Medicaid

Where is the leadership​?

05/18/2012
Every now and then you find out whether leaders and legislators are truly for reform or whether they simply use the concept to advance electoral imperatives. The upcoming votes on Medicaid, pensions and the state budget will be illuminating. Things are moving quickly in Springfield, and the most urgent issue on deck is Medicaid. Leadership...

Rescuing Medicaid: How Illinois can reform Medicaid without rate cuts and tax hikes

By Jonathan Ingram
05/17/2012
In February, Gov. Pat Quinn told lawmakers that to rescue Illinois’ Medicaid program, the state would need to “reduce expenditures in the program by $2.7 billion” for fiscal year 2013. But so far, neither Quinn nor lawmakers have proposed a plan that does so. The Illinois Policy Institute has proposed reforming Medicaid into a premium assistance program,...

Gov. Quinn’s plan for Medicaid: hike taxes and cut access to care

By Jonathan Ingram
04/19/2012
Moments ago, Gov. Quinn released his plan to cut Medicaid spending by $2.7 billion. So what does that plan actually look like? It looks like a tax hike coupled with even worse access to care for the poor. Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock have both voiced opposition to the Governor’s plan, and the Medicaid working...

Cigarette taxes can’t fix Medicaid

By Jonathan Ingram
04/16/2012
It looks like Gov. Quinn may be pinning his hopes of finding Medicaid savings by raising cigarette taxes. This isn’t the first time Gov. Quinn has floated his $1-per-pack tax hike on cigarettes. So I was glad to see that Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock, members of the Medicaid reform working group, have voiced their opposition to...

It’s working in Wisconsin: Gov. Walker signs ed reform legislation

By Chris Andriesen
04/03/2012
by Michael Wille Yesterday, Gov. Scott Walker signed the “Read to Lead” legislation into law aimed at improving education for Wisconsin students. Starting in Kindergarten, children will now be tested on literacy to set a benchmark of their skills and better understand what interventions are required to ensure reading capabilities are strengthened by third grade. In addition...

Good News! Three bills pass the Illinois Senate

By Mark Cavers
03/30/2012
Three important bills passed out of the Illinois Senate on Thursday and will now be considered by the House.Ai??My colleague Amanda outlined some bad news coming out of the House, but in the Senate the passage of three bills is good news for people committed to saving Illinois. Each bill would change the structure of...