SJ0011

LRB095 10672 DRJ 30903 r






1

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, Medicaid pays for 40% of all births in the State 
3
of Illinois; and

 
4
    WHEREAS, Women enrolled in Medicaid are statistically less 
5
likely to receive prenatal care; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, One third of all babies born into the Medicaid 
7
program have some type of health complication; and

 
8
    WHEREAS, Unhealthy births exact an emotional toll on the 
9
child's mother and family; and

 
10
    WHEREAS, Unhealthy births result in substantial set-backs 
11
to a child's early development; and

 
12
    WHEREAS, The costs associated with those unhealthy births 
13
exceed $200 million annually; and

 
14
    WHEREAS, Title V of the Social Security Act is intended to 
15
improve the health of pregnant women and children; and

 
16
    WHEREAS, Simple and logical steps can be taken to reduce 
17
the incidence of unhealthy births in Illinois, resulting in 
18
healthier babies and a more efficient use of Medicaid 
 


 






SJ0011
- 2 -
LRB095 10672 DRJ 30903 r




1
resources; therefore, be it

 
2
    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
3
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
4
CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Department of Healthcare 
5
and Family Services shall work with the Illinois Department of 
6
Human Services in structuring a single information technology 
7
system that recognizes and identifies pregnant women enrolled 
8
in Medicaid and in need of prenatal services; and be it further

 
9
    RESOLVED, That the Department of Healthcare and Family 
10
Services use the new information technology system to promote 
11
prenatal services to the identified population and thereby 
12
reduce the incidence of unhealthy births; and be it further
 
13
    RESOLVED, That the Department of Healthcare and Family 
14
Services study the effectiveness of this approach and annually 
15
report to the General Assembly on progress towards reaching the 
16
goal of reducing the number of unhealthy births in Illinois; 
17
and be it further
 
18
    RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to 
19
the Director of Healthcare and Family Services and the 
20
Secretary of Human Services.