Illinois Battles Managed Care Situation

Illinois lawmakers want to introduce managed care as a cost savings solution. Disability advocates are up in arms. Check out this blog post by Springfield advocate Tyler McHaley:

...The impetus behind this entire post, though, was Access Living's March 19 public forum on managed care, entitled "Managed Care, Managed Lives." Jennifer Thomas, the Personal Assistant Coordinator for Access, put together the event and did a masterful job. She and Tom Wilson, Access' Personal Assistant and Health Care Reform Team Leader, facilitated the forum as well as discussions on a myriad of topics, including the Division of Rehabilitation Services' Home Services Program (HSP), education, the managed care pilot program developed by the Department of Health Care and Family Services (HFS), and the Governor's proposed state budget in its totality.

There was a good crowd of, approximately, 50 people there to take part in the forum. Many who came to the meeting knew the state had many problems with its budget and its ability to manage money, but I suspect they did not realize how deeply the roots of those problems burrowed their way into every layer of the state's fiscal foundation, especially relating to social services. The job of those of us addressing the group that day was to inform and educate grassroots advocates about the problems facing those services particularly geared toward people with disabilities. This was not an easy task, as this is a difficult topic to discuss with people charged to implement policies with which we disagree. If those familiar with the problems as well as the proposed solutions have trouble giving informed answers to relatively simple questions, how is the average citizen supposed to understand all the nuances of pension reform, surcharge taxes for education only, and cuts to social service programs, which are cleverly disguised as "savings?"

For more, see: http://imnotsaying-imjustsaying-cowboy1369.blogspot.com/2010/03/question-and-answer-period.html

Illinois Introduces Managed Care Pilot to Save $$$

Could it be happening in your state?

See http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-medicaidillinois,0,7621952.story.

CHICAGO - The state of Illinois is planning a pilot project to enroll Medicaid recipients in six counties in managed care, an effort being criticized by advocates for the developmentally disabled.

Illinois' Medicaid agency announced Monday it's seeking proposals from managed care organizations to run the program. It would affect 40,000 adults with disabilities and older adults in DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, Will and suburban Cook counties.

The state expects the program to save taxpayers nearly $200 million in its first five years.

Advocates for the developmentally disabled are concerned the effort to save money may lead to rationing of health care. Tony Paulauski is executive director of the Arc of Illinois, a group advocating for the developmentally disabled. He says managed care organizations have little experience with developmental disabilities.