OUR STORY
ACA Consumer Advocacy was the natural outgrowth of a consumer support group formed following the abrupt closure of Land of Lincoln Health, the Illinois Co-Op plan developed under the ACA. Land of Lincoln closed abruptly, with no prior warning. The night the news came out about the closure, several people went online to their Facebook page to see if there was any information there. Unfortunately, there was not. What was there were several people looking for answers.
After a couple of days, three voices rose to the forefront and began chatting among each other. These three women decided a support group was needed to get as many people together to share information, concerns, issues, and news together, and the Illinois LOLH Consumer Support Group was formed. One of these women, Jeannine Martin, who started the group, reached out to the Illinois Department of Insurance to get answers. She was granted a meeting and asked the two other co-founders to join her, Emily Burchfield and Miranda Wilgus. Together, they represented small business owners, mental health providers, and people with preexisting conditions, and went armed with questions and concerns from consumers in the group.
Following that meeting, the support group became a conduit to provide accurate information about the subsequent special enrollment period, referring escalated situations, and providing information on how to submit claims against the estate of Land of Lincoln Health. During this time, Barbara Gerend joined the administrators of the group.
As the special enrollment period came to an end, the four women met and determined that they could not stop. There was a definite need of the consumer's voice in advocating needed fixes to the ACA. So, ACA Consumer Advocacy was born in the early fall of 2016 with the intention of advocating for the improvement of the ACA.
Following the election of 2016, the mandate of the group shifted to the defense and protection of the ACA, with the eventual goal of improving it and working to create an affordable, equitable, comprehensive form of health care for all Americans.
The first real action of ACA Consumer Advocacy was a meeting to bring elected officials face to face with ACA consumers before they went back to Washington, DC in January of 2017, to a new administration that had run on the repeal of the ACA. It was determined that to make the most difference, there needed to be dialogue and partnership between consumers and both state and federal lawmakers, since the ACA is a law that works at both the state and federal levels.
During this time, we met Tracy Trovatto, an ACA advocate who had her family's experience with the benefits of the ACA highlighted by the Chicago Tribune. Contacts among other ACA advocates, both in real life and online, continued.
Today we are members of the Protect Our Care IL coalition and the Illinois Coalition for Healthcare Access. We have also partnered with the ACA Signup Project and other health care advocacy organizations since 2018 for the open enrollment period to help offset the drastic reduction in budget by the administration for enrollment outreach, education, and navigator assistance. We also joined the Made to Save coalition to promote Covid-19 vaccination.
After a couple of days, three voices rose to the forefront and began chatting among each other. These three women decided a support group was needed to get as many people together to share information, concerns, issues, and news together, and the Illinois LOLH Consumer Support Group was formed. One of these women, Jeannine Martin, who started the group, reached out to the Illinois Department of Insurance to get answers. She was granted a meeting and asked the two other co-founders to join her, Emily Burchfield and Miranda Wilgus. Together, they represented small business owners, mental health providers, and people with preexisting conditions, and went armed with questions and concerns from consumers in the group.
Following that meeting, the support group became a conduit to provide accurate information about the subsequent special enrollment period, referring escalated situations, and providing information on how to submit claims against the estate of Land of Lincoln Health. During this time, Barbara Gerend joined the administrators of the group.
As the special enrollment period came to an end, the four women met and determined that they could not stop. There was a definite need of the consumer's voice in advocating needed fixes to the ACA. So, ACA Consumer Advocacy was born in the early fall of 2016 with the intention of advocating for the improvement of the ACA.
Following the election of 2016, the mandate of the group shifted to the defense and protection of the ACA, with the eventual goal of improving it and working to create an affordable, equitable, comprehensive form of health care for all Americans.
The first real action of ACA Consumer Advocacy was a meeting to bring elected officials face to face with ACA consumers before they went back to Washington, DC in January of 2017, to a new administration that had run on the repeal of the ACA. It was determined that to make the most difference, there needed to be dialogue and partnership between consumers and both state and federal lawmakers, since the ACA is a law that works at both the state and federal levels.
During this time, we met Tracy Trovatto, an ACA advocate who had her family's experience with the benefits of the ACA highlighted by the Chicago Tribune. Contacts among other ACA advocates, both in real life and online, continued.
Today we are members of the Protect Our Care IL coalition and the Illinois Coalition for Healthcare Access. We have also partnered with the ACA Signup Project and other health care advocacy organizations since 2018 for the open enrollment period to help offset the drastic reduction in budget by the administration for enrollment outreach, education, and navigator assistance. We also joined the Made to Save coalition to promote Covid-19 vaccination.
