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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services
3(HFS), as the Single State Medicaid Agency required by federal
4law, currently oversees the Illinois Medicaid program; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Enrollment in the Illinois Medicaid program has
6increased 60% during the past 5 years; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Illinois' Medicaid liability, growing far faster
8than the rest of the Illinois budget, has nearly doubled in the
9past 10 years; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Given the current fiscal climate, it is absolutely
11critical that scarce State dollars be invested as wisely as
12possible so as to produce optimal health outcomes for Illinois
13citizens; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The State Auditor General has cited numerous
15irregularities with the State's enrollment process, including
16a significant number of chronically late redeterminations; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee,
18through consensus, concluded the need for a vendor to assist
19HFS with ensuring accurate Medicaid eligibility; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee
2estimated annual cost savings of $350 million associated with
3establishing accurate eligibility measures and standards; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together
5(SMART) Act, Public Act 97-689, requires the Chief Procurement
6Officer for General Services working in conjunction with HFS to
7procure an eligibility verification vendor no later than 60
8days following the effective date of the Act, and further, upon
9selection of said vendor, to enter into a contract within 30
10days; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Any delay in fully implementing the eligibility
12redeterminations will serve to limit the cost savings
13associated with this crucial reform; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The current implementation plan advanced by HFS
15proposes a full implementation date of January 1, 2013 for
16eligibility redeterminations; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The implementation of all the reforms contained in
18the SMART Act is essential for the cost savings associated with
19the SMART Act to be realized; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

 

 

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1we urge the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to
2ensure that the eligibility redeterminations process required
3by the SMART Act be fully operational no later than October 1,
42012; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That we request the Department of Healthcare and
6Family Services to provide a monthly briefing to the members of
7the Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee regarding the
8implementation status of all the SMART Act reforms and for
9information provided to the Committee to also be posted online
10by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in a manner
11accessible to the general public; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
13presented to the Governor and the Director of the Department of
14Healthcare and Family Services.