Bill Text: IL SB0341 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a Medicaid Technical Assistance Center (Center). Provides that the Center shall operate as a cross-system educational resource to strengthen the business infrastructure of health care provider organizations in Illinois to ultimately increase the capacity, access, health equity, and quality of Illinois' Medicaid managed care programs: HealthChoice Illinois and YouthCare. Requires the Center to be established within the Department's Office of Medicaid Innovation. Requires the Center to collaborate with public and private partners throughout the State to identify, establish, and maintain best practices necessary for health providers to ensure their capacity to participate in HealthChoice Illinois or YouthCare. Requires the Center to: (i) create and administer ongoing trainings for health care providers; (ii) maintain an independent, easy to navigate, and up-to-date website; and (iii) host regional learning collaboratives that will supplement the Center's training curriculum to bring together groups of stakeholders to share issues and best practices, and to escalate issues. Requires the Department to maximize federal financial participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Provides that any federal financial participation funds obtained shall be used for the further development and expansion of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-16 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB0341 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SB0341-Introduced.html

---

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 SB0341 Introduced 2/19/2021, by Sen. Mattie Hunter SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.935 new
Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a Medicaid Technical Assistance Center (Center). Provides that the Center shall operate as a cross-system educational resource to strengthen the business infrastructure of health care provider organizations in Illinois to ultimately increase the capacity, access, health equity, and quality of Illinois' Medicaid managed care programs: HealthChoice Illinois and YouthCare. Requires the Center to be established within the Department's Office of Medicaid Innovation. Requires the Center to collaborate with public and private partners throughout the State to identify, establish, and maintain best practices necessary for health providers to ensure their capacity to participate in HealthChoice Illinois or YouthCare. Requires the Center to: (i) create and administer ongoing trainings for health care providers; (ii) maintain an independent, easy to navigate, and up-to-date website; and (iii) host regional learning collaboratives that will supplement the Center's training curriculum to bring together groups of stakeholders to share issues and best practices, and to escalate issues. Requires the Department to maximize federal financial participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Provides that any federal financial participation funds obtained shall be used for the further development and expansion of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Effective immediately.
LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB0341 LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
AN ACT concerning public aid.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Medicaid Technical Assistance Act.
Section 3. Findings. The General Assembly finds as
follows:
(1) This Act seeks to remedy a fraction of a much
larger broken system by addressing access to health care,
managed care organization reform, mental and substance
abuse treatment services, and services to address the
social determinants of health.
(2) Illinois transitioned Medicaid services to managed
care with the goals of achieving better health outcomes
for the Medicaid population and reducing the per capita
costs of health care.
(3) Illinois benefits when people have support
constructing the sturdy foundation of health and
well-being that we all need to reach our potential.
Medicaid managed care can be a vital tool in ensuring that
people have the full range of supports that form this
foundation, including services from community providers
that address behavioral health needs, as well as related

SB0341 - 2 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
services that help people access food, housing, and
employment.
(4) However, there are barriers that prevent Illinois
from fully realizing the benefits of Medicaid managed
care. The 2 devastating years of the State budget impasse
resulted in 2 years of lost opportunity for community
providers to invest in the people, systems, and technology
that are necessary for them to participate in Medicaid
managed care. A recent survey by the Illinois
Collaboration on Youth of more than 130 community
providers revealed that the majority do not have contracts
with managed care organizations, and most do not have
adequate billing and technology infrastructure sufficient
for Medicaid billing now or in the future. The survey also
revealed that community-based providers primarily serving
people of color are the least prepared to participate in
Medicaid managed care.
(5) The disparity in readiness between providers
primarily serving people of color and those who serve a
more mixed or white clientele is especially urgent because
62% of Illinois' Medicaid recipients are people of color.
Racial disparities in behavioral health care result in
significant human and financial costs to both the
individual and to the State.
(6) The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the
health disparities experienced by communities of color.

SB0341 - 3 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
COVID-19 has increased both the Medicaid-eligible
population in Illinois, and increased the demand for
behavioral health services, as Illinois residents grapple
with trauma, death, job loss, depression, suicide,
addiction, and exposure to violence. In addition, COVID-19
threatens the stability and viability of community-based
providers, further straining the healthcare safety net for
people who depend on Medicaid for these essential
services.
(7) Lack of support for a diversity of providers
reduces choice for Medicaid recipients and may incentivize
managed care organizations to focus on a narrow selection
of community partners. Having some choice in which
providers people see for these essential services and
having access to providers who understand their community,
culture, and language has been demonstrated to reduce
disparities in health outcomes and improve health and
well-being across the lifespan.
(8) The Medicaid managed care system lacks consistent,
statewide support for community providers, creating
inefficiency and duplication. Providers need targeted
trainings focused on their levels of readiness, learning
collaboratives to provide group-level support for those
experiencing similar challenges, and a mechanism to
identify problems that need systemic solutions. Illinois
could receive up to 70% in Medicaid matching funds from

