Bill Text: IL HR1225 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to ensure that the eligibility redeterminations process required by the Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together (SMART) Act be fully operational by October 1, 2012. Requests that the Department provide a monthly briefing to the members of the Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee regarding the implementation status of all the SMART Act reforms.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 47-1)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HR1225 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR1225-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services
(HFS), as the Single State Medicaid Agency required by federal
law, currently oversees the Illinois Medicaid program; and
WHEREAS, Enrollment in the Illinois Medicaid program has
increased 60% during the past 5 years; and
WHEREAS, Illinois' Medicaid liability, growing far faster
than the rest of the Illinois budget, has nearly doubled in the
past 10 years; and
WHEREAS, Given the current fiscal climate, it is absolutely
critical that scarce State dollars be invested as wisely as
possible so as to produce optimal health outcomes for Illinois
citizens; and
WHEREAS, The State Auditor General has cited numerous
irregularities with the State's enrollment process, including
a significant number of chronically late redeterminations; and
WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee,
through consensus, concluded the need for a vendor to assist
HFS with ensuring accurate Medicaid eligibility; and

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WHEREAS, The Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee
estimated annual cost savings of $350 million associated with
establishing accurate eligibility measures and standards; and
WHEREAS, The Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together
(SMART) Act, Public Act 97-689, requires the Chief Procurement
Officer for General Services working in conjunction with HFS to
procure an eligibility verification vendor no later than 60
days following the effective date of the Act, and further, upon
selection of said vendor, to enter into a contract within 30
days; and
WHEREAS, Any delay in fully implementing the eligibility
redeterminations will serve to limit the cost savings
associated with this crucial reform; and
WHEREAS, The current implementation plan advanced by HFS
proposes a full implementation date of January 1, 2013 for
eligibility redeterminations; and
WHEREAS, The implementation of all the reforms contained in
the SMART Act is essential for the cost savings associated with
the SMART Act to be realized; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

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we urge the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to
ensure that the eligibility redeterminations process required
by the SMART Act be fully operational no later than October 1,
2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we request the Department of Healthcare and
Family Services to provide a monthly briefing to the members of
the Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee regarding the
implementation status of all the SMART Act reforms and for
information provided to the Committee to also be posted online
by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in a manner
accessible to the general public; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
presented to the Governor and the Director of the Department of
Healthcare and Family Services.