Cost Measures Proposed

A group of seven Illinois safety-net hospitals last week unveiled several measures they said could trim $1.4 billion from the state’s Medicaid expenses and eliminate the need for the deeper cuts that Gov. Pat Quinn has requested.

Much of the savings would come from securing federal dollars that the state has failed to collect, the group said.

The ideas include scrutinizing eligibility and using new technology and auditing processes to reduce costs; expanding the assessment program in which hospitals pay into the state’s Medicaid funding pool to leverage additional federal funds; and increasing coordination with local clinics, adapting managed care programs, and focusing on preventative care.

“In the end, this is about treating each and every Illinois resident with the dignity they deserve,” said Sheila Lyne, president of the Mercy Health and Hospital System in Chicago. “If our hospitals cease to exist, our entire communities will flounder.”

Quinn has asked lawmakers to trim $2.7 billion from the ailing Medicaid program due to skyrocketing costs. Hospitals fear the state will dramatically cut reimbursement rates.

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Healthcare industry Illinois
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