Assistant House Minority Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) assurred unpaid health care vendors they will get what they are owed when she introduced an amendment to HB4771 at the April 25 House Human Services Committee hearing.
Committee Chair Rep. Litesa Wallace (D-Rockford) started off the hearing by saying her word is bond when handing over the mike to Hammond to introduce the amendment, long-term managed care legislation that is similar to HB175 sponsored by Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea).
“Thank you very much madame chair, and I recognize the fact that, yes, our word is bond and that is all we have around here,” Hammond said.
Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb)
However, the friendly handover did not last long, when Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) voiced concern over the bill’s supposed preferential treatment in that some applicant’s pending vendor bills were being paid before others.
“Mary, that is not our intention and that is why we are working with the comptroller’s office,” Hammond said.
It may not be the intention, but that is what has been going on, Flowers countered, adding Hammond was looking to prioritize one group of poor people in front of another.
“Let me tell you about the other group since there are some women and children that have to go through redetermination, they too need their Medicaid cards and food stamps,” Flower said of senior citizens who are receiving application review and payment before others.
After citing the recent Cross v. Norwood ruling, which handed down the directive that the Department of Human Services and Department of Health and Family Services review Medicaid applications within the federal deadline of 45 days, Hammond said Illinois has 16,000 pending applications that to date take up 75 percent of her staff’s time.
To Hammond’s defense, Matthew Werner, a Medicaid consultant, told Flowers she was mistaken.
“Any poor person that is applying for Medicaid, whose application goes beyond 45 days, will get coverage,” Werner said. “
He said though there is an issue with nursing homes not presently getting paid, anybody, whether an aged individual or young mother, will see assistance sooner.
“It’s meant to cover everybody, because everybody is being treated unfairly in the same way,” Werner said.
Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale) thanked Werner for clarifying the fact.
“This issue regarding the nursing homes has been in every single meeting I have been in, including budgets and different groups,” Bellock said.
After Bellock said Hammond’s bill highlights a need that has long been looked over, Rep. Michael Unes (R-East Peoria) thanked the sponsor and confirmed she is working with the comptroller’s office to assure prompt application processing and payment once the bill becomes law.
“The intent and underlying premise of this bill is something that you and I worked on for several years now trying to get the departments to understand what a crisis this is statewide,” Unes said.
HB4771 passed through committee and in the House the following day; it then moved to the Senate.
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