Hundreds of thousands of people would see their health care cut back or even eliminated under legislation approved Thursday by Illinois lawmakers in a desperate attempt to shore up the states crumbling budget.

The Medicaid cuts include ending a prescription drug program for senior citizens, halting two programs that provide health insurance for about 35,000 people, and restricting access to services from heart bypass operations to wheelchair repairs.

Opponents said the cuts will mean suffering and death for some of the 2.7 million people who get care under Medicaid.

Im begging you, representative, for the life of the people who are going to die as a result of this legislation. Im begging you. Please, let us do something different, Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said to the measures sponsor.

Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, said the Medicaid program will fall apart without fast action. Helping the states poor in the long run requires cutting back now, she said.

I know it seems ironic, but this is the only way we can accomplish that, Feigenholtz said.

The measure passed 94-22 and went to the Senate, where it was approved on a 44-13 vote. The next stop is Gov. Pat Quinn, who supports the proposal.

Its part of a package meant to fill a Medicaid shortfall of $2.7 billion, or nearly $1 in every $5 the program spends.

Service cuts would save about $1.3 billion. Payments to hospitals, nursing homes and other Medicaid providers would be trimmed by an additional $240 million. In a separate bill, lawmakers will consider more than doubling the state cigarette tax to bring in more money.

Republican opposition has left the outcome of the tax vote in doubt.

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Health care for poor slashed by lawmakers