On July 22, 2013, Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation to allow Illinois to expand its Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act beginning in January 2014. Illinois is among 23 states that are expected to join the Medicaid expansion, according to a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The District of Columbia is also participating. As of July 2013, six states were still…
The Civic Federation supports Governor Pat Quinn’s $62.4 billion FY2014 recommended operating budget for balancing revenues and expenditures without borrowing and making progress toward reducing the State’s backlog of unpaid bills. However, this budget proposal is only a stopgap that further demonstrates the urgent need for comprehensive pension reform. The State’s pension costs, including debt…
State's pension costs to consume nearly 25% of State-source revenues in FY2014 (CHICAGO) – In a new report released today, the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability supports Governor Quinn’s proposed budget for FY2014, but warns the proposal is only a stopgap that further demonstrates the urgent need for comprehensive pension reform. The $62.4 billion proposal balances…
The State of Illinois has asked the federal government to extend Cook County’s Medicaid expansion plan to ensure that recipients remain covered after the end of 2013. In a letter on March 21, 2013, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) told federal authorities that it still expects the State to pass legislation allowing Illinois to expand its entire Medicaid program…
State urgently needs long-term plan to address rising pension and Medicaid costs, loss of income tax revenues (CHICAGO) – An analysis released today by the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability shows the State of Illinois is on track to accumulate nearly $22 billion in unpaid bills by FY2018 unless action is taken to curb rising pension costs and plan for increases in…
Prior to the release of the Governor’s annual budget recommendation, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation releases an analysis of the State of Illinois’ fiscal condition. The FY2014 Roadmap includes a review of Governor Quinn’s three-year budget plan, a rough five-year budget projection for FY2014 to FY2018 and recommendations for the Governor and General…
The State of Illinois, like other states, is faced with a decision on whether to expand its Medicaid program in 2014 under the federal Affordable Care Act. The decision in Illinois is complicated by a State law that bans such a Medicaid expansion until 2015. As discussed here, the State moratorium was lifted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2012 for the limited purpose of allowing Cook County’…
Throughout this year’s Illinois budget negotiations, the IIFS blog was a valuable source of information and focus in the State’s murky and complex budget process. This year’s negotiations included a groundbreaking effort to address the Medicaid funding gap, new pension reform proposals and yet another downgrade to the State’s credit rating. Budget Negotiations The Institute started the year…
This blog has previously addressed unfunded costs in the State of Illinois’ FY2013 budget, including costs relating to Medicaid and employee and retiree group health insurance. As discussed here, these costs will increase the State’s backlog of unpaid bills unless they are covered by supplemental appropriations. Another area with unfunded costs is the Community Care Program in the Illinois…
UPDATE: House Bill 6253, which would lift the Illinois moratorium on Medicaid expansion for those who will be eligible under national healthcare reform in 2014, has been filed in the Illinois General Assembly. Watch this space for more information about Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Original blog published on November 20, 2012
