[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Medicaid managed care came to Illinois with the promise of better healthcare for the state’s most vulnerable residents. Yet, 13 years later and countless preauthorization denials and delays by managed care organizations (MCOs), hospitals are urging legislators to fix egregious MCO practices that worsen patient health. Access to primary and preventive care is woefully lacking as MCOs manage their costs by denying needed medical services.

Nearly 30% of Illinois residents, 3.6 million people, have coverage through an MCO. They are adults, children, seniors and people with disabilities across the state. Every one of them should have access to the care they need, when they need it. Yet MCOs use complex and inconsistent prior authorization processes to deny and delay necessary healthcare, and deny reimbursement to healthcare providers.

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) has put together commonsense legislative reforms—with NO fiscal impact on the State’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget—to streamline access to patient care and improve health outcomes by eliminating inappropriate prior authorization practices.

These reforms address inpatient stabilization, standardization and transparency, and a “gold card” program for physicians and hospitals with historically high service authorization approvals. Learn more about IHA’s reform package and VOTE YES to support patients!