“More than 180,000 patients are now enrolled in Countycare, the county’s managed Medicaid plan, greatly exceeding our 2015 enrollment goal of 156,000. Now, for the first time in its history, our health system has more insured patients than uninsured patients,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

More than 200,000 people in Illinois are ensured health insurance following the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding subsidies provided under the Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston, a major supporter of the federal health initiative, said plenty of health benefits are being gained through the act, also called Obamacare.

“People across Illinois and the country are healthier – and lives are being saved because of Obamacare,” Schakowsky said. “Parents know that their children can never be turned down because they were born with a disability and can never outlive their benefits.

“Women know that they cannot be charged higher premiums because of their gender and that maternity coverage will always be included. And all Americans know that they can get preventive services without cost-sharing so that they can catch any problems when they are treatable.”

In the King v. Burwell case, which wound up at the U.S. Supreme Court, it was argued that Congress did not mean to provide tax credits to all eligible households. In Illinois, 78 percent of people enrolled in GetCovered Illinois receive premium tax credits worth – on average – $210 per month.

Illinois Republicans said a replacement to the Affordable Care Act is still necessary.

“I disagreed with the court’s original decision upholding the individual mandates in Obamacare; and I disagree with them now,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro. “However, I am committed to working with my colleagues to find a plan that replaces Obamacare with solutions that expand access to care, make it more affordable for hardworking families, and gets government bureaucrats out from between patients and their doctors.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the federal law has aided many of her constituents.

“President Obama’s Affordable Care Act has been a godsend to those of us in the public health business, “ Preckwinkle said. “Thanks to the ACA, we are moving toward long-term financial sustainability for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System.

“More than 180,000 patients are now enrolled in Countycare, the county’s managed Medicaid plan, greatly exceeding our 2015 enrollment goal of 156,000. Now, for the first time in its history, our health system has more insured patients than uninsured patients.”

Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, said he has not given much thought to the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision.

“It is not going to affect the job we have as Republicans to promote pro-business, pro-growth items,” Schneider said. “It is the law so we have to deal with it; we are not going to change it. We need to put our efforts into pro-growth, pro-business items, like workman’s compensation reform.”

The Illinois Hospital Association applauded the decision, upholding the legality of subsidies.

“Because of these subsidies, more than 230,000 low- and moderate-income Illinoisans are able to afford health insurance, ensuring that they have access to the health care they need when they need it,” said Maryjane A. Wurth, president and CEO of the Hospital Association. “These Illinoisans now receive more than $49 million a month in subsidies (nearly $600 million on an annualized basis).”