State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_SR0421

 
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 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Approximately 100,000  Illinoisans  qualify  for
 3    Medicaid  only by first spending down their monthly income on
 4    medical bills to the Medicaid  eligibility  level  (currently
 5    $608  per  month  for a single adult and $822 per month for a
 6    married couple); and

 7        WHEREAS, The process of verifying that these  Illinoisans
 8    have  spent down their monthly income on medical bills to the
 9    Medicaid  eligibility   level   is   often   cumbersome   and
10    time-consuming  for both recipients and local office staff of
11    the Department of Human Services; and

12        WHEREAS, Federal law permits the Department of Public Aid
13    to give Illinoisans enrolled in Medicaid spenddown the option
14    of pre-paying their spenddown amount in a manner similar to a
15    monthly insurance premium; and

16        WHEREAS, Having the option of pre-paying  their  Medicaid
17    spenddown  amount  is  likely  to benefit many Illinoisans on
18    Medicaid spenddown, who would  then  be  able  to  receive  a
19    Medicaid  card each month without delay and without having to
20    present bills and receipts to their local Department of Human
21    Services office each month; and

22        WHEREAS,  Several  states  have  established   successful
23    Medicaid spenddown pre-payment programs; therefore, be it

24        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
25    ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that  the  Department  of
26    Public Aid is directed to:
27        (1)  Conduct a study of the feasibility of establishing a
28    Medicaid   spenddown   pre-payment   program   in   Illinois,
29    including,  but  not limited to, (i) an analysis of spenddown
30    pre-payment programs in other states, (ii) an estimate of the
31    number of Illinoisans who would be eligible to participate in
 
                            -2-                LRB9216745DJmb
 1    a spenddown pre-payment program, (iii) the  projected  number
 2    of  eligible  individuals  who are likely to participate in a
 3    spenddown  pre-payment  program,  (iv)  an  analysis  of  how
 4    Medicaid spenddown recipients may or may not benefit  from  a
 5    spenddown   pre-payment   program,   (v)   a  description  of
 6    administrative and policy changes that would be necessary  to
 7    implement a spenddown pre-payment program, and (vi) projected
 8    cost  increases  and  cost savings that would result from the
 9    implementation of a spenddown pre-payment program;
10        (2)  Collaborate with the Department of  Human  Services,
11    advocates   for  Medicaid  spenddown  recipients,  and  other
12    interested  parties   in   designing   and   conducting   the
13    feasibility study; and
14        (3)  File  a  written report with the Senate on or before
15    December 31, 2002, regarding the feasibility of  implementing
16    a  Medicaid spenddown pre-payment program in Illinois; and be
17    it further

18        RESOLVED, That the Department  of  Human  Services  shall
19    cooperate  in  executing the requirements of this Resolution;
20    and be it further

21        RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent  to  the
22    Director  of  Public  Aid  and  to  the  Secretary  of  Human
23    Services.

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