Health News
Earlier this week, the Illinois Legislature passed a bill (SB 26) to implement the Medicaid expansion option for adults without minor children on January 1, 2014. This expansion is a cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act and has the potential to cover over 600,000 low income adults in Illinois under the Medicaid program. The bill has overcome many hurdles along the way and now will be sent to the Governor's desk for his signature.
A year ago, the Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion to adults an option that states did not have to take. However, the expansion is financially advantageous for states because the federal government pays all of the costs of the new Medicaid adult group for the first three years and thereafter, the state pays no more than 10% of the costs - making this the most lucrative Medicaid program in history for state governments. This coverage program will bring needed revenue to Illinois including to local entities such as Cook County and the City of Chicago as well as to hospitals and other safety net providers.
Illinois will begin accepting Medicaid applications for this new adult group on October 1, 2013, and coverage will begin on January 1, 2014. For residents of Cook County, they can enroll right now and begin getting coverage into the CountyCare program which is an early implementation of the Medicaid expansion. The passage of SB 26 ensures that CountyCare enrollees will be able to continue to be covered under Medicaid along with the rest of the state in 2014.
In addition, SB 26 makes other changes to the Medicaid program including "fixing" some of the SMART Act Medicaid cuts by partially restoring dental care to pregnant women. Some mental health advocates were opposed to an amendment added onto the bill, that allowed a new category of mental health facilities for short term crises. For any questions, you can contact me at [email protected].
Stephanie Altman
Programs & Policy Director
Health & Disability Advocates
- Five Myths About The Medicaid Expansion
The Supreme Court's June 2012 Affordable Care Act ruling was decisive about the implications of the individual mandate; however, it was less decisive about the ACA's Medicaid expansion. The court gave flexibility to each state to decide whether...
- Illinois Takes Three Big Steps Forward In Health Reform Implementation
After the November election confirmed the permanent status of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Illinois wasted no time getting the law?s reforms under way. In less than a month, three big changes have brought the state closer to ACA implementation: 1. On...
- The State Budget Aftermath - What's Next?
On May 25, 2012, the Illinois legislature voted to pass Senate Bill 2840, which will make drastic cuts to the state?s Medicaid program, in order to help close a $2.7 billion deficit. The news has been confusing, but the bottom line is that many of the...
- Safety Net Hospitals Spared, But Not Much Else In Medicaid Bills
Although Medicaid is a state & federal program, the City of Chicago got involved in the raging debate in Springfield. On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, Alderman George Cardenas (12th Ward) called a meeting of the Chicago City Council Committee on Health and...
- Preview: Medicaid And The Supreme Court
Tomorrow the United States Supreme Court will be in its third day of arguments about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Tomorrow's argument will focus not on the Individual Mandate (which has gotten the most press and political...
Health News
Medicaid Expansion Passes Both Houses of the Illinois General Assembly
Earlier this week, the Illinois Legislature passed a bill (SB 26) to implement the Medicaid expansion option for adults without minor children on January 1, 2014. This expansion is a cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act and has the potential to cover over 600,000 low income adults in Illinois under the Medicaid program. The bill has overcome many hurdles along the way and now will be sent to the Governor's desk for his signature.
A year ago, the Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion to adults an option that states did not have to take. However, the expansion is financially advantageous for states because the federal government pays all of the costs of the new Medicaid adult group for the first three years and thereafter, the state pays no more than 10% of the costs - making this the most lucrative Medicaid program in history for state governments. This coverage program will bring needed revenue to Illinois including to local entities such as Cook County and the City of Chicago as well as to hospitals and other safety net providers.
Illinois will begin accepting Medicaid applications for this new adult group on October 1, 2013, and coverage will begin on January 1, 2014. For residents of Cook County, they can enroll right now and begin getting coverage into the CountyCare program which is an early implementation of the Medicaid expansion. The passage of SB 26 ensures that CountyCare enrollees will be able to continue to be covered under Medicaid along with the rest of the state in 2014.
In addition, SB 26 makes other changes to the Medicaid program including "fixing" some of the SMART Act Medicaid cuts by partially restoring dental care to pregnant women. Some mental health advocates were opposed to an amendment added onto the bill, that allowed a new category of mental health facilities for short term crises. For any questions, you can contact me at [email protected].
Stephanie Altman
Programs & Policy Director
Health & Disability Advocates
- Five Myths About The Medicaid Expansion
The Supreme Court's June 2012 Affordable Care Act ruling was decisive about the implications of the individual mandate; however, it was less decisive about the ACA's Medicaid expansion. The court gave flexibility to each state to decide whether...
- Illinois Takes Three Big Steps Forward In Health Reform Implementation
After the November election confirmed the permanent status of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Illinois wasted no time getting the law?s reforms under way. In less than a month, three big changes have brought the state closer to ACA implementation: 1. On...
- The State Budget Aftermath - What's Next?
On May 25, 2012, the Illinois legislature voted to pass Senate Bill 2840, which will make drastic cuts to the state?s Medicaid program, in order to help close a $2.7 billion deficit. The news has been confusing, but the bottom line is that many of the...
- Safety Net Hospitals Spared, But Not Much Else In Medicaid Bills
Although Medicaid is a state & federal program, the City of Chicago got involved in the raging debate in Springfield. On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, Alderman George Cardenas (12th Ward) called a meeting of the Chicago City Council Committee on Health and...
- Preview: Medicaid And The Supreme Court
Tomorrow the United States Supreme Court will be in its third day of arguments about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Tomorrow's argument will focus not on the Individual Mandate (which has gotten the most press and political...