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State Representative Patricia "Patti" Bellock (Flemming Fellow 2000) believes that Americans deserve better access to prescription drugs. While the debate over prescription drugs is deadlocked at the federal level, Illinois has taken a step in the right direction for the citizens of their state. Bellock cosponsored and led a bipartisan effort to expand the Circuit Breaker Program in Illinois, which extends eligibility for prescription drug assistance to include all senior citizens and disabled persons with an income of $21,218 or less for one person and $28,480 for a family of two. In addition to prescription drug coverage, the Circuit Breaker Program provides property tax relief and discounted vehicle registration fees for low-income citizens. The new legislation will double the number of people eligible under the program. The bill covers any prescription for the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, glaucoma, lung disease and smoking related illnesses. This dramatic boost in coverage raises the drug coverage from $800 to $2,000. Prescriptions will be almost free, much to the benefit of seniors and disabled persons’ health and well being. "This was one of the most important pieces of legislation passed this year in Illinois. It will affect half of all seniors in Illinois over the age of 65," says Bellock. "This legislation is one of the best programs now in
the U.S. for low-income seniors."
Bellock is also serving the people of Illinois through her support for other important programs. She has been pushing for funding of new treatment tools for autistic children for child support enforcement. She has also supported increasing funding for mental health treatment and prevention of juvenile crime. Bellock has always led with the best interests of her constituents. While being a full time legislator on the Committees on Appropriation-Human Services, Aging, Children & Youth, Bellock contributes to many civic boards and community organizations and has also recently received the "Volunteer of the Year" award and the Serenity House "Woman of the Year" award.
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