Another pressure point removed
Thursday, Jul 23, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Interesting…
As of yesterday, about 60 percent of the state budget was being spent without specific FY16 appropriations. This’ll add another big chunk.
…Adding… Background from WBEZ…
Some hospitals serving low-income communities are in imminent danger of closing, according to Shriver Center’s court filing. The filing further states that If those hospitals close because of the state’s failure to pay bills, it would violate a decade-old court order. The Shriver lawyers argued that order requires the state to complete Medicaid payments to hospitals in Cook County, even though Gov. Bruce Rauner and lawmakers have not approved a spending plan authorizing the state to reimburse those hospitals.
The court filing specifically named The New Roseland Community Hospital. It said delayed payments “will force Roseland Community Hospital, in less than a week, to begin the process of closing its hospital.” Roseland Community Hospital is dependent on the Medicaid program for 71 percent of its funding and it anticipates a $2 million shortfall in July and a $2.4 million shortfall in August, according to the Shriver Center’s filing.
Roseland Hospital said in a written statement that it has enough funding to make payroll on July 31st and it will be implementing a voluntary furlough, layoffs and service line suspensions before August 1.
“The families of those who are going to die because of this political budget impasse will not give a damn about party lines,” said Tim Egan, New Roseland President and CEO, in an emailed statement. “Just as bullets don’t recognize political boundaries, grieving families, critically injured patients and an abandoned community will not care about Republicans or Democrats. They will just know that the State of Illinois failed them. And the State of Illinois will have failed the New Roseland Hospital, its patients and its employees over a political stalemate.”
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is a named defendant in the lawsuit. John Hoffman, a spokesperson for the department, said in response to the filing, “While we believe this motion incorrectly interprets the consent decree, this does highlight the importance of the General Assembly passing a balanced budget so our most vulnerable citizens will know they can continue receiving the care they need in the long run.”
…Adding More… Illinois Hospital Association…
“IHA and the hospital community appreciate the action taken by the Shriver Center seeking to assure access to health care services for Illinoisans who are insured by the Medicaid program – children, seniors, families and persons with disabilities. Access to health care should not be a bargaining chip in the budget debates in Springfield. Just like state employees, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, aides and other health care workers need to be paid during the budget impasse. IHA continues to urge legislators on both sides of the aisle and the Governor to find a reasonable and workable state budget solution so Illinoisans are able to receive the health care they need.”