Staff
Miranda Wilgus: Executive Director
Board
(in formation)
Carol Bush: Carol is currently working as a Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau developing grassroots support with local communities for the 2020 Census. She is also a certified Marketplace Navigator for the ACA, providing education, outreach, and assistance with martketplace insurance and Medicaid programs. She has worked successfully in management of a housing non-profit program, and brings organizational leadership skills with a focus in strategic goal implementation and general project management. She is a committed advocate with a focus in progressive community service emphasizing education, social welfare, and environmental responsibility.
Charles Gaba: In 2013, when neither the government nor the mainstream media provided consistent, reliable reporting of enrollment data for the Affordable Care Act, Charles Gaba launched ACASignups.net as a hobby, using crowdsourcing to track enrollments in real time. His work soon caught the attention of major media outlets, and has been cited and used as a resource ever since by media outlets spanning the ideological spectrum including the Washington Post, Forbes, Bloomberg News, Vox.com, MSNBC, The New Republic, USA Today, the CATO Institute, National Review Online and The New York Times among others, as well as prominent medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Since launching this project, he has expanded his analysis to include the impact of the ACA's Medicaid Expansion, SHOP exchange, BHP provision and a variety of other Obamacare-related programs.
Jessica Gimeno: Jessica Gimeno is a healthcare, disability rights, and voting rights activist. She is also a graduate student in Northwestern University's Master's in Public Policy & Administration program (expected graduation date: 2022). Jessica is the Communications Director at the Healthcare Rights Coalition, and on Protect Our Care Illinois’ Steering Committee. She speaks at health conferences and at universities about mental health. Her TEDx Talk, “How to Get Stuff Done When You Are Depressed,” has generated over 2 million views and was twice named 'One of the Best Depression Videos of the Year' by Healthline. Jessica launched her website, Fashionably ill ®, in 2012, where she writes and vlogs about surviving chronic pain with style and humor. Jessica won Health Activist Hero in the WEGO Health Awards. She has been featured on MSNBC, BuzzFeed, NBC News, The Whitney Reynolds Show, and the Obama White House's "Stories of Hope and Recovery" campaign. Outside of her advocacy work, Jessica also coaches high school debate. Jessica graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a BS in Communications and a Second Major in Political Science.
Graciela Guzman: Board President. Graciela Guzman is the Campaign Director for Healthy Illinois Campaign. Healthy Illinois Campaign works to make quality, affordable health care accessible to all Illinois residents: No exceptions. Before that she was Coalition Manager for Protect Our Care Illinois (POCIL). In her role as Coalition Manager, Graciela’s primary focus was defending and building upon the expansion of health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid through leadership and support to POCIL’s diverse statewide coalition. Graciela is deeply committed to a fair and just health care system and has helped lead campaigns to educate and enroll hard to reach Illinoisans in health insurance coverage through Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace, and Medicare. Graciela’s passion for healthcare is derived from her experiences with her family and within the trenches of healthcare, helping the community access services.
Jeannine Martin: Co-founder and board member. Based on her professional experience working in Benefits Administration for employers, her current work in benefits administration services, as well as personal experience purchasing insurance via the Marketplace, Eva Jennine Martin brings a different perspective to the board. She is educated in all the nuances of purchasing and use of medical insurance. She personally believes that educating all consumers, whether on employer sponsored insurance or individual plans, and advocating for the consumer, is essential. Her professional experiences, personal experiences as a former small business owner, and individual consumer for health insurance make her a strong addition to this board.
Wylie Rogers: Secretary. For over 50 years I have been an active participant in the struggle for civil and economic equality and social justice. For me in practical terms this means an unrelenting and uncompromising fight for basic human needs and against all forms of oppression and exploitation. I am a social worker by profession (MSW,PHD) with decades of experience in child welfare and community mental health. I enjoy research, writing music, and teaching. My greatest accomplishment is my 50 year marriage to my life partner Leah.
Mina Schultz: Mina Schultz is currently the ACA Outreach & Enrollment Program Director for Young Invincibles. Before that she was an outreach specialist at GetCoveredNYC, a New York City initiative to connect New Yorkers with health coverage. She was formerly a certified application counselor in rural West Virginia for three Open Enrollment periods. Mina has a Master’s in French and foreign language teaching from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Public Health from George Washington University. As a cancer survivor, Mina believes protections for those with pre-existing conditions are essential, and has extensive experience advocating for access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health care.
Jen Waldman: Treasurer Jen Waldman is the current Director of Action for a Better Tomorrow Northern Suburbs, which began as an offshoot of Pantsuit Nation, following PSN’s decision to become a 501c3 organization. Jen has been instrumental in organizing the Northern Suburban group, meeting with elected officials, and setting up educational forums on a wide variety of issues important to the community, including health care. She coordinated a successful series of meet the candidate events for several IL gubernatorial candidates before the state primary. She brings organizing skills and contacts to the board along with her passion to work for the public good.
