DECATUR - With the rising cost of health care, Barry Geogehegan struggles to pay more than $700 a month for insurance for himself and his son. Providing his employees with health care coverage at his small business, Barry's American Cycles, is currently out of the question.

Geogehegan shared these challenges with Gov. Rod Blagojevich at Barry's American Cycles on Thursday afternoon in an effort to push for the governor's recent budget proposal.

"We have to start somewhere with health care; if people have health care problems, it turns to bankruptcy," Geogehegan said. "If the governor can make that better around the state, that's a great thing."

Blagojevich's stop through Decatur was one of the last visits of his four-day Investing in Families Bus Tour to promote his Investing in Families initiative, which includes Illinois Covered.

The proposed Illinois Covered plan is designed to ensure that everyone has access to affordable health care coverage. One component of that plan, called Illinois Covered Choice, would allow small-business owners to purchase this coverage on behalf of their employees, and another component, Illinois Covered Rebate, will lower premiums for moderate- to middle-income Illinoisans.

Under Illinois Covered, Geogehegan's insurance premiums would drop to $230 a month, Blagojevich said.

"It's not free, but it's affordable," Blagojevich said. "Everybody plays a role in making sure everybody has access to affordable care. That health care plan would save Barry nearly $7,000 a year and would then give him the ability to provide health care here to the fellows who work with him."

Currently, there are 1.4 million Illinoisans without coverage, but health care, Blagojevich said, is a "fundamental right."

"In my mind, health care is a moral imperative," he said. "Most working people are being squeezed; they know how difficult it is to afford health care, and the government should be there to help them. We're determined to get this done in Illinois; we're determined to get it done here because we know they won't in Washington."

Blagojevich plans to fund Illinois Covered and another component of the Investing in Families plan, Helping Kids Learn, with a gross receipts tax on all businesses and corporations in Illinois that make more than $2 million a year.

"That means 85 percent of businesses are exempt," he said. "But then when your fortunes improve and your sales are up, what we would ask is that you make a contribution to health care. In my opinion, this is the best and fairest way to do it."

Blagojevich said he considers it part of his duty as governor to strive to help Illinoisans without insurance.

"If we can make good health care for us, those of us who make the rules, why can't we make health care good for all those we serve?" he said to the group assembled at Barry's American Cycles. "I am determined to fight for this, and never, ever give in. We will make this happen."

Courtney Klemm can be reached at cklemm@herald-review.com or 421-6968.