As we prepare to end this year and begin a new one, I wanted to recap legislative items which I passed this year, and lay out my current legislative agenda for the 99th General Assembly, which begins in January of 2015.
I am very happy that a number of pieces of legislation of which I was the Chief Sponsor became law this year:
- Marriage Equality began in Illinois (SB10)
- Legislation which allowed homeless youth to consent to their own healthcare when abandoned by their parents. (HB 4501)
- An increase in the personal needs allowance for persons with disabilities in CILAs and ICFDDs (HB5307)
- Legislation which conforms Illinois licensing requirements for Emergency Medical Services personnel with national standards (SB3414)
- Despite our continuing tight budget conditions, adding money to the following areas, which will fund prevention and treatment, improve outcomes and reduce future costs: (HB6096)
- Youth Programming $8 million
- Homeless Youth Services $1 million
- Supportive Housing $2.7 million
- Substance Abuse Treatment $5 million
- Prevention of Abuse of Disabled Adults $3.8 million
- Prevention of Child Psychiatric Lockouts $7 million
- HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment $1 million
- Also in HB6096 was the payment of our full pension obligation and service on our debt:
- Debt Service $3.53 billion
- Group Insurance costs $4.85 billion
- Pensions (also in HB3793) $6.41 billion
- Omnibus Medicaid Reform Act (SB 741) which includes:
- Restoration of Adult Dental and Podiatric coverage
- Exempts medications for Severe Mental Illness and children in care coordination from the 4-prescription prior authorization requirement
- Renews over $2 billion in the Illinois Hospital Assessment funds
- Authorizes Illinois to apply for supplemental Medicaid funding for newly eligible individuals (ACA400)
- Holds Illinois hospitals harmless from rate reform cuts, and provides supplemental funds to Safety Net Hospitals
- Provides rate increases for facilities serving Medically Fragile and Technologically Dependent Children, Long Term Care facilities, Pediatric Psychiatric Hospitals, and facilities serving dementia/Alzheimer patients
- Funds the Illinois Poison Control Center
- Supplemental Appropriations for FY15 (HB6060) included:
- Pay down Group Insurance bill backlog $100 million
- Pay down Childcare and Early Intervention backlog $68 million
- Addition to substance abuse treatment $10 million
- Additional Dept. of Corrections headcount $22.6 million
- Dixmoor settlement $40 million
- CTA senior free and reduced rides $16.5 million
- Department of Corrections bill backlog $29.2 million
- Healthcare Provider Relief Fund (Medicaid bills) $600 million
As I get ready for the next session of the General Assembly, here are the issues currently on my legislative agenda, there are another couple in the works too!
- Authorization for Academic Medical Centers and Illinois Schools of Medicine to access and utilize information in the Illinois Medicaid Data Warehouse for the purpose of analyzing trends and improving healthcare delivery and outcomes,
- Legislation that would create windows for same-sex couples who can now legally marry under SB10, and where one spouse is a member of certain state retirement systems to “buy back” their spousal rights, which they may have previously forfeited. (Some systems currently have legal language that allows this; others need to be conformed to be sure of equal treatment under the law). This will be self funding and will not increase the unfunded liabilities of the pension systems.
- In cooperation with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, introducing legislation that would require nursing homes to allow video cameras in patient rooms to help protect against abuse and neglect of the frail elderly. The cameras/recorders would have to be requested by the patient or their family.
As always, I look forward to your thoughts and feedback. I can be reached at 773 348 3434 or greg@gregharris.org.