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Illinois Hospitals Urge Legislative Action to Avert Funding Cuts

Originally published on January 18, 2018 3:34 pm

Hospitals in Illinois are warning of dire federal funding cuts without quick action from the state legislature.

Time is running out for the “hospital assessment program,” which provides money to treat low-income patients on Medicaid.

Danny Chun is spokesman for the Illinois Hospital Association.

"This is a 3 and a half billion dollar program. The state can’t do without 3 and a half billion dollars in Medicaid funding."

Chun says hospitals kick in half the money in fees, and the feds match it. But only if the the state legislature asks the government to renew the program before the end of June.

Republicans and Democrats in the legislature say they’re working on it, but it’s taking a while because they want to modernize the data used to divvy up the money.

 

Sam is a Public Affairs Reporting intern for spring 2018, working out the NPR Illinois Statehouse bureau.