Chicago Tribune Letter to the Editor by Kathy Grady of the Illinois Advocacy Committee

10:04 a.m. CST, February 21, 2012

State officials are proposing a $2 billion cut to Illinois' Medicaid program. We agree with Illinois Hospital Association president, Maryjane Wurth, that a cut of this magnitude will have a profound negative impact on health care services for the poor and disabled. The collateral damage to people in fragile health would be unimaginable. Left untreated, some of these conditions will only worsen and cost the system even more to treat.

It is time for officials on every side of this issue to put dogma and politics aside and to admit that Illinois cannot just cut its way out of this budget disaster. Raising additional revenue must be considered and one of the most viable and expedient options is raising the state's cigarette tax. While a lot of controversy surrounds many of the other taxes and fees, time and time again polling has shown that the public sees an increase in the cigarette tax as the most acceptable revenue option we have.

Raising the state cigarette tax is an easy way to address multiple problems. For instance, a $1 tax increase on cigarettes can raise an estimated $300-400 million in annual revenue for the state. And it would motivate nearly 60,000 current smokers in the state to quit the habit, preventing more than 50,000 smoking-related deaths here. This would lower the cost of health care services for tobacco-related health problems and help shore up Medicaid. An increase in the cigarette tax is the state's best "low-hanging fruit" option.

It can be done. It must be done, and done soon!

--Kathleen L. Grady, PhD, APN, FAAN, Chair, American Heart Association Illinois Advocacy Committee, Chicago

Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-122102grady_briefs,0,1140937.story