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Hope Trust reports early improvements in city health plan; Chip Markle introduces campaign for statehouse
Summary
Representatives from the Hope Trust told the council that three months into a new health-plan arrangement member calls and prescription issues have declined and operations are smoothing; later, Chip Markle introduced himself as a Democratic candidate for the 118th District.
Representatives from Hope Trust told the Marion City Council the city’s switch to a new health plan is three months in and showing signs of stabilization.
A Hope Trust representative (introduced by the mayor) said initial problems — including prescription access and ID-card use — produced calls in the first 45 to 60 days but that the number of member calls has dropped and operations appear to be running more smoothly. The speaker said Hope Trust will provide quarterly updates to the council.
Later in the public-comment portion of the meeting, Chip Markle introduced himself as the Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 118th District. Markle said he is a Navy veteran, retired from the Illinois Department of Corrections, a long-time union member and said he was running to bring representation to underserved areas of the district while preserving Marion’s prosperity.
Quotes: “We are three months into our new health plan change … I think we’re to the point now where things are running smooth,” the Hope Trust representative said. Chip Markle said he hoped to “have a voice at the table in Springfield for all of the district.”
Next steps: Hope Trust said it will return quarterly to update the council; the city did not take any formal action on the health-plan update at the meeting.
