By Indigo Quashie
SPRINGFIELD – HB4343, Medicaid Omnibus & Healthy Illinois for All passed out of the Illinois House of Representatives early morning on April 9 th , 2022 with a vote of 71-42. This bill calls for the expansion of Medicaid coverage across Illinois, as well as reducing Medicaid churn.
“COVID-19 has lifted the veil on the importance of access...
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By Indigo Quashie
SPRINGFIELD – On April 7 th , 2022, HB4430: Increasing Access to PrEP & PEP Through Community Pharmacies was passed by the Illinois House with a vote of 72-30! Sponsored by State Representative Kelly M. Cassidy (D-Chicago), HB4430 calls for the pharmaceutical dispensation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP),...
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By Indigo Quashie
SPRINGFIELD—On March 31 st , 2022, SB3490: Disrupting Disparities for LGBTQ+ Older Adults and Older Adults Living With HIV passed out of the Illinois House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 71-32 ! This is the first of AIDS Foundation Chicago’s (AFC) 2022 policy priorities to pass both chambers during this year’s state legislative...
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By Indigo Quashie
Timothy S. Jackson, Director of Government Relations, State Senator Mike Simmons, and State Representative Kelly M. Cassidy following live committee vote
SPRINGFIELD – On March 23 rd , 2022, HB4430: Increasing Access to PrEP & PEP Through Community Pharmacies was passed by the Senate Executive Committee on a bipartisan vote of 14-2! Sponsored...
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By Indigo Quashie
Meg McElroy, former Manager, Policy and Advocacy
On March 10 th , 2022, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) said goodbye to a wonderful team member, Meg McElroy, as she takes her next career step. She worked at this organization for the past three and a half years as the Manager of Policy & Advocacy. Although she was known for her work on Getting to Zero...
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By Indigo Quashie
Increasing access to health insurance coverage and health care services has always been one of AIDS Foundation Chicago’s (AFC) priorities when advocating for a better future for people living with or impacted by HIV. Obtaining quality health insurance in the U.S. is not only a difficult, but a notoriously expensive process for the average person in Illinois...
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By Dr. Nic M. Weststrate
I’m a story scientist with an important message: Storytelling is good for your health . I’m not talking about fairy tales, big fish stories, or other flights of fancy meant to entertain. I’m talking about what happens when you tell your life story . You see, I belong to a group of researchers—we call ourselves narrative...
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By Livvie Avrick
Photo taken by Chicago Therapy Collective
AFC mourns the loss of Elise Malary, beloved community leader and trans liberation activist. Her body was recovered from Lake Michigan, March 17, 2022. Elise was a cherished Policy and Advocacy Social Media Intern here at AFC From January 2016 to August 2016. She is remembered fondly by all that...
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By Indigo Quashie
On March 9, 2022, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) virtually hosted the annual Illinois HIV Advocacy Day in support of the Getting to Zero Illinois Plan (GTZ-IL ) to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. More than 230 advocates from across the state joined together to take action on AFC’s legislative priorities by making direct connections with their state...
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By Indigo Quashie
Hey advocates,
In celebration of the success of Illinois HIV Advocacy Day on March 9, 2022, I wanted to discuss the importance of communal support and recovery. Hundreds of you took time out of your Wednesday schedules to advocate for AIDS Foundation Chicago’s (AFC) legislative bills that will get us closer to zero, and I...
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