Bill Text: IL HR0691 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: States the belief that Illinois must be proactive in educating, empowering, and advocating for those at the end of life and urges Congress to enact legislation that would encourage Medicare and Medicaid to take meaningful steps toward identifying and educating vulnerable populations that are nearing the end of life.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-23 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HR0691 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0691-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, A Duke Divinity School survey found that only 50%
of African Americans have talked with family members about
their end-of-life care, and 20% have never discussed
end-of-life wishes with anyone; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative to empower our vulnerable
communities with information so they can make better decisions
when planning for the end of life and have candid conversations
with friends, family, faith leaders and medical providers about
end-of-life care before a time of crisis; and
WHEREAS, A 2016 study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine
reported that only 24% of African Americans were likely to have
completed advance directives, compared with 44% of their white
peers; and
WHEREAS, Advance healthcare directives are state-specific
free legal documents created so an individual can choose
medical treatment options in case one is unable to make
decisions because of illness or infirmity and can appoint a
healthcare proxy to speak on one's behalf; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Hospice and Palliative
Care Association, only 8% of hospice users are African

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American; hospice care is a health service that provides
comfort care to patients, in-home or at a facility, in their
final phase of illness or within six months of death; and
WHEREAS, Hospice care should be accessed as early as
possible as there is an emphasis on patient support and the
entire spectrum of improved quality of life; hospice staff and
caregivers provide holistic care rather than a curative
emphasis; and
WHEREAS, Palliative care is a compassionate
interdisciplinary approach between doctors, nurses, faith
leaders, and other medical professionals that provides
specialized medical and nursing care for people with chronic
and terminal illnesses; the ultimate goal is to improve the
quality of life for the patient and their support network by
focusing on providing pain relief and physical and mental
stress support at any stage of illness; and
WHEREAS, According to a 2016 study from the University of
Iowa and the University of California, African Americans are
significantly less likely to be prescribed opioids for back
pain and abdominal pain compared to white peers, and African
American patients are more likely to have their pain
underestimated and undertreated; and

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WHEREAS, According to the National Center for Health, just
13% of African Americans have a living will in place compared
with 32% of whites, and African Americans are less likely to
purchase long-term care insurance, term life insurance, whole
life insurance, disability insurance, and homeowners insurance
or to complete estate planning; and
WHEREAS, Wills and trusts are vital components of estate
planning and should be considered in end-of-life discussions;
and
WHEREAS, From the refusal of treatment to aggressive
treatment options, having an understanding of the entire
spectrum of care options is critical in order to make informed
healthcare decisions; and
WHEREAS, Being equipped with treatment-option information
and illness-specific questions for medical professionals
during appointments can empower our vulnerable communities to
advocate for themselves; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we must be proactive in educating, empowering, and advocating
for those at the end of life; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That we encourage charting one's end-of-life
journey, consistent with one's own wishes and values, and
having those very important discussions with loved ones; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to enact legislation that
would encourage Medicare and Medicaid to take meaningful steps
toward identifying and educating vulnerable populations that
are nearing the end of life; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
delivered to the President of the United States, the Vice
President of the United States, members of the United States
House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and
other federal and state government officials and agencies as
appropriate.