Learn about Medicaid reforms Jan. 26
Join State Rep. Carol Sente and Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, for a public forum to learn more about Medicaid reforms and how they affect you. It will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 at the Laschen Community Center, 294 Evergreen Drive in Vernon Hills.
One of state Rep. Sente's priorities is to improve the health care delivery system so that patients have the access to the care they need while providers receive fair compensation. After months of hearings, the bipartisan Medicaid Reform Committee initiated meaningful changes to meet these goals.
Sente supported House Bill 5420 for Medicaid Reform to phase out the practice of paying Medicaid bills from one budget year with revenue from the following budget year so providers can receive compensation more quickly. These reforms will also move the Medicaid system towards managed-care programs to improve health care by paying managed-care providers based on performance related to health care outcomes, requiring use of evidence-based best-practices, and the deployment of electronic medical records. Additionally, Medicaid users will be required to re-enroll annually to prove eligibility, and civil fraud penalties will be imposed for up to $2,000 to end abuses of the system.
As we work to lift our state out of the recession, these reforms will help the state save $774 million over the next five years. In order to get out of debt, we must completely reform Illinois's budgeting process, make strategic cuts, and totally reform our state's tax structure. This is why I voted against raising the state's income tax, and continue to pursue avenues for spending reform as I have with my budget reform legislation to initiate performance based budgeting in our state. We have no time to waste to resolve our state's dire situation.
I look forward to meeting with you in person and hearing your ideas. Please RSVP for this meeting to RepSente@gmail.com, or call (847) 478-9909. Please also send me your ideas, sign-up to receive my e-mail newsletter, or join one of my citizen advisory committees to help share your expertise with our community.