Carol Bush: Carol is currently working as a Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau developing grassroots support with local communities for the 2020 Census. She is also a certified Marketplace Navigator for the ACA, providing education, outreach, and assistance with martketplace insurance and Medicaid programs. She has worked successfully in management of a housing non-profit program, and brings organizational leadership skills with a focus in strategic goal implementation and general project management. She is a committed advocate with a focus in progressive community service emphasizing education, social welfare, and environmental responsibility.
Charles Gaba: In 2013, when neither the government nor the mainstream media provided consistent, reliable reporting of enrollment data for the Affordable Care Act, Charles Gaba launched ACASignups.net as a hobby, using crowdsourcing to track enrollments in real time. His work soon caught the attention of major media outlets, and has been cited and used as a resource ever since by media outlets spanning the ideological spectrum including the Washington Post, Forbes, Bloomberg News, Vox.com, MSNBC, The New Republic, USA Today, the CATO Institute, National Review Online and The New York Times among others, as well as prominent medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Since launching this project, he has expanded his analysis to include the impact of the ACA's Medicaid Expansion, SHOP exchange, BHP provision and a variety of other Obamacare-related programs.
Jessica Gimeno: Jessica Gimeno is a healthcare, disability rights, and voting rights activist. She is also a graduate student in Northwestern University's Master's in Public Policy & Administration program (expected graduation date: 2022). Jessica is the Communications Director at the Healthcare Rights Coalition, and on Protect Our Care Illinois’ Steering Committee. She speaks at health conferences and at universities about mental health. Her TEDx Talk, “How to Get Stuff Done When You Are Depressed,” has generated over 2 million views and was twice named 'One of the Best Depression Videos of the Year' by Healthline. Jessica launched her website, Fashionably ill ®, in 2012, where she writes and vlogs about surviving chronic pain with style and humor. Jessica won Health Activist Hero in the WEGO Health Awards. She has been featured on MSNBC, BuzzFeed, NBC News, The Whitney Reynolds Show, and the Obama White House's "Stories of Hope and Recovery" campaign. Outside of her advocacy work, Jessica also coaches high school debate. Jessica graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a BS in Communications and a Second Major in Political Science.
Graciela Guzman: Board President. Graciela Guzman is the Campaign Director for Healthy Illinois Campaign. Healthy Illinois Campaign works to make quality, affordable health care accessible to all Illinois residents: No exceptions. Before that she was Coalition Manager for Protect Our Care Illinois (POCIL). In her role as Coalition Manager, Graciela’s primary focus was defending and building upon the expansion of health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid through leadership and support to POCIL’s diverse statewide coalition. Graciela is deeply committed to a fair and just health care system and has helped lead campaigns to educate and enroll hard to reach Illinoisans in health insurance coverage through Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace, and Medicare. Graciela’s passion for healthcare is derived from her experiences with her family and within the trenches of healthcare, helping the community access services.
Jeannine Martin: Co-founder and board member. Based on her professional experience working in Benefits Administration for employers, her current work in benefits administration services, as well as personal experience purchasing insurance via the Marketplace, Eva Jennine Martin brings a different perspective to the board. She is educated in all the nuances of purchasing and use of medical insurance. She personally believes that educating all consumers, whether on employer sponsored insurance or individual plans, and advocating for the consumer, is essential. Her professional experiences, personal experiences as a former small business owner, and individual consumer for health insurance make her a strong addition to this board.
Wylie Rogers: Secretary. For over 50 years I have been an active participant in the struggle for civil and economic equality and social justice. For me in practical terms this means an unrelenting and uncompromising fight for basic human needs and against all forms of oppression and exploitation. I am a social worker by profession (MSW,PHD) with decades of experience in child welfare and community mental health. I enjoy research, writing music, and teaching. My greatest accomplishment is my 50 year marriage to my life partner Leah.
Mina Schultz: Mina Schultz is currently the ACA Outreach & Enrollment Program Director for Young Invincibles. Before that she was an outreach specialist at GetCoveredNYC, a New York City initiative to connect New Yorkers with health coverage. She was formerly a certified application counselor in rural West Virginia for three Open Enrollment periods. Mina has a Master’s in French and foreign language teaching from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Public Health from George Washington University. As a cancer survivor, Mina believes protections for those with pre-existing conditions are essential, and has extensive experience advocating for access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health care.
Jen Waldman: Treasurer Jen Waldman is the current Director of Action for a Better Tomorrow Northern Suburbs, which began as an offshoot of Pantsuit Nation, following PSN’s decision to become a 501c3 organization. Jen has been instrumental in organizing the Northern Suburban group, meeting with elected officials, and setting up educational forums on a wide variety of issues important to the community, including health care. She coordinated a successful series of meet the candidate events for several IL gubernatorial candidates before the state primary. She brings organizing skills and contacts to the board along with her passion to work for the public good.
Advisory Council
(in formation)
Laura Packard
Leah Rogers
Stacy Staggs