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State
Sen.
Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said the study by the Lewin
Group, a leading independent health care consultant, suggests
managed care reforms could save taxpayers approximately $1.5 billion
in Medicaid costs over a five-year period. "Medicaid costs have
escalated at an average rate of 8 percent since fiscal year 1999,"
Brady said. "Left unchecked, Medicaid will claim larger allocations
of the budget at the expense of other programs, including education.
The use of managed care reforms in the Medicaid system will not only
save millions each year, it will give patients access to a better
quality of health care."
The study points out that Illinois "stands in stark contrast to
virtually all other large states in the modest degree to which its
Medicaid program has adopted managed care techniques." The Lewin
study provides supporting evidence that "throughout the country
states have adopted successful managed care models, achieving their
goals of decreased medical costs, better access to services and
increased quality of care."
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Furthermore, the study concludes that "an exceptional opportunity
exists for Illinois to both improve the coverage its Medicaid
beneficiaries receive and to achieve large-scale savings through
implementing the recommendations in this study." The report also
noted that "for states considering implementing or expanding managed
care models, this may be the best time to move forward."
The General Assembly created the Medicaid Managed Care Task Force
and commissioned an independent study after Sen. Brady and his
fellow Senate Republicans demanded that the issue of managed care be
part of last year's budget negotiations. The task force became a
cornerstone for his support of the final budget.
[News release from
Sen.
Bill Brady] |
