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The State Journal-Register published this OpEd today. It’s definitely worth a read.
I have the very challenging and honorable position of being a nursing home administrator and the good fortune to have more than 30 years of nursing to my credit. […]What began as delayed payments has now reached what could be interpreted as payments that have come to a screeching halt. Consequently, I not only walked into a financial nightmare with the state of Illinois’ public aid system, things have now progressed from nightmare to hell on bureaucratic wheels.
My facility is one of several in Illinois that is still independently owned and our Public Aid census average is approximately 78 to 79 percent. I don’t have the security of a “mother corporation†to fall back on when Public Aid fails to release our checks in a timely manner. […]
Our bank’s benevolence and our vendors’ understanding can’t last forever when the state of Illinois interprets the releasing of our checks in a “timely manner†as once every six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 weeks or longer. I’m sure that some of our legislators are or have been independent businessmen and women. So, I ask all of you who represent us in this state government - does your paycheck arrive in this manner? Do you pay your bills on time and if not, how long before you start seeing finance charges mounting up or your utility companies’ disconnection?
My office personnel informed me recently that we finally received a voucher number from Public Aid. Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with this, it means we can now “get in line†to possibly receive our check for November’s care in the “near†future.
Yes, I said November. Considering that we haven’t received a check from Public Aid for approximately three months, all I can ask is, what’s wrong with this picture?
Read the whole thing.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:21 am
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Why is it that we are hearing campaign promises from this governor that have no basis in reality? He has completely failed to get this state to meet it’s own obligations, yet continues to promise health care benefits to even more through AllKids.
Blagojevich does not deserve re-election. His recent pronouncements of state economic health are lies. He had his chance. It’s time to get an experienced adult to govern us for a change.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:29 am
It is patently obvious that the finances of the State of Illinois are teetering, and sliding down the razor blade of life.
There is no excuse for these deferrals — even if some small rate of interest is paid, it will be less than the Nursing Home, or you or I pay on our own late bills.
But the special projects of the legislature and of the governor — is payment deferred on those, especially those which reward good and faithful followers?
Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:34 am
I predict the payment cycle will get much better in the first several months of FY07, and then become slightly worse than today by the end of FY07.
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:50 am
What this lady says about the nursing home she works at is true of each and every nursing home in the state. Plus nursing homes are reimbursed at different rates depending on the part of the state. The nursing home care in southern Illinois is hurting the worst of all because their reimbursement rates are the lowest for the state. And Blago wonders why southern Illinois is not in his court? This didn’t start with Blago but it sure don’t have to continue with him either. In fact, he has made it worse. Illinois has gotten so used to balancing the budget on the backs of ANY healthcare provider that it has become the usual and customary way of doing business.
Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:51 am
Maybe the Gov can sell Lake Michigan
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 11:17 am
Perfect timing for this letter. I can only hope that the Dem leaders read this prior to beginning the passage of their budget which includes all kinds of NEW spending…
Comment by SalukiDog Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 11:37 am
Hang on the worse is yet to come.This and he wants to start new programs that will place us deeper in debt.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 11:38 am
These are some of the same people that allow the Democrats to come into their nursing homes and get a large number of people to vote democratic across the board. What goes around comes around.
Comment by Lee Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 11:42 am
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Nobody cares.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 12:05 pm
I’m sure if any private insurance company was this neglectful of its financial obligations, Lisa Madigan wouldn’t be able to call a press conference and announce an investigation fast enough.
Regardless of what Anon 12:05 thinks, this isn’t a snooze of an issue…..it’s THE issue.
This Governor is like the irresponsible uncle who’s really generous to you around the holidays despite the fact that he’s maxed out on his credit cards and always asking your parents for money for groceries. How many fees does he have to raise and funds does he have to raid before we realize that he’s bankrupting the state just to be the most popular guy at family gatherings?
Pay the bills, Mr. Governor. Then you can worry about what to get us for Christmas.
Comment by grand old partisan Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 12:20 pm
You will have to add the democratic leaders of both houses, they obviously know that the budget process is a sham and that one day the bills will have to be paid. they are the adults, but seem not to care about the problem either.
Comment by bullwinkle Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 12:55 pm
Isn’t it obvious? This is the fault of George Ryan and Judy Baar Topinka. I mean, four years later you can still blame them, right?
This isn’t a snoozer for all of the health care professionals (and their staff) who depend on these payments. Additionally, more and more physicians are no longer seeing Medicaid patients because of the delay in payment (plus they’re basically losing money anyway). So who gets hurt by the payment cycle? It’s the people who need the most help.
And then, who’s going to treat people in the All Kids program if it’s simply an extension of Medicaid and Medicaid isn’t paying its bills?
Comment by Wildcat Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 1:13 pm
Nice article. Change the state agency titla to any other agency dealing with social issues and the story is the same.
Yes, elections are coming up so payments will improve dramatically to show concern and it is a new fiscal year with some dollars. That will simply drain the pot. After elections payments will drop off because there will not be enough money left in the pot to pay the bills and the elections are done anyway. At that stage it will be time to borrow still more money with interests and say the priorities of the state are being met.
Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 1:48 pm
Gov En-Rod
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 1:51 pm
The nursing homes were in springfield last week asking for a rate increase. “How would you pay for it?” they were asked. Just make it up in the payment cycle, they said (in other words, by delaying payments even more). So they can trot out more stories like this about how awful it is that the state can’t pay the bills that the nursing homes helped inflate without proposing a funding source. Those of you who want to hold elected officials accountable to pay for their promises must also hold accountable the interest groups who are always asking for money much more aggressively than they support revenue increases.
Comment by yadda yadda yadda Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 2:16 pm
Steve,
Before predicting better cashflow in the early months of FY2007, you should realize that Illinois has borrowed for cashflow purposes for the last 4-5 years consecutively and intermittently before that. What do you think the odds are that JBT signs off on borrowing without exacting a big political price?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 2:31 pm
I’m practically at a loss for words in trying to describe my disgust of the Governor. As far as I’m concerned his actions (or inactions, as the case may be) are criminal. The U.S. Attorney’s office should make Blagojevich their top target for their next indictment against political figures in this state.
Comment by Randall Sherman Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 3:31 pm
I don’t believe that the state has “financial problems” which would preclude paying vendors such as this lady’s nursing home on time. There is plenty of money from increased revenues, the pension grab and other sources. After all the governor is planning to put huge additional sums into education, Allkids, college tuition credits, etc, not to mention raises given to state employees this year regardless of job performance, this year’s legislative pork and other outlays.
Rather, this seems to be part of a financial strategy to increase the money available for other priorities by delaying vendor payments to certain industries, likely those who can least afford to find business elsewhere like nursing home providers. They have to accept whatever the state does to them or go out of business.
Again, in evaluating this unfortunate situation it must be made clear that the state’s “financial difficulties” are of its own making, not a reason to raise taxes. To be fair, the governor has not claimed that additional (income) tax revenues are needed.
Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 4:18 pm
Cassandra,
DHFS simply has insufficient appropriated funds to spend any faster. The department used up a huge chuck of appropriations in November when the Governor and Comptroller short-term borrowed $1.1 billion without increasing appropriations for the fiscal year. Now DHFS is forced to ration their remaining appropriations until June 30th, thus creating long payment delays.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 4:39 pm
Ask around Springfield and see how many hardware stores still allow the State to charge maintenance items needed in the day-to-day operations of State buildings. Most of the stores won’t let anything more be charged to the State of Illinois because the State won’t pay their bills.
This Governor is a farce. Let’s send him back to Chicago in November. Wait………I guess he really never left Chicago in the first place.
Comment by Jechislo Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 4:43 pm
This is the greatest idea I’ve ever heard. The state of Illinois is going to provide health care for all kids. Then we aren’t going to pay the bill. Genious. I wish I would have thought of it….
Comment by Lovie's Leather Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 5:00 pm
Amen, Mary Catherine, Amen. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Although I do long, loud & often. If this administration can’t come up with any better scam than delaying payments to health-care providers to balance the budget, what happens when they decide not to pay at all?
Bye, Bye Healthcare system!!!!!!
Comment by BIG R.PH Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 5:23 pm
The state literally does not have the money to back the checks that need to be released without the checks bouncing when they are cashed. Where is this “plenty of money” that is being talked about? Not loans, not pensions swipes, not something that has to be paid back with interest. Where is the increased clean revenue that will cover the existing bills not to mention the coming bills for new programs that are supposedly saving money before they even exist? The Comptroller’s office does the monthly “which bill do I pay this week routine” while the rest just sits. Sad.
Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 5:44 pm
There should be no new programs in the budget until all Medicaid payments are up-to-date. What the heck is Blo-puffer-vich thinking?
Comment by Swami Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 7:38 pm
It’s not just public aid payments suffering - it’s everything, but the public aid payments are the worst things they could be doing. We’ve been cut off by almost every vendor out there for standard day-to-day expenses…work being done in offices, wiring, etc., paper towels, you name it - they’re not paying for it. But yet this administration is able to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars MONTHLY for travel expenses for upper management to be based out of Chicago, but work in Springfield & be on travel status, order blackberrys & any other type of high tech toy they feel they need to have, & so on & so on & so on…it’s completing sickening the mismangement going on right now.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 9:19 pm
Does Blago think having a surplus dollar amount is going to off set much of GRF back log. Even if that money is trading overnight at 6%..Topinka’s portfolio Managers work savy investment stratagies every day, but there not Magicians…Pay the people Blogo…Gov Edgar had a 170 turn around bet these vendors would go back..
Comment by Rob Winchester Tuesday, May 2, 06 @ 10:35 pm
yadda yadda yadda –
It’s the old “the devil made me do it” excuse you are citing. If the nursing homes are that stupid, does that hean the governor and the legislature have to match them.
Didn’t Abbott and Costello have that routine down. I can’t pay you what I owe you, but give me another sawbuck and I won’t pay you what I owe you either.
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, May 3, 06 @ 7:38 am