* Press release…

A comprehensive legislative package of Medicaid managed care reform bills strongly backed by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) and the hospital community has been introduced in the General Assembly to hold managed care organizations (MCOs) accountable to preserve and assure access to timely, quality healthcare for all Medicaid beneficiaries.

Since the introduction of mandatory managed care in Illinois in 2015, hospitals across the state have faced an overwhelming series of unnecessary administrative burdens, claim denials and long payment delays that jeopardize access to care for low-income and vulnerable communities in urban and rural areas of the state and that undermine the financial stability of hospitals, especially Safety Net and Critical Access Hospitals. Initial claim denial rates by MCOs are still unacceptably high – 26 percent – resulting in delayed payments to hospitals in the hundreds of millions of dollars for medically necessary services that were authorized and provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. Most of the denials are based on process and paperwork, not medical necessity.

Bill descriptions are here.

* WBEZ looks at some higher education bills. Here are two of the seven…

SB 1167: This bill would create an adult vocational community college scholarship program starting in the 2020-2021 academic year. The scholarships would be for students over 30 years old who have been unemployed and are looking to earn a specific certificate or associate’s degree. The maximum scholarship would be $2,000 per year. Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, filed similar legislation in the House, HB 302.

SB 1342: This bill, filed by Rep. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, would create a state-run student loan refinancing program. College graduates who are Illinois residents can refinance their student loans with the state to receive the lowest possible interest rate. As long as the graduate remained a resident of Illinois, the lower interest rate would apply.

* And, finally…

One Illinois lawmaker is again seeking a tax on each mile vehicle owners drive instead of a gas tax.

State Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, introduced House Bill 2864, which would create the per-mile road usage charge pilot program. Voluntary participants would pay a per-mile road usage charge is $0.021 per mile for metered use. This per-mile tax would replace the user’s 19-cent per gallon motor fuel tax. Illinois still applies its sales tax to motor fuel, something only a handful of other states do.

The plan has been introduced in previous years, but former Gov. Bruce Rauner had declared his opposition to it early on. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, however, has been warmer on the topic, saying on the campaign trail that it should be looked into as a way to pay for badly-needed infrastructure spending. […]

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, filed a similar proposal in 2016 that would have taxed drivers $0.0015 per mile using a metered device in passenger vehicles. The measure never progressed after opposition mounted.

…Adding… Forgot about this coverage of a subcommittee hearing…

A bill intended to rein in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s outsized role in state politics was rejected by Democrats in a House subcommittee Thursday.

The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena, would have prohibited anyone who is the leader of a legislative chamber from serving simultaneously as a state party chairman.