Bill Text: IL HR0718 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to include certain measures in its upcoming Medicaid Managed Care Organization Request for Proposal (RFP) to ensure a robust, equitable, and inclusive procurement process.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-23 - Resolution Adopted [HR0718 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HR0718-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Access to healthcare is a fundamental human
right, critical to the well-being, dignity, and prosperity of
all individuals; and
WHEREAS, Illinois ensures equitable access to healthcare
services for all its residents through its Medical Assistance
Program (Medicaid), recognizing that diversity and inclusion
in procurement processes enrich and strengthen the healthcare
ecosystem; and
WHEREAS, Ensuring equitable access to healthcare and
inclusive providers increases positive healthcare outcomes and
quality of care; and
WHEREAS, Congruence with provider-patient race is
correlated with a reduction in patient mortality, increased
utilization of preventative services, improved connections
between patients and their primary care providers, and
reductions in returns to emergency departments after being
discharged; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform
Act of 2021 created the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight
Commission within the Illinois Department of Healthcare and

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Family Services (HFS) to evaluate the effectiveness of
Illinois' managed care program and to address inadequate
levels of care coordination and care planning under MCOs; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois HealthCare and Human Services Reform
Act of 2021 created the Managed Care Oversight Fund as a
special fund in the State treasury to be used by HFS to support
contracting with women and minority-owned businesses as a part
of HFS's Business Enterprise Program requirements; and
WHEREAS, The Illinois HealthCare and Human Services Reform
Act of 2021 created the Medicaid Business Opportunity
Commission within the HFS to develop a program to support and
grow minority, women, and persons with disability-owned
businesses; and
WHEREAS, The involvement of Business Enterprise Program
(BEP) companies, encompassing women, minority, and
disabled-owned businesses is essential in reflecting the
diverse composition of Illinois and in promoting economic
equality and opportunity; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is
urged to include the following measures in the upcoming

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Medicaid Managed Care Organization Request for Proposal (RFP)
to ensure a robust, equitable, and inclusive procurement
process:
(1) RFP Criteria Adjustment: The current RFP criteria
distributes BEP participation across women (8%),
minorities (11%), and disabled individuals (1%); to better
reflect the demographic composition of the State and to
promote greater equity, the new RFP criteria should be
adjusted to require participation from qualifying BEP
entities that are, at minimum, reflective of the State's
population; this change is a step towards contracts being
more representative of the State's minority population and
in keeping with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus'
Healthcare Pillar;
(2) Review and Accountability Mechanism: To ensure
ongoing commitment to these principles, a biennial review
of contract awardees should be conducted; should a
selected bidder not fairly represent BEP spend among the
minority population, the next qualified bidder will be
selected; this mechanism promotes accountability and
continuous improvement in achieving Illinois' diversity
and inclusion goals;
(3) Reporting and Oversight: The Department should, on
a monthly basis, provide a report to each member of the
General Assembly detailing adherence to the Healthcare
Pillar mandates previously enacted; this report should

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include, but is not limited to, analysis of the total
spending and percentage of spending paid to BEP vendors by
awarded Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), broken down by
the vendors' race, gender, and status as either a
healthcare provider or non-healthcare provider; this
transparency is crucial for oversight and strategic
planning;
(4) Quarterly Recommendations by Black Caucus Leaders:
The three leaders of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
should, on a quarterly basis, provide recommendations to
the Governor's Office regarding which MCOs should receive
an altered auto-assignment rate, taking into account BEP
spend alongside quality, innovation, and price; this
recommendation process ensures that MCOs are incentivized
to adhere to BEP spending goals, reflecting fairness and
equity in the BEP program;
(5) Total BEP Spend: Quarterly, the Commission on
Equity and Inclusion, in conjunction with HFS, should
compile and publicly report the total amount of BEP
expenditures across all MCOs participating in the Illinois
Medicaid Program, as compared to those MCO's total
spending on all Illinois Medicaid expenditures; this
report should include detailed delineation by race and
ethnicity of the contracted business owners, specifically
categorizing the expenditures among African American,
Asian, Latino, and White women-owned businesses;

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furthermore, the report should clearly specify the
percentages and dollar amounts allocated to these BEP
companies, ensuring a clear and accessible breakdown that
highlights the State's dedication to equitable and
inclusive business practices; and
(6) In addition to demographic and financial details,
the report should distinguish between funds allocated to
providers versus non-providers, offering a nuanced view of
how BEP expenditures contribute to the Illinois Medicaid
Program; each MCO, as part of their contractual
obligations with the State, should provide detailed and
accurate data on their BEP spending; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this initiative aims to foster an
environment of accountability, where progress towards more
equitable and diverse procurement practices can be measured,
assessed, and adjusted as necessary to meet Illinois' goals;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That by instituting these reporting
requirements, the State of Illinois reaffirms its commitment
to not only achieving diversity in its procurement practices
but also to fostering an environment of transparency where the
impact of these practices can be openly evaluated and
celebrated and underscores the importance of intentional,
actionable measures in promoting equity, diversity, and

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inclusion within the healthcare sector and beyond, ensuring
that our policies reflect our values and commitment to all
citizens of Illinois; and be it further