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92_SR0421
LRB9216745DJmb
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Approximately 100,000 Illinoisans qualify for
3 Medicaid only by first spending down their monthly income on
4 medical bills to the Medicaid eligibility level (currently
5 $608 per month for a single adult and $822 per month for a
6 married couple); and
7 WHEREAS, The process of verifying that these Illinoisans
8 have spent down their monthly income on medical bills to the
9 Medicaid eligibility level is often cumbersome and
10 time-consuming for both recipients and local office staff of
11 the Department of Human Services; and
12 WHEREAS, Federal law permits the Department of Public Aid
13 to give Illinoisans enrolled in Medicaid spenddown the option
14 of pre-paying their spenddown amount in a manner similar to a
15 monthly insurance premium; and
16 WHEREAS, Having the option of pre-paying their Medicaid
17 spenddown amount is likely to benefit many Illinoisans on
18 Medicaid spenddown, who would then be able to receive a
19 Medicaid card each month without delay and without having to
20 present bills and receipts to their local Department of Human
21 Services office each month; and
22 WHEREAS, Several states have established successful
23 Medicaid spenddown pre-payment programs; therefore, be it
24 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
25 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Department of
26 Public Aid is directed to:
27 (1) Conduct a study of the feasibility of establishing a
28 Medicaid spenddown pre-payment program in Illinois,
29 including, but not limited to, (i) an analysis of spenddown
30 pre-payment programs in other states, (ii) an estimate of the
31 number of Illinoisans who would be eligible to participate in
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1 a spenddown pre-payment program, (iii) the projected number
2 of eligible individuals who are likely to participate in a
3 spenddown pre-payment program, (iv) an analysis of how
4 Medicaid spenddown recipients may or may not benefit from a
5 spenddown pre-payment program, (v) a description of
6 administrative and policy changes that would be necessary to
7 implement a spenddown pre-payment program, and (vi) projected
8 cost increases and cost savings that would result from the
9 implementation of a spenddown pre-payment program;
10 (2) Collaborate with the Department of Human Services,
11 advocates for Medicaid spenddown recipients, and other
12 interested parties in designing and conducting the
13 feasibility study; and
14 (3) File a written report with the Senate on or before
15 December 31, 2002, regarding the feasibility of implementing
16 a Medicaid spenddown pre-payment program in Illinois; and be
17 it further
18 RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall
19 cooperate in executing the requirements of this Resolution;
20 and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the
22 Director of Public Aid and to the Secretary of Human
23 Services.
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