Morning budget updates
Thursday, May 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, which frontline staff who work with developmentally disabled individuals, came out against the budget. Workers have been advocating for a $4-an-hour wage increase, but said the proposed budget gives them half that, a boost that IARF said will not do enough to bring more people into the profession, therefore prolonging a workforce shortage.
From today’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing…
As subscribers know, that was a big holdup last night.
* Crain’s…
The main move came when Democratic lawmakers agreed to give the governor what he described as seven management “tools” to slash health spending for immigrants. The final budget figure for that item now will be $550 million, not the advertised $1.1 billion.
Among those tools, according to Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh, the General Assembly agreed to reduce and manage the program’s costs by limiting future enrollment, maximizing federal funds designated for immigrant health care and utilizing managed care models, which prioritize quality of care over quantity in a manner that often lowers costs.
But the Senate Democrats are trying to gingerly sidestep the issue…
* More from the hearing…
- Squirrel - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 10:17 am:
Sad to see that the $4 increase for DD providers isn’t going to happen… I know that sacrifices must be made in the budget process, but this is one that will only continue to hurt some of the most vulnerable in our state.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 10:22 am:
===continue to hurt===
IARF can live with it. Groups rarely use their baseline goal as their initial demand.
- supplied_demand - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 10:43 am:
What happens to the extra $300 million from last year? Is it rolled-over into the $50.7B projection for the new budget?
- dr. jimmy - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 10:58 am:
this is laughable. in other words, costs will be contained by healthcare being denied. classic punt to managed care (managed cost):
“Among those tools, according to Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh, the General Assembly agreed to reduce and manage the program’s costs by limiting future enrollment, maximizing federal funds designated for immigrant health care and utilizing managed care models, which prioritize quality of care over quantity in a manner that often lowers costs.”
- Demoralized - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 11:30 am:
They are simply not allowing the program to have an open ended checkbook. If you allowed this program to just grow unabated and then add additional people in the program the costs would have been astronomical and that would have crowded out other funding priorities. Sometimes you don’t get everything you ask for. This is one of those times.
- Hannibal Lecter - Thursday, May 25, 23 @ 1:02 pm:
“this is laughable.”
What would you do differently and how would you pay for it?