HR1225 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1225 LRB097 22930 MST 71735 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), as the Single State Medicaid Agency required by federal law, currently oversees the Illinois Medicaid program; and

WHEREAS, Enrollment in the Illinois Medicaid program has increased 60% during the past 5 years; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' Medicaid liability, growing far faster than the rest of the Illinois budget, has nearly doubled in the past 10 years; and

WHEREAS, Given the current fiscal climate, it is absolutely critical that scarce State dollars be invested as wisely as possible so as to produce optimal health outcomes for Illinois citizens; and

WHEREAS, The State Auditor General has cited numerous irregularities with the State's enrollment process, including a significant number of chronically late redeterminations; and

WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee, through consensus, concluded the need for a vendor to assist HFS with ensuring accurate Medicaid eligibility; and

WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee estimated annual cost savings of $350 million associated with establishing accurate eligibility measures and standards; and

WHEREAS, The Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together (SMART) Act, Public Act 97-689, requires the Chief Procurement Officer for General Services working in conjunction with HFS to procure an eligibility verification vendor no later than 60 days following the effective date of the Act, and further, upon selection of said vendor, to enter into a contract within 30 days; and

WHEREAS, Any delay in fully implementing the eligibility redeterminations will serve to limit the cost savings associated with this crucial reform; and

WHEREAS, The current implementation plan advanced by HFS proposes a full implementation date of January 1, 2013 for eligibility redeterminations; and

WHEREAS, The implementation of all the reforms contained in the SMART Act is essential for the cost savings associated with the SMART Act to be realized; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to ensure that the eligibility redeterminations process required by the SMART Act be fully operational no later than October 1, 2012; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we request the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide a monthly briefing to the members of the Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee regarding the implementation status of all the SMART Act reforms and for information provided to the Committee to also be posted online by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in a manner accessible to the general public; and be it further

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