Republican congressional leadership and the Trump Administration have promised to repeal the ACA. But without a true replacement, repeal will mean big problems for people in Illinois, no matter where you get your health insurance. 

Here's what has happened so far:

1. A budget resolution was passed calling for repeal of the ACA through a process called budget reconciliation. It instructs congressional committees to come up with a plan to find savings. This process cannot repeal the entire law, but address only parts of it that involve the federal budget. Here's Vox's explanation.

2. The congressional committees were supposed to come up with a repeal plan by January 26th, an impossible deadline that wasn't reached. The committees involved: Health, Education & Labor and Pensions/Finance in the Senate and Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce in the House.

3. President Trump issued an executive order on Inauguration Day instructing the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other federal officials to "waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay" implementation of the law "to the maximum extent permitted by law. The long and short of this is that this executive order is unlikely to do anything to the ACA, other than underscore the president's interest in repeal. 

4. Several health care bills were introduced by the GOP, none guaranteeing the type of protections seen under the ACA. Learn more about the Patient Freedom Act, and Rand Paul's Obamacare replacement. The GOP has no consensus on a plan moving forward, as evidenced through leaked audio of GOP discussions. 

5. The Trump Administration cancelled advertising for the last remaining days of open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace even though the advertising was already purchased. This attempt to undermine enrollment to fit with the narrative to support repeal backfired as the press widely covered the cancellation, and advocacy groups and coalitions doubled down on outreach efforts. Here's the ad that was taken off the air. 

Despite efforts by advocacy groups across the state, there is still no budget. The major question: Will this month be the month Illinois can pass a budget? We hope so. See the Responsible Budget Coalition's  action alert .

Marcin Family of Peoria, IL Amber Pawula-Marcin says her 6-year-old son carries a rare trait that is considered a pre-existing condition and she worries he would not be guaranteed coverage without the mandates and legislation included in the Affordable Care Act.  "He's already been kind of expensive medically for us, since he was born," said Pawula-Marcin. "And so you know I have concerns about what coverage is going to look like for him for his entire life." Read more at Central Illinois Proud . 

Robert A. Rodgers of Greenville, IL   "Obamacare was meant to provide insurance to the people who couldn't afford paying all the premiums, by helping them to pay for at least some of them. I am one of the millions of working poor in the nation. I can't afford health insurance or to pay for health care myself" Read more at the

State Journal Register.

Success Stories from Get Covered Illinois   Bar managers, comedians, research editors, small business owners, and others find support through the ACA.  Read the stories   here .

A Mom-owned Business Sees Real Savings  This small business in Chicago had $12,000 in ACA tax credits. More from Moms Rising. 

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