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00000179-2419-d250-a579-e41d38650002Issues of food, fuel, and field affecting Illinois.

Rally At Old State Capitol, One Of Many Over Proposed Affordable Care Act Changes

Daisy Contreras
/
NPR Illinois
Demonstrators gathered at the Old State Capitol Tuesday night to protest the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act.

Over 50 people rallied in Springfield Tuesday night to protest efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Signs had phrases like "Stop Repeal" and "Healthcare is a Human Right." On Tuesday, a close vote in the U.S. Senate led to the first potential legislative steps in dismantling the law.

The rally was one of several taking place across the state. Organizers say they will continue efforts to draw attention to the proposed changes by telling the stories of those impacted. 

Rayna is a  10 year old from Springfield who only gave her first name.  She spoke about the financial strains her family would face if a change occurs.

“I was born with cystic fibrosis, which is a genetic disorder that infects your lungs and your pancreas. And I just started a new medicine called Orkambi," she says. "And with this bill, it would cost us 21,000 dollars a month.”

Those at the rally say ideally, they would want the Affordable Care Act to remain as is. They are urging Illinois residents to contact federal elected officials to tell them how they feel about proposed changes.?

 

Health+Harvest red cross with wheat

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Daisy reported on statehouse issues for our Illinois Issues project. She's a Public Affairs Reporting program graduate from the University of Illinois Springfield. She also graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has an associates degrees from Truman College. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.
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