Legislation co-sponsored by Illinois State Representative Nicole La Ha ensuring all children with disabilities receive the support and resources they need to thrive academically now awaits the Governor's signature.

When enacted, Senate Bill 3606 will create a fair reimbursement rate for special education day schools. The bill addresses tuition payment adjustments for children placed in separate public special education day schools. It adjusts state reimbursement rates going to public schools for high cost, high need, special education students. Currently, only public schools sending high need special education individuals to private special education schools get any reimbursement. With the passage of SB 3606, all school districts will be eligible for state reimbursement.

Budget – Medicaid Reform

·         Representative Patty Bellock questions Quinn administration’s compliance with Medicaid reform.  In a Chicago budget hearing on Tuesday, September 17 that centered on Medicaid and health care issues, members of the Illinois House questioned the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) about the Department’s implementation of Medicaid reforms.  The General Assembly, bound by its constitutional duty to generate a balanced budget, appropriated money to DHFS for Medicaid that assumed that these reforms, which have been enacted into law, would be carried out. 

One key reform, looked at closely by the Illinois House this week, is the scrutiny of existing Medicaid patients to see how many of them are legally ineligible for Medicaid.  Existing law assumes that this redetermination will be carried out under contract by the private sector, and DHFS has contracted with Maximus, a service provider with experience at performing database scrutinies and redeterminations of this type.