Glasses, wheelchairs on Illinois Medicaid cut list

An adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn says lawmakers would have to choose everything on a list of possible Medicaid cuts to get to the $2.7 billion proposed by the governor.

Among the options on a list prepared by Quinn’s administration is a 9 percent reduction in payments to hospitals, doctors and pharmacies.

The list includes changing eligibility rules for nursing homes and at-home help so that some incontinent elderly people who can’t prepare their own meals would be denied state-financed care.

Excluding illegal immigrant children from the All Kids program is on the list.

The menu also includes limiting or eliminating coverage of lasses and wheelchairs.

Quinn senior adviser Michael Gelder says even with the listed cuts, there would remain a nearly $2 billion backlog in overdue Medicaid payments.