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Quinns Signs Medicaid Reforms into Law
(IRN)-Governor Pat Quinn has signed legislation that enacts reforms to Illinois' Medicaid program.

The measure reduces costs, allows the state to pay bills sooner and targets fraud.

Senate President John Cullerton says a bi-partisan commission met through December to work on the reforms. He applauds both parties' efforts.

State Senator Dale Righter sat on the committee. He too applauds the bi-partisan effort to come up with reforms.

The law will enable the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to improve efficiency and streamline services. It will expand coordinated care in the state, improve the prescription drug program with a 90 day supply for maintenance medication and increase civil penalties for those who abuse the system. The reforms are expected to save between $624 million to $774 million over five years.

Other reforms include:
- Limiting income of future All Kids enrollees to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
- Extend the sunset of All Kids from 2011 to 2016.
- Phase out the practice of allowing unpaid bills from one year to be paid in the next fiscal year.
- Require HFS to study the impact of income limits and cost sharing opportunities for medical programs available to children under the Public Aid Code where there is no parental income threshold.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
01 25 11 by Newsroom
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