Full Text of HJR0011 096th General Assembly
HJ0011 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, In times of economic downturn, states look to | 3 |
| reduce spending to stay within the available resources; and
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| WHEREAS, The State of Illinois currently is at the lowest | 5 |
| federal Medicaid matching rate (50%); and
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| WHEREAS, Community service providers provide Medicaid | 7 |
| funded health care, mental health, substance abuse and | 8 |
| community based disability services; and
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| WHEREAS, Community service providers are often in the top | 10 |
| five largest employers in their counties; and
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| WHEREAS, Downturns in the economy often result in an | 12 |
| increased need for services provided by community disability, | 13 |
| mental health and substance abuse services and supports | 14 |
| providers; and
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| WHEREAS, The Medicaid program is the health care safety net | 16 |
| for low-income children, families, the elderly and the | 17 |
| disabled; and
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| WHEREAS, A significant portion of the services and supports | 19 |
| provided by community service providers receive federal |
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| reimbursement from the Medicaid program; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in the Federal Medical Assistance | 3 |
| Percentage, also known as FMAP, decrease pressure on states to | 4 |
| cut spending and raise taxes; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in FMAP reduce the need to cut Medicaid | 6 |
| eligibility, benefits and rates; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in FMAP reduce the necessity of | 8 |
| community providers significantly funded by Medicaid to lay off | 9 |
| staff, reduce services and expand waiting lists when reductions | 10 |
| in funding are made, thereby providing ongoing economic | 11 |
| stimulus by the staff's continued employment and spending being | 12 |
| maintained rather than reduced; and
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| WHEREAS, Increased demand for community disability, mental | 14 |
| health, and substance abuse services requires community | 15 |
| providers to be fully staffed to safely respond to those | 16 |
| demands; and
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| WHEREAS, An FMAP increase would allow the State of Illinois | 18 |
| to increase General Revenue spending to maintain community | 19 |
| services and supports, and therefore leverage greater amounts | 20 |
| of total dollars; and
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| WHEREAS, An FMAP increase would help the State of Illinois | 2 |
| meet its current commitments to the Medicaid program and also | 3 |
| be able to withstand future enrollment increases for current | 4 |
| eligibility groups that will occur with the recession; and
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| WHEREAS, It is critically important that the State of | 6 |
| Illinois respond to the pressure of its current fiscal crisis | 7 |
| in a responsible way to those who are currently aided by | 8 |
| Medicaid spending; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 10 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 11 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do hereby direct the Illinois | 12 |
| Department of Healthcare and Family Services to amend its State | 13 |
| Medicaid Plan to reflect that with the increased FMAP, current | 14 |
| efforts in serving the needs of beneficiaries will be | 15 |
| maintained and expanded in proportion to the FMAP generated by | 16 |
| these services; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That neither the Governor, nor the Governor's | 18 |
| Office of Management and Budget, nor the Illinois Department of | 19 |
| Healthcare and Family Services will be permitted to allocate | 20 |
| increased FMAP funds for other non-Medicaid programs; and be it | 21 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| delivered to the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the | 2 |
| United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the | 3 |
| United States House of Representatives, and to each member of | 4 |
| the Illinois Congressional delegation.
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