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HJ0011 |
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LRB096 06343 DRJ 16426 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, In times of economic downturn, states look to |
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| reduce spending to stay within the available resources; and
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| WHEREAS, The State of Illinois currently is at the lowest |
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| federal Medicaid matching rate (50%); and
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| WHEREAS, Community service providers provide Medicaid |
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| funded health care, mental health, substance abuse and |
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| community based disability services; and
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| WHEREAS, Community service providers are often in the top |
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| five largest employers in their counties; and
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| WHEREAS, Downturns in the economy often result in an |
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| increased need for services provided by community disability, |
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| mental health and substance abuse services and supports |
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| providers; and
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| WHEREAS, The Medicaid program is the health care safety net |
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| for low-income children, families, the elderly and the |
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| disabled; and
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| WHEREAS, A significant portion of the services and supports |
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| provided by community service providers receive federal |
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HJ0011 |
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LRB096 06343 DRJ 16426 r |
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| reimbursement from the Medicaid program; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in the Federal Medical Assistance |
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| Percentage, also known as FMAP, decrease pressure on states to |
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| cut spending and raise taxes; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in FMAP reduce the need to cut Medicaid |
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| eligibility, benefits and rates; and
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| WHEREAS, Increases in FMAP reduce the necessity of |
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| community providers significantly funded by Medicaid to lay off |
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| staff, reduce services and expand waiting lists when reductions |
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| in funding are made, thereby providing ongoing economic |
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| stimulus by the staff's continued employment and spending being |
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| maintained rather than reduced; and
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| WHEREAS, Increased demand for community disability, mental |
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| health, and substance abuse services requires community |
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| providers to be fully staffed to safely respond to those |
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| demands; and
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| WHEREAS, An FMAP increase would allow the State of Illinois |
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| to increase General Revenue spending to maintain community |
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| services and supports, and therefore leverage greater amounts |
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| of total dollars; and
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HJ0011 |
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LRB096 06343 DRJ 16426 r |
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| WHEREAS, An FMAP increase would help the State of Illinois |
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| meet its current commitments to the Medicaid program and also |
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| be able to withstand future enrollment increases for current |
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| eligibility groups that will occur with the recession; and
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| WHEREAS, It is critically important that the State of |
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| Illinois respond to the pressure of its current fiscal crisis |
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| in a responsible way to those who are currently aided by |
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| Medicaid spending; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE |
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| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do hereby direct the Illinois |
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| Department of Healthcare and Family Services to amend its State |
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| Medicaid Plan to reflect that with the increased FMAP, current |
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| efforts in serving the needs of beneficiaries will be |
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| maintained and expanded in proportion to the FMAP generated by |
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| these services; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That neither the Governor, nor the Governor's |
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| Office of Management and Budget, nor the Illinois Department of |
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| Healthcare and Family Services will be permitted to allocate |
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| increased FMAP funds for other non-Medicaid programs; and be it |
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| further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |