 Included in the sweeping plans in Washington, D.C., was about $700
million that was earmarked in the new state budget for a continuing
enhanced Medicaid match. But the so-called FMAP money is not coming
in time for the start of Illinois' new fiscal year on Thursday.
The "FMAP" stands for "federal medical assistance percentage."
Medicaid is the state and federal health care program for the
poor and disabled. The federal stimulus program set to expire Dec.
31 boosted the federal share of costs for all states.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn said the governor is not taking
the congressional inaction lying down. Quinn will join 10 other
governors in a conference call on Wednesday afternoon to strategize
on garnering federal support for the increased Medicaid match,
according to Annie Thompson.
"He's not standing on the sidelines on this," Thompson said.
Governors from New York, New Jersey and California will take part
in the call, as those states have grappled right down to the wire
with crafting a budget.
But GOP lawmakers say the extra Medicaid money should never have
been included in the Democratic written budget.
State Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale, said Quinn wanted the most
optimistic numbers he could find, and now the state is going to have
to pay the price.
"When you are doing a budget, you have to work with real money,"
she said. "You cannot count on money that is supposed to come in."
Quinn said on Monday that he's not ready to give up on the idea
of getting that $700 million, noting that other states are in the
same financial boat. The National Conference of State Legislatures
has reported that 30 states have built fiscal 2011 budgets that
include the additional Medicaid money.
"We're working with the U.S. Senate," he said. "Medicaid is a
state and federal mission for health care and we need that money.
The chapter has not been completed on that one."
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Quinn will unveil the final fiscal 2011 budget Wednesday morning.
Lawmakers last month approved a budget that was unbalanced and gave
Quinn sweeping authority to make lump-sum cuts.
State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said that's because
Democrats in Springfield don't care about the numbers. He said
they're just playing politics.
"To them, whether it's $6.5 (billion) or $7.5 billion out of
line, it doesn't really matter, Syverson said. "Unfortunately, to
the bond companies and the taxpayers of the state of Illinois, it
does."
Bellock said Illinois is already asking many Medicaid providers
to wait months to get paid. She worries that without the $700
million from Washington, just about anyone who relies on Medicaid
will be left holding the bag. The increased federal match came with
the stipulation that states reimburse most Medicaid providers within
30 days.
"Others, such as doctors, nursing homes and hospitals, I don't
think they're going to command a 30-day payment again. So that will
create an even bigger problem."
Syverson said the solution is not just better budgeting from the
Quinn administration but an overhaul of Illinois' Medicaid program.
"Are we going to have the richest Medicaid system in the country?
Are we going to have a state that says we don't care where you're
from, ... you come into our state and we're going to provide you
with health care at higher levels than other states do?"
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
Mary Massingale contributed to this report.
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