Healthcare That Puts People First
Healthcare is not a policy debate to me.
It is personal.
I have seen what happens when people can get care early and what happens when they cannot. I have lived it myself as a cancer survivor. I have worked alongside families, seniors, and providers who do everything right and still struggle because the system works against them.
Right now, healthcare is under real threat from decisions being made in Washington. These are not theoretical changes. They will raise costs, reduce coverage, and push eligible people out of care, especially here in Illinois and across the 7th Congressional District.
I want to be clear about what is happening, who is responsible, and what I will do about it.
Meet Our Health Adviser: Dr. Thomas Huggett
Dr. Thomas Huggett has served patients on the West Side for more than 30 years and has been La Shawn Ford’s volunteer health adviser since 2006. He is a trusted physician, a respected leader in community health, and an advocate for preventive and behavioral care. His guidance ensures that this campaign’s health plan is grounded in clinical reality and built around the needs of the district.
From Dr. Huggett:
“As a family doctor who has served this district for decades, I have seen how Rep. Ford listens to people, supports vital health care agencies, and passes legislation that improves community health. There is more to do. It is an honor to support Rep. Ford to be our next congressman.”
What We Are Facing Right Now
Affordable Care Act affordability is under threat.
Enhanced ACA subsidies that lower monthly costs are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2025. Congress left Washington without extending them. If nothing changes, many families who buy coverage through the ACA marketplace will face higher monthly costs starting January 1.
This is not paperwork. It is household budgets. When care becomes unaffordable, people delay treatment, skip preventive visits, and local hospitals absorb higher uncompensated costs. Communities pay the price.
I will not accept that outcome.
Medicaid Is Being Targeted
Medicaid is one of the most important healthcare programs we have. It covers children, people with disabilities, seniors who need help paying Medicare costs, and working families who are doing their best to get by.
In Illinois, more than 3.4 million people rely on Medicaid. In the 7th District alone, more than 240,000 of our neighbors depend on it to see a doctor, get medications, access mental health care, and receive hospital treatment.
Republicans in Congress are advancing proposals that would impose new work requirements, force more frequent eligibility checks, and reduce federal funding.
Illinois estimates show these changes could push hundreds of thousands of eligible people off Medicaid, not because they do not qualify, but because of red tape, paperwork, and missed notices.
I have seen this before. These policies do not save money. They push people into emergency rooms, strain hospitals, and shift costs onto local communities.
That is not responsible governance.
Seniors Are Being Squeezed
Medicare is a promise seniors earned over a lifetime of work. But that promise is being weakened.
In the 7th Congressional District, tens of thousands of seniors rely on Medicare, and many face rising out-of-pocket costs under certain Medicare Advantage plans. These plans can come with high copays, limited provider networks, and delays or denials of care, even when services are medically necessary.
Thousands of seniors in our district also rely on Medicaid to help pay Medicare premiums, copays, and long-term care. When Medicaid is cut, those seniors are hit twice.
I believe healthcare dollars should go to care, not corporate profit.
My Plan to Protect and Strengthen Healthcare
I am not new to this work. I have spent years writing, passing, and defending healthcare laws in Illinois. This plan is built on experience, not guesswork.
I Will Protect ACA Coverage and Stop Premium Hikes
I will fight to extend ACA subsidies so families are not hit with higher monthly costs because Congress failed to act.
I will oppose efforts to weaken the ACA through inaction and push to make affordability stable, not temporary.
Healthcare should not disappear because costs spike overnight.
I Will Defend Medicaid and Keep People Covered
I will oppose Medicaid cuts, funding caps, and work requirements that push eligible people out of care.
I will fight for:
Continuous coverage
Automatic renewals using information the government already has
Oversight to make sure redeterminations do not harm families and seniors
Full protection of Medicaid expansion, which reduced uninsured rates and strengthened hospitals
Medicaid works when we let it work.
I Will Protect Seniors and Strengthen Medicare
I will defend traditional Medicare and oppose efforts to make Medicare Advantage the default system.
I will:
Push for stronger oversight of Medicare Advantage plans
Fight excessive overpayments to private insurers
Work to reduce copays and out-of-pocket costs
Protect Medicaid’s role in supporting seniors’ care
Seniors deserve peace of mind, not financial fear.
I Will Invest in Community Health and the Workforce
I will fight for federal investments that strengthen:
Community health centers
Behavioral health providers
Pharmacies in underserved neighborhoods
The healthcare workforce that accepts Medicaid
Mental health care must also recognize the role of community-based and preventive supports. Evidence-informed, trauma-informed approaches, including therapeutic uses of music and the arts, can support healing when used alongside clinical care. These tools are especially important for young people and communities impacted by long-term stress, violence, and untreated trauma, and should complement, not replace, access to licensed mental health professionals and behavioral health services.
Our hospitals, clinics, and providers should be supported for serving our communities, not punished for it.
Why This Fight Is Personal to Me
I have passed laws expanding HIV screening and access to treatment.
I passed legislation requiring prostate cancer screening with no copay.
I co-founded the West Side Heroin Opioid Task Force to expand access to recovery care.
I have fought pharmacy deserts and worked to protect Medicaid access.
I have served as Vice Chair of the Illinois House Health Care Availability Access Committee.
This is not a theory for me. It is work I have already done and will continue to do in Congress.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you or someone you love gets coverage through the ACA marketplace, do not wait until the last minute.
Illinois extended open enrollment through December 31, with coverage starting January 1 for people who enroll by the deadline.
Get free enrollment help through local navigators, brokers, or Illinois’ marketplace support line.
Primary Enrollment Site
Get Covered Illinois
👉 https://getcovered.illinois.gov
This is Illinois’ official ACA marketplace. It is the correct place for:
Comparing plans
Checking eligibility for financial help
Enrolling or renewing coverage
Getting free, unbiased assistance
The Choice Before Us
One path raises costs, cuts coverage, and pushes people out of care.
The other protects healthcare and strengthens it for families, seniors, and communities.
I am ready to take that fight to Congress.
If you believe healthcare should be protected, affordable, and accessible, I ask for your vote.
Vote for La Shawn Ford in the Democratic Primary | March 17, 2026
Because healthcare is not a talking point.
It is a lifeline.
