusses ER management at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center trauma room with Sharon Ward, RN, the hospital’s director of emergency, trauma, and EMS in 2011 as part of his Undercover Congressman series.

 

OPEN ENROLLMENT

The open enrollment period for health insurance on the marketplace is November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015. Coverage can begin as early as January 1, 2015 if you enroll by December 15, 2014. Whether you are looking to enroll in quality health coverage for the first time or change your plan, now is the time to act. Get Covered Illinois has resources to help you access plans from the insurance companies in the state that fit your needs and your budget.

You can also find a specially trained Navigator in your community, who can talk to you in person or on the phone for free about your coverage options and help you enroll. 

Three ways to get marketplace coverage:

  • Over the phone: Call (866) 311-1119 between 8 am and 8 pm. A customer service representative can help you apply and enroll over the phone.
  • Online: Visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov to apply and enroll on the web. 
  • In-person: Free in-person help is available near you. There are specially trained counselors, called Navigators, or certified agents and brokers ready to help you find the right coverage for you and your family. Visit the Get Covered Illinois site here to find the closest navigator for you.

Find a useful list of FAQs and resources on the Get Covered Illinois site here. My district office is also here to help. Call 773-267-5926 between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday, and my staff will be happy to assist you. 


WHAT I’M DOING IN D.C. AND AROUND THE DISTRICT

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

I was proud to vote for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the landmark health care reform law that has helped millions of Americans gain access to health insurance. I supported the ACA because of the important reforms that it made to our nation’s health care system. Health insurance companies can no longer drop someone’s coverage because of a pre-existing condition or impose lifetime spending caps on coverage. Americans now have access to preventive health care and important screenings at no out-of-pocket cost. Finally, health care decisions are finally in the hands of Americans – not the insurance companies. 

Most importantly, over 800,000 people in Illinois have been enrolled in health insurance plans in the past year thanks to the ACA.

Mental Health

I have been an advocate in Washington for improved access to mental health care for all Americans. I supported funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and suicide prevention programs. As the only Illinois member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have had the unique opportunity to support veterans by authoring language that encouraged the VA to collaborate with Rush University Hospital in treating our local veterans for mental health issues.

Research

I recognize that biomedical research is crucial for Chicago and Illinois – not only is investing in research good for our local economy, it is the right thing to do for the health of Americans. I stood up to attacks on funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the body that researches causes and cures of serious diseases. In my role on the House Appropriations Committee, I supported cutting-edge research for diseases like breast cancer, autism and multiple sclerosis through the Department of Defense medical research programs.

District Health Care

The men and women who work around the clock to care for us in our local hospitals are the heart and soul of our communities. No matter how much time I spend in Washington, my neighborhood is where the rubber meets the road, and it’s important that I stay connected and hear what issues my constituents are facing firsthand. That’s why I have visited, and even worked, at hospitals and health care centers around the district, so I can experience the challenges my constituents face and see the many ways they serve their community.

More on Health Care

Quigley Outlines Healthcare Priorities, Support for Reform

Aug 20, 2009
Press Release
Congressman Quigleys Support for Comprehensive Health Care ReformThere are over 45 million Americans without health insurance. There are 25 million more who are underinsured. In our 5th District alone, 139,000 people don't have health insurance. That's 21% of our neighbors. Health costs are skyrocketing at a rate 3-times faster than wages, and theres no end in sight. We need to take action, and I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues to achieve a final bill that reflects the needs of the people of Illinois' 5th District.I'm working toward health care reform that:-Provides a high-quality, low-cost public insurance option-Allows you to keep your coverage and doctor if you like them-Includes significant, long-term cost-cutting mechanisms-Eliminates co-pays for preventative care-Closes the Medicare drug doughnut hole to make prescriptions affordable for seniors.-Invests in primary care physicians and preventative care proven to lower costs-Protects a womans right to be able to afford to choose-Puts the focus where it belongs on quality of care, not quantity of care-Holds the insurance companies accountable and ensures they no longer: Discriminate for pre-existing conditions or gender Drop your coverage because you get sick or become pregnant Cap yearly or lifetime coverage Charge excessive out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, or co-pays Get between decisions made between you and your doctor Incentivize their employees to reject claims-Does not tax employer-provided benefits-Contains provisions that are sensitive to small businesses, helping them to provide coverage to their workers.

