…..But the governor’s cuts go far beyond that to broader and traditional medical providers. While eligibility requirements will not change, and copays or premiums will not increase for individual patients, certain providers will pick up the slack. Hospitals will lose 13% of its budget down to $735 million and could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs at those hospitals, based on at least one estimate. As far as nursing homes, about $216 million would be removed from the Medicaid budget for expenses at those facilities. There would be an additional $40 million cut from pharmaceutical-related expenditures.
State's Budget WoesThe state budget cuts here are an attempt to make up for Illinois’s immense $6.2 billion deficit. Yet while the state may save and work toward balancing its budget, it remains to be seen whether medical providers – largely hospitals and nursing home in this situation – will truly take a cut, or simply pass the cost on to private insurance, which could potentially result in eventual premium and/or copay amounts.
This also comes on the heels of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which among its many provisions included an expansion of Medicaid that would be funded by the federal government, but which states could also choose to opt out. While reports indicate Governor Rauner considered this option, it appears that for the moment it won’t and that Illinois will accept that money. The proposed budget also apparently presumes that many Illinois residents will take advantage of the health care exchange subsidized by the ACA, which will save the state money as well.
Read the entire article by clicking on the following: Governor Rauner Seeks to Cut Medicaid by $1.5 Billion :: Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog
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