For Immediate Release – March 13, 2008

Contact: Joe Calomino, (847) 204-8514  

AURORA – The Illinois chapter of the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) will be hosting a forum to highlight and discuss the negative effects of Governor Blagojevich’s health care proposal, and to discuss consumer driven solutions to lowering cost and improving access to health care.

Under Governor Blagojevich, Illinois has eclipsed national Medicaid trends for enrollment and spending for every year of his administration – Medicaid enrollment is three times as large as the previous decade.  Fiscal Year 2008 finished with the largest Medicaid backlog in state history – at almost $2 billion (the backlog has never been less than $1 billion under the Blagojevich Administration).  

A recent Americans for Prosperity commissioned survey of 1,542 registered voters in McHenry and Kane counties showed that citizens desire expanded access to affordable health care– but they do not want taxes raised to pay for it– and distrust government to operate health care more efficiently than the free-market.

To view survey results go to the below link: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/il/ilafpfinalreport.pdf

We can’t keep throwing money we don’t have into a broken system.  We need to discuss real market-driven solutions that provide access to affordable health care in Illinois and the nation.  Government has a role but no one should presume for a moment that the answer is to hand over 1/6 of our GDP to the government.”…said Americans for Prosperity state director Joe Calomino.

WHO:   Joe Calomino, Illinois Director, Americans for Prosperity Foundation               (Moderator); John Garven, Employee Benefits Consultant & Heartland Institute policy advisor; Gary Fine, Wellness Consultant for Aurora- Based Wellness, Inc.  

WHAT: Forum to discuss government-run health care vs. consumer driven health care  

WHEN: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:00 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. 

WHERE: Alarm Detection Systems Conference Center, 115 Church Street, Aurora, Illinois.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit http://www.americansforprosperity.org// 

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