SB0341 - 4 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
the federal government to supplement the costs of
operating a Medicaid Technical Assistance Center.
(9) When community-based healthcare providers are able
to contract with managed care organizations to deliver
Medicaid services, people can access the care they need,
in their communities, from providers they trust.
Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Behavioral health providers" means mental health and
substance use disorder providers.
"Department" means the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services.
"Health care providers" means organizations who provide
physical, mental, substance use disorder, or social
determinant of health services.
"Health equity" means providing care that does not vary in
quality because of personal characteristics such as gender,
ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
"Network adequacy" means a Medicaid beneficiaries' ability
to access all necessary provider types within time and
distance standards as defined in the Managed Care Organization
model contract.
"Service deserts" means geographic areas of the State with
no or limited Medicaid providers that accept Medicaid.
"Social determinants of health" means any conditions that
impact an individual's health, including, but not limited to,

SB0341 - 5 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
access to healthy food, safety, education, and housing
stability.
"Stakeholders" means, but are not limited to, health care
providers, advocacy organizations, managed care organizations,
Medicaid beneficiaries, and State and city partners.
Section 10. Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. The
Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall establish a
Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall operate as a cross-system educational
resource to strengthen the business infrastructure of health
care provider organizations in Illinois to ultimately increase
the capacity, access, health equity, and quality of Illinois'
Medicaid managed care program, HealthChoice Illinois, and
YouthCare, the Medicaid managed care program for children and
youth who receive Medicaid health services through the
Department of Children and Family Services. The Medicaid
Technical Assistance Center shall be established within the
Department's Office of Medicaid Innovation.
Section 15. Collaboration. The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall collaborate with public and private
partners throughout the State to identify, establish, and
maintain best practices necessary for health providers to
ensure their capacity to participate in HealthChoice Illinois
or YouthCare. The Medicaid Technical Assistance Center shall

SB0341 - 6 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
administer the following:
(1) Outreach and engagement: The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall undertake efforts to identify and
engage community-based providers offering behavioral
health services or services addressing the social
determinants of health, especially those predominantly
serving communities of color or those operating within or
near service deserts, for the purpose of offering training
and technical assistance to them through the Medicaid
Technical Assistance Center. Outreach and engagement
services may be subcontracted.
(2) Trainings: The Medicaid Technical Assistance
Center shall create and administer ongoing trainings for
health care providers. Trainings may be subcontracted. The
Medicaid Technical Assistance Center shall provide
in-person and web-based trainings. In-person training
shall be conducted throughout the State. All trainings
must be free of charge. The Medicaid Technical Assistance
Center shall administer post-training surveys and
incorporate feedback. Training content and delivery must
be reflective of Illinois providers' varying levels of
readiness, resources, and client populations.
(3) Web-based resources: The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall maintain an independent, easy to
navigate, and up-to-date website that includes, but is not
limited to: recorded training archives, a training

SB0341 - 7 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
calendar, provider resources and tools, up-to-date
explanations of Department and managed care organization
guidance, a running database of frequently asked questions
and contact information for key staff members of the
Department, managed care organizations, and the Medicaid
Technical Assistance Center.
(4) Learning collaboratives: The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall host regional learning
collaboratives that will supplement the Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center training curriculum to bring together
groups of stakeholders to share issues and best practices,
and to escalate issues. Leadership of the Department and
managed care organizations shall attend learning
collaboratives on a quarterly basis.
(5) Network adequacy reports: The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center shall publicly release a report on
Medicaid provider network adequacy within the first 3
years of implementation and annually thereafter. The
reports shall identify provider service deserts and health
care disparities by race and ethnicity.
(6) Equitable delivery system: The Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center is committed to the principle that all
Medicaid recipients have accessible and equitable physical
and mental healthcare services. All providers served
through the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center shall
deliver services notwithstanding the patient's race,

SB0341 - 8 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
color, gender, gender identity, age, ancestry, marital
status, military status, religion, national origin,
disability status, sexual orientation, order of protection
status, as defined under Section 1-103 of the Illinois
Human Rights Act, or immigration status.
Section 20. Federal financial participation. The
Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to the extent
allowable under federal law, shall maximize federal financial
participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department
for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. Any federal
financial participation funds obtained in accordance with this
Section shall be used for the further development and
expansion of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center. All
federal financial participation funds obtained under this
subsection shall be deposited into the Medicaid Technical
Assistance Center Fund created under Section 25.
Section 25. Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. The
Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund is created as a
special fund in the State treasury. The Fund shall consist of
any moneys appropriated to the Department of Healthcare and
Family Services for the purposes of this Act and any federal
financial participation funds obtained as provided under
Section 20. Moneys in the Fund shall be used for carrying out
the purposes of this Act and for no other purpose. All interest

SB0341 - 9 - LRB102 12593 KTG 17931 b
earned on the moneys in the Fund shall be deposited into the
Fund.
Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.935 as follows:
(30 ILCS 105/5.935 new)
Sec. 5.935. The Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.