SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The American Rescue Plan, if signed, will bring billions of dollars in pandemic relief to Illinois, and includes money for vaccine distribution and health care facilities, billions for public schools and local governments; and there is also individual financial help and protections.
US Senator Dick Durbin, in a press conference over the weekend, gave a brief outlook on funds that will be secured by the State of Illinois to help defeat COVID-19.
Durbin said headed the state's way would be one and a half billion dollars for COVID testing and public health departments, tens of millions of dollars for Illinois hospitals, and hundreds of millions of dollars for community health centers and health workforce.
As the state is slated to receive enough vaccinations for everyone by the end of June, along with funding to distribute, Senator Durbin said that Illinois is currently experiencing two pandemics.
"Coronavirus, is obvious, front and center. There continues to be a pandemic of addiction of opioids and heroin. It is terrible," he said.
Durbin said the latter has been aggravated by isolation and the economic woes brought on by the COVID crisis, and that the healthcare workforce available to deal with addiction has been devastated.
"So $100 million for mental health and substance abuse treatments in Illinois," he said.
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He said middle to low income earners will benefit from lowered health care premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
"The average Illinois couple will see a savings of $1,300 a year - over $100 a month," he said.
A change would also come to the state's COBRA program which allowed laid off workers to maintain their premium company-provided health coverage if both employer and employee cost were paid by the insured.
"That's a great idea, but it turns out the employer health insurance cost is so overwhelming, most people can't afford it," Durbin said.
So, Durbin said, through September, Illinoisans will be able to hold on to their plan at no cost to them.
Federal unemployment programs would be extended until Oct. 4, and one important note for upcoming tax payers that received unemployment benefits in 2020; Durbin said there will be a federal tax exemption on the first $10,000 in benefits received.
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