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Apr 27, 2008 8:13 pm US/Central
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Illinois Hospitals Get $600 Million
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
Governor Rod Blagojevich announced Sunday that Illinois hospitals will begin receiving millions of dollars anticipated under a new law.
The $600 million in federal matching funds will support healthcare and Medicaid services throughout Illinois. The Chicago area will receive over $261 million in the new funding, according to a press release.
"Starting immediately, hospitals all over Illinois will receive money that will enable them to continue providing essential Medicaid services to low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities throughout Illinois," Blagojevich said in the release. "All people should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. This funding will help hospitals continue serving people who otherwise might not have access to medical treatments and services to keep them healthy."
The hospital assessment program is a federally permissible method for states to leverage their resources to attract additional federal matching funds into their state healthcare systems. Revenue generated by the assessment will boost the amount the state receives in matching funds from the federal government, the release said.
The law, signed by the Governor earlier this month, is the final piece of a three-year hospital assessment program that generated $600 million in federal matching funds each year. Illinois is now in a position to bring the amount secured to a total of $1.8 billion in federal matching funds for healthcare, the release said.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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