Health-insurance advocates suspicious of insurance industry campaign money

By DEAN OLSEN
GateHouse News Service

SPRINGFIELD -- Lawmakers who will play pivotal roles in setting up Illinois’ health-benefits exchange — an entity designed to make health insurance more affordable for consumers and small businesses — are among the top recipients of cash from the insurance industry.

One consumer group says campaign contributions make it likely the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Legislative Study Committee will issue recommendations later this month that benefit the insurance industry at the expense of consumers.

The recommendations are expected to become a blueprint for legislation to be considered in the fall veto session.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Jim Duffett, executive director of the Champaign-based Campaign for Better Health Care. “I hope I eat crow on Sept. 30. I kind of doubt that I will eat crow.”