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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The average dental school graduate owes over | ||||||
| 3 | $290,000 in debt by the time they enter the workforce; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, During 2020, it was found that the average | ||||||
| 5 | Illinoisan made $62,930 and that the average rural Illinoisan | ||||||
| 6 | made only $47,449; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, The aging of populations in rural communities | ||||||
| 8 | makes it more difficult for essential businesses to remain | ||||||
| 9 | open, forcing people to move away from rural areas and into | ||||||
| 10 | cities, where necessary businesses are much closer; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Rural flight is a documented phenomenon wherein | ||||||
| 12 | people, who have lived in rural areas for most if not all of | ||||||
| 13 | their entire life, move to cities for higher wages, easier | ||||||
| 14 | work, proximity to necessities, and access to education; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Rural communities are not immune to inflation | ||||||
| 16 | caused by worker shortages spurred by people fleeing their | ||||||
| 17 | communities; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, The field of dentistry is only sustainable as | ||||||
| 19 | long as there are enough people nearby who are in need of | ||||||
| 20 | services; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The federal government has many social welfare | ||||||
| 2 | programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, that provide | ||||||
| 3 | healthcare to over 20% of individuals in rural communities | ||||||
| 4 | over the age of 65; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Medicare and Medicaid do not cover dental work, | ||||||
| 6 | leaving the most vulnerable populations at risk for poor oral | ||||||
| 7 | health and oral diseases, which often leads to additional | ||||||
| 8 | medical issues; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, The existence of rural America is at stake, and | ||||||
| 10 | providing access to dental care for people in these areas | ||||||
| 11 | could help the communities continue to exist; therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 13 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 14 | we urge the federal government to take action on the issue of | ||||||
| 15 | rural dental care to save these communities from deteriorating | ||||||
| 16 | any further; and be it further
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| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies be sent to the Senate | ||||||
| 18 | Finance Committee of the United States Congress, President of | ||||||
| 19 | the United States Joe Biden, and the Centers for Medicare & | ||||||
| 20 | Medicaid Services for their consideration.
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