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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Medicaid program is a joint
3 federal-state program to support medical services for certain
4 portions of the low income population; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Approximately 2.5 million Illinois residents
6 receive some Medicaid services and it is the primary source of
7 medical coverage for more than one out of six residents; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Illinois Medicaid expenses have grown from $11.8
9 billion in FY2005 to $12.4 billion in FY2008; and
 
10     WHEREAS, FY2009 expenses are likely to exceed $13 billion
11 or about one-quarter of the State's annual operating
12 appropriations; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The State operating budget is difficult to
14 understand as it pertains to Medicaid since it confounds
15 changes in payment cycles, eligibility standards, and
16 inflation-related adjustments built into existing programs;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois will receive federal
19 stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
20 of 2009 (ARRA) to support Medicaid services; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, ARRA has temporarily raised the rate of Illinois
2 federal Medicaid match to 60.48% from 50.32%, which is expected
3 to generate an additional $2.9 billion in federal Medicaid
4 funds between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Upon the expiration of ARRA in 2011, the State of
6 Illinois will experience a Medicaid budget gap of at least $1.3
7 billion; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
10 CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly of the State of
11 Illinois hereby establishes a joint legislative and
12 gubernatorial commission to launch a review of the future
13 financing of the State's Medicaid program; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the review must include a plan to compensate
15 for the expiration of the federal stimulus program on December
16 31, 2010; and be it further
 
17     RESOLVED, That the commission recommend the creation of an
18 executive-level Medicaid management group to address program
19 issues that cut across specific agencies and budgetary
20 categories; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That the commission recommend the issuance of a
2 comprehensive annual report on Illinois Medicaid in a
3 prescribed format that would provide essential data and
4 evaluate the program's operations and effectiveness; and be it
5 further
 
6     RESOLVED, That the commission will be composed of four
7 members appointed by the Illinois House of Representatives, two
8 by the Speaker of the House and two by the Minority Leader;
9 four members appointed by the Illinois Senate, two by the
10 Senate President and two by the Minority Leader; and three
11 members appointed by the Governor of Illinois.