This Tribune editorial urged advocacy groups to join those calling for reforms to the State of Illinois’ Medicaid program and pension systems because rising costs in these areas are increasingly squeezing out funding for all other State programs. It cited the Civic Federation’s projection that the State’s backlog of unpaid bills could rise from the current $8 billion to nearly $35 billion by FY2017 without reform.
UPDATE: On May 24, 2012 the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation to permit Cook County’s public health system to obtain federal funding for medical services for low-income adults under the Medicaid program. The plan must still be approved by the federal government. House Bill 5007 passed the House by a vote of 62 to 55 and the Senate by a vote of 35 to 22. The Cook County plan required an amendment to a State law enacted in January 2011 that placed a two-year moratorium on expansion…
(The full text of this article is available only to the publication's subscribers.) This overview of Illinois’ fiscal challenges focuses on rising costs in the State’s Medicaid program and pension systems. The article cites the Civic Federation’s projection that the State could accumulate nearly $35 billion in unpaid bills by FY2017 without dramatic policy changes.
With new attention being paid to the cost of the State of Illinois’ Medicaid program, it seems logical to ask why the total annual costs of the program are not reflected in the State’s budget. The answer lies in an obscure statutory provision, found in Section 25 of the State Finance Act, that allows Medicaid costs to be paid from future years’ appropriations. In simple terms, this provision allows the State to hold down Medicaid appropriations below expected costs in order to help balance the…
On February 22, 2012, Governor Pat Quinn presented his administration’s fourth annual budget for the State of Illinois. The Governor’s FY2013 budget address to the General Assembly focused on the difficult financial challenges facing the State and the critical need to reduce Medicaid costs and unfunded pension liabilities. In his speech, the Governor said that the recommended budget for FY2013 reflects the reality that there is no easy way for the State to fix its chronic financial problems.…
Governor Quinn’s FY2013 Budget Address proposed unspecified Medicaid cuts of $2.7 billion and the consolidation or closure of 62 State facilities. The Civic Federation says that painful, difficult reductions are necessary to address the State’s chronic financial problems.
This article discusses Governor Quinn’s proposal to cut $2.7 billion from the State’s Medicaid program. It cites the Civic Federation’s report that General Funds costs for Medicaid will increase from nearly $8.6 billion in FY2012 to $12.1 billion in FY2017.
This article discusses Governor Quinn’s call to stabilize the State’s pensions and restructure the Medicaid program. The article cites the Civic Federation’s projection that, without action, the State’s unpaid bills could rise to $34.8 billion by the end of FY2017.
In advance of Governor Pat Quinn's budget address on February 22, this op-ed by Civic Federation President Laurence Msall discusses Illinois' damaged fiscal reputation. The piece offers recommendations for stabilizing the State's finances and curbing unsustainable trends in the State's Medicaid and pension systems.
In advance of Governor Quinn's budget address on February 22, this article discusses the significant challenges facing Illinois' Medicaid program. The article cites the Civic Federation's projection from the FY2013 State Budget Roadmap that General Fund costs for Medicaid could grow to $12 billion by FY2017.
