SR0355 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0355 LRB098 12367 GRL 46700 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 2012, the General Assembly passed the Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together (SMART) Act (Public Act 97-689), an initiative to save approximately $1.6 billion in State Medicaid spending through the enactment of spending reductions, utilization controls, and provider rate cuts; and

WHEREAS, The SMART Act required the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to file a report with the Auditor General, the Governor, and leaders of the General Assembly that listed any necessary amendments to the Illinois Title XIX State plan, federal waiver request, or State administrative rules necessary to implement the SMART Act; and

WHEREAS, At a press conference announcing her appointment as Director of Healthcare and Family Services, Julie Hamos stated that "my approach... will be to bring all of you to the table... those of you who are interested in health care will have a place at this table. We need to hear the disparate voices... and we need to build a strong coalition statewide."; and

WHEREAS, Since that time, Director Hamos has repeatedly denied interested parties access to her in order to share their concerns and ideas regarding the implementation of the SMART Act and its effects on the State's Medicaid program; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services was created to provide necessary services to those who are most in need in the State of Illinois; Director Hamos has promised the people of Illinois that she would do everything in her power to ensure that these people would receive the services they deserve; and

WHEREAS, Director Hamos' consistent lack of openness in these proceedings and her unwillingness to take forward steps in serving the neediest people of this State represents a grave dereliction of her duties; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the Governor to instruct the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to ensure any movement of Medicaid lives to HMOs does not result in a reduction of federal revenues garnered through the Hospital Assessment program and to ensure that any reimbursement system associated with HMOs must not be implemented prior to receiving written federal approval; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Governor to instruct the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a medical loss ratio of no less than 88% for all mandatorily enrolled MCO programs, consistent with practices established under the Integrated Care Pilot Program; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Governor to instruct the Department to develop and implement a potentially preventable readmissions policy consistent with Section 15-5 of the Public Aid Code (305 ILCS 5/15-5); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Governor to instruct the Department to move immediately to garner federal approval for the Hospital Assessment Program, prescribed in the SMART Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Governor to include reimbursement policies that, in total, provide for a positive operating margin for safety-net hospitals, as part of the Rate Reform development process; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Governor to immediately pay all supplemental hospital payments that have been approved by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor and the Director of Healthcare and Family Services.