HR0107

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, Medical schedule reports from the Department of 
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Healthcare and Family Services state that as of January 12, 
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2007 nearly $1.2 billion dollars in unpaid Medicaid claims are 
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pending; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Because Illinois is so far behind on paying 
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Medicaid bills, doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, and other 
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medical providers are faced with the decision to limit care 
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provided to Medicaid-covered individuals or find ways to remain 
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economically viable such as securing loans and exhausting lines 
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of credit; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The amount of unpaid Medicaid bills at the end of 
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FY 2007 is expected to continue to grow to a total of at least 
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$1.5 billion; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The payment cycle for Medicaid providers is 
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expected to grow to an average of 68 days by the end of FY 2007, 
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and the cycle for non-expedited providers will be considerably 
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higher considering that some providers are promised payments 
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based on a 30-day payment cycle; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The FY 2006 budget under-funded pensions by $1.2 
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billion compared to the funding schedule established by the 
 


 






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1995 Pension Funding Law; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The FY 2007 budget under-funds pensions by another 
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$1.1 billion, bringing the two-year pension diversion to a 
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total of $2.3 billion; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Even though $2.3 billion in funding has been 
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diverted from the funding of pensions, the Medicaid payment 
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cycle and bills on hand at the end of the fiscal year continue 
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to endanger the ability of Medicaid providers to continue to 
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provide services to the needy; and
 
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    WHEREAS, At the same time that Medicaid bills go unpaid and 
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pensions go under-funded, recent budgets have contained 
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funding for member initiatives and special add-on projects 
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benefiting only a small portion of the State; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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until sufficient funding is appropriated to bring the Medicaid 
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payments cycle down to an average of 30 days and pensions are 
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funded based on a funding schedule consistent with the 
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guidelines of the original 1995 Pension Funding Law, future 
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budgets should not contain appropriations for member 
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initiatives or special add-on projects benefiting only a small 
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portion of the State; and be it further

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois.