Facing COVID-19 Pandemic, Nearly a Quarter of Illinois Workers Currently Lack Access to Paid Sick Days Continue reading “REPORT: Paid Sick Leave Would Boost Incomes of 1.5 Million Illinois Workers and Limit Spread of Infectious Disease”
Savings from HR 2604/SB 1908 would offset 75% of cost of hiring more nurses Continue reading “STUDY: Nurse Staffing Bill Could Save Illinois Hospitals $1.4 Billion”
On Wednesday, March 27, the Illinois House Labor & Commerce Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2604 regarding safe patient limits. Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Policy Director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) testified before the committee. Here is what he said.
Registered nurses (RNs) contribute immensely to the well-being of society.
A new study, The Illinois Nursing Shortage: Assessing the Need for Safe Patient Limits and Collective Bargaining, by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presents data on Illinois’ RNs educational attainment, compensation, unionization, and safe patient limits (also called “safe-staffing ratios”).
For a one page fact sheet click here. Continue reading “Safe Patient Limits Would Help Combat Illinois’ Nursing Shortage”
Obesity costs residents and taxpayers billions of dollars every year. Adult obesity alone costs Illinois $4.5 billion a year. To reduce adult obesity, Illinois should adopt policies that promote middle-class jobs, support high levels of education, advocate for a healthy lifestyle, and provide subsidies for healthy foods. These actions would have positive health, well-being, and economic benefits for the state. Continue reading “Reducing Obesity Benefits the Economy”
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or “Obamacare,” has greatly improved health insurance access and coverage in Illinois, according to a new Economic Commentary [PDF] by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute. Health care coverage increased in all of the 20 most populous counties in Illinois from 2013 to 2015.
The uninsured – who are disproportionately poor, young, and non-citizens – often go long periods of time with illness or injuries before seeking medical treatment due to the high out-of-pocket costs. The Affordable Care Act was enacted with the goal of increasing the quality of, affordability of, and number of residents with health insurance. The law expanded health care coverage opportunities for most Illinoisans by creating a “marketplace” of easily-accessible insurance plans.
Continue reading “How Illinois is Doing Since Health Care Reform”
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