Rep. Sente held Medicaid reform forum
State Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills) was joined Wednesday night by Illinois' Healthcare and Family Services Director Julie Hamos and an overflow crowd at the Laschen Center in Vernon Hills for an informative forum on recent Medicaid Reforms, the day after Governor Quinn signed this landmark legislation into law.
“One of my 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,” Sente said. “After hearing much feedback from constituents who want the state to tighten its financial belt while continuing to provide a high quality of services, the state initiated meaningful changes to meet these goals.”
Sente sponsored Public Act 96-1501 to rein in the increasing costs of Illinois's Medicaid program without compromising the quality of patient care. The new reforms will require a two-year moratorium on the expansion of eligibility for the Medicaid program that would come through increasing eligibility standards. Additionally, all Medicaid enrollees will be required to prove eligibility on an annual basis rather than being automatically re-enrolled in the program every year and they will have to provide better documentation of their incomes.
“This landmark legislation was the initiative of bipartisan Senate and House Special Committees on Medicaid Reform, with the support of Governor Quinn's administration,” said Hamos, who testified at the hearings and helped develop these reforms. “It includes numerous provisions that will improve the integrity of the Medicaid program, enhance healthcare for Illinois' children and families, and result in cost savings and cost avoidance of $624 million – $774 million over 5 years.”
To improve the quality of healthcare for Medicaid participants and reduce costs, the state will be required to have 50 percent of its clients participate in coordinated care arrangements, where providers are based on performance and healthcare outcomes. Electronic medical records will be encouraged to increase efficiency. Also, this legislation aims to prevent Medicaid fraud by imposing civil penalties for Medicaid fraud of up to $2,000 per fraudulent claim, including interest of 5 percent per year and repayment of fraudulent claims. The bill will also begin to phase out the practice of paying Medicaid bills from one budget year with revenue from the following budget year.
“In order to get ourselves out of debt, we must completely reform Illinois' 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,” Sente said. “ We have no time to waste to resolve our state's dire situation.”
Sente represents the 59th District, which includes portions of 22 communities in Central Lake and Northern Cook Counties, including Buffalo Grove, Great Lakes, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Indian Creek, Knollwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mettawa, Mundelein, North Chicago, Northbrook, Park City, Prairie View, Riverwoods, Unincorporated Deerfield, Vernon Hills, Waukegan and Wheeling.