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The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation has signed the letter circulated by Congressman Jerry Costello (D-12), dean of the Delegation, urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) timely consideration and approval of the new Illinois Hospital Assessment Program. The support of our congressional delegation is an important part of our efforts to secure CMS approval of this vital Illinois Medicaid program.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of IHA members in contacting their members of Congress. These contacts led to this successful result. IHA urges members to personally thank Sens. Durbin and Obama and your U.S. Representative for their support.

In addition, the Illinois Hospital Association wishes to express our gratitude to all the members of our Congressional Delegation for signing the delegation's letter in support of the Illinois Hospital Assessment Program (click here to view letter).

• We thank you for your leadership and support of the previous two assessment programs and know that you will make a new assessment program for Illinois a top priority;
• The assessment program is vital to Illinois’ health care delivery system and to my hospital;
  • (Provide specific information about the program’s impact on your hospital)
• We appreciate your willingness to reiterate to CMS and HHS how important these payment increases are for Illinois hospitals, which have traditionally ranked near the bottom of hospitals around the country in having Medicaid payments cover their Medicaid costs:
  • Illinois, which now is at the lowest federal matching rate (50%), serves 4.1% of the nation’s Medicaid program, but receives only 3.3% of total Medicaid funding, and only 1.95% of the federal allotment for Disproportionate Share Hospitals.
  • Overall, Illinois ranks 45^th among states in federal return of all tax dollars, receiving only 75 cents for each dollar sent to Washington;
• Please convey to CMS that:
  • Illinois has a long history of providing support for its Medicaid and low-income populations, expanding coverage and increasing health care provider participation. Despite difficult fiscal conditions, the state has significantly expanded access to health care.
  • The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services believes that the Illinois program meets all federal requirements as prescribed in 42 CFR 433.68. The program is: broad-based, uniform, redistributive, and reasonable.