Quigley Announces $380,000 For Children's Memorial Cardiac Unit

Aug 5, 2009
Press Release
CHICAGO, IL - Today, at a visit to Childrens Memorial Hospital, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved his request for $380,000 in federal funding to support the not-for-profit hospitals Comprehensive Cardiac Unit (CCU). The CCU will be part of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago opening in 2012."In the midst of our national healthcare debate, its important for lawmakers to come to ground zero and see the real-life impact and need for comprehensive reform," said Congressman Quigley. "While so many providers are struggling and closing their doors, I am happy to be able to help such a remarkable institution open new ones."The requested funds will help construct Chicagos first pediatric CCU equipped to diagnose and treat a broad range of complex heart conditions from infancy through young adulthood. The project will provide services to children throughout the region that could not be obtained elsewhere. Additionally, it will stimulate a convergence of world-class clinical care, research, education and advocacy in a unique environment and has the potential to alter the future of pediatric health care for the region and beyond. Lurie Childrens Hospital construction project will generate approximately 3,000 new jobs."As the States primary partner in caring for children on Medicaid, Childrens Memorial Hospital is pleased to receive federal funding for the new CCU. We are extremely grateful to Congress for supporting this vital investment in the health and well-being of sick and injured children," said Patrick M. Magoon, president and CEO of Childrens Memorial.Childrens Memorial is one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country, last year caring for nearly 126,000 children, many of whom were referred from 32 countries and all 50 states."You need a heart of gold and a soul of compassion to care for children every day and night," added Quigley on his site visit with hospital staff. "As a neighbor and your representative, I am your friend, but you are my heroes."Last month, Cong. Quigley introduced a landmark earmark reform bill that would prohibit funding requests to for-profit entities, citing numerous abuses of such funds being traded for political favors. The bi-partisan initiative, H.Res. 614, was designed to ensure that Congress was "funding the fundamentals, not playing politics with pork." All of Quigleys public and non-profit requests are listed on his Web site.Funding for Childrens Memorial was requested in cooperation with other members of the Illinois delegation, including Representatives Melissa Bean, Luis Gutierrez, and Jesse Jackson, Jr. The request was approved by the House within a larger appropriations bill, H.R. 3293, and will be considered by the Senate when Congress resumes session in the fall.

Quigley Speaks Out Against Anti-Choice Amendment to Appropriations Bill

Jul 24, 2009
Press Release
CHICAGO - This morning, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) spoke out strongly against an amendment that would disqualify Planned Parenthood from receiving critical funding to provide primary care health services such as breast exams, family planning, and screening for high blood pressure, cancer, STDs, and HIV. The amendment, offered by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), was disguisedly characterized as a way to stop the service provider from receiving Title X (ten) funding to pay for abortions, even though providers are statutorily prohibited from using the funds in that way.Rather, as Quigley points out in his speech below, the Title X program allows health centers such as Planned Parenthood to provide primary care to almost two million women. For many of these low-income women, particularly those who do not qualify for Medicaid or cannot afford health insurance, Title X clinics provide the only basic health care that they receive.The text of Cong. Quigleys floor speech is below. Video is available on the Congressmans YouTube channel ("Q-Tube") by clicking here.Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Pence amendment.At a time when we are consumed with discussions of expanding health care to the uninsured and improving our health care system, I find this amendment - confusing.The Pence amendment would effectively cut off 1.7 million women from - what in many cases serves as their primary care provider Planned Parenthood.Arent we trying to expand coverage, not limit it?Thirty-six percent of women receiving family planning care through the Title X program, do so through Planned Parenthood.And lets be clear, these services do not include abortion Title X dollars are prohibited from being spent on abortion.The services we are talking about cutting include: breast exams, testing for cervical cancer, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, HIV screening, and family planning services.Planned Parenthood has worked for over 90 years to educate women about pregnancy and help prevent unintended pregnancies - and thus the need for abortion.For 1.7 million, the only medical care they will be able to receive this year is from a provider at Planned Parenthood.Why, when we are working so diligently to reform our health care system, would we take away the only source of health care many women receive?Vote no on this destructive amendment; vote no on the Pence amendment.The larger bill H.R. 3293, the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act (LHHSE) shores up programs that serve as crucial social safety nets for many Americans struggling to make ends meet in this recession. It includes funding to provide jobs, meals and other support services to impoverished seniors, as well as critical energy assistance programs that help heat and cool low income homes. The bill also funds grants that allow states to provide health care to more of their uninsured residents.This years appropriations bill also does not bar funds for needle exchange programs, though Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) tried to stop up this avenue through another amendment that would reinstate a ban on federal funding for such life-saving services. Quigley voted against both the Souder and Pence amendments.The Labor-HHS appropriations bill passed the House moments ago on a vote of 264-153. The Pence and Souder amendments both failed.

Quigley Speaks on House Floor Against Anti-Choice Amendment

Jul 24, 2009
Press Release
Congressman Mike Quigley gave the following speech on the floor of the House on July 24, 2009 on the issue of expanding Health Care for women:Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Pence amendment.At a time when we are consumed with discussions of expanding health care to the uninsured and improving our health care system, I find this amendment - confusing.The Pence amendment would effectively cut off 1.7 million women from - what in many cases serves as their primary care provider Planned Parenthood.Arent we trying to expand coverage, not limit it?Thirty-six percent of women receiving family planning care through the Title X program, do so through Planned Parenthood.And lets be clear, these services do not include abortion Title X dollars are prohibited from being spent on abortion.The services we are talking about cutting include: breast exams, testing for cervical cancer, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, HIV screening, and family planning services.Planned Parenthood has worked for over 90 years to educate women about pregnancy and help prevent unintended pregnancies - and thus the need for abortion.For 1.7 million, the only medical care they will be able to receive this year is from a provider at Planned Parenthood.Why, when we are working so diligently to reform our health care system, would we take away the only source of health care many women receive?Vote no on this destructive amendment; vote no on the Pence amendment.

Quigley Speaks in Support of Health Care Reform

Jul 22, 2009
Speeches
If health care costs continue to increase at the rate they have, most American households will be spending 45% of their income on health insurance by 2016. Premiums have doubled in nine years, three times faster than wages. Yes, Mr. Speaker, the cost of i

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