Illinois must increase payments to Medicaid providers despite an ongoing budget impasse, after a U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday ruled the minimal payments made by the state do not comply with federal consent decrees.
Judge Joan Lefkow ordered renewed negotiations between Illinois and health care advocates for the poor, setting a June 20 deadline to be in "substantial compliance" with the decrees.
Lawyers representing the state's 3 million Medicaid recipients had asked the judge to give precedence to payments to managed care organizations participating in the state and federal health care program for the poor and disabled over the state fully funding other priorities, including debt service on bonds and pensions.
Lefkow said Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who pays the state's bills, has not offered a "lawful basis" for not paying the Medicaid providers the $2 billion they are owed.
Lose federal funds? So, the judge, demanding legislative action by a state legislature can enforce the action by kicking them off a federal program? Go take state buildings and sell them? There is nothing this liberal judge can do. I suppose the judge can invent bankruptcy and do the Illinois taxpayers a favor.
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