There is too much going on this week in Springfield and in DC to wait for a Friday newsletter! This email contains information about the Senate grand bargain potential vote this week, Governor Rauner’s Medicaid Managed Care changes, Action Alert on SB955 and Trump’s speech before Congress tonight.
Senate Grand Bargain Votes Expected This Week ACTION: Tell Your Senator to Support the Grand Bargain
The Senate is back in session today and is planning to attempt to vote on a series of bills that would raise revenue and address pension reform, workers compensation changes and procurement reforms among other things. All the bills need to pass to have any one of them implemented. If these bills pass, they would head to the house where it is unclear if Speaker Madigan would also bring them up for a vote or amend them in a way that might make them less likely to be signed by the Governor. If this grand bargain fails, the House could send a short term budget bill to the Senate to ensure funding continues for critical programs. Then we could see short term budgets until the next election. Even if the grand bargain passes and is signed by the governor, the legislature would still need to go through the regular appropriations process for the FY2018 budget.
We need folks to call their Senator today to support as much of the grand bargain as possible!
Rauner to Revamp Medicaid Program in Hopes of Saving Money, Improving Care
Governor Rauner announced yesterday a new RFP process for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) which includes moving from 12 MCOs to as few as 7 in order to serve more people across the state. They renewed the target of serving up to 80% of the Medicaid population through this program. Although individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain carved out of the MCO program, it appears that the new RFP might reference serving children with “special needs”. The Arc is inquiring about what that means and who these children are. Here is the Chicago Tribune article about the announcement. Here is the link to the new MCO RFP.
REMINDER ACTION: Slip and Support SB955 – DSP Wage Bill
This Wednesday at 9:00 AM the Senate Human Services Committee will vote on SB 955 – the Community Disability Living Wage Act! This is the new version of the DSP wage bill for this new 100th General Assembly! To file an electronic witness slip on SB 955: Click
President Trump to Speak to Congress Tonight
Don’t forget to listen to President Trump’s speech tonight before Congress. We do not expect him to talk about disability issues, but he might mention healthcare changes to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act as well as significant cuts he will be proposing to domestic spending. We expect a budget proposal from the President in the next few weeks.
Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org