Dupage Policy Journal

Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale) stood proudly at the podium during a recent press conference for the signing of SB1773, establishing a hospital assessment program valued at $3.5 billion that is based on matching federal funds.

“I am thrilled with all the legislators and everybody to be here today, because we have been working on this for almost five months in an unbelievable work with both Democrats and Republicans, senators and representatives,” Bellock said.

“I have been here 20 years and I have never seen a group so focused on getting something done for the hospitals and redesign of the hospital assessment."

Bellock said everybody knows that when your child gets sick at 2 a.m., the first place you are going to go is the hospital. 

“And you are going to have open arms by people there waiting to help you and save lives, but we also take it for granted,” Bellock said. “This bill is going to bring back ($3.5 billion) to those hospitals to make sure they can provide the services especially to the Medicaid population, the most fragile population in Illinois.”

Bellock thanked Gov. Bruce Rauner and Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Felicia Norwood, who she said was “an expert in a lot that we were dealing with, actually mostly everything, and we appreciate all the work and phone calls back and forth to her.”

Rauner said the signing of the legislation was a very good moment for health care in Illinois.

“Today shows what we can do on a bipartisan basis by working together to overcome challenges,” Rauner said. “Today we are signing a very ... important piece of legislation for Medicaid funding.”

The $3.5 billion will not only assist the most vulnerable population, but Norwood pointed out that a graduate medical information program would "help us train the next generation of physicians and other medical personnel to provide needed access to other Medicaid beneficiaries.”  

Bellock continued her thanks to all “the essential leaders of the group for bringing us together meeting after meeting, workdays and weekends, to get this done,” including the Illinois Hospital Association and managed care organizations, “but especially to legislators and the bipartisan effort that was essential to the critical access and safety net hospitals and to all the Medicaid population in the state of Illinois.”

After the bill was signed, Bellock was asked by a reporter how much House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) was involved in preparing the legislation for the federal review of matching funds and if he was not re-elected how that would affect SB1773.

“There was never a discussion about the speaker or the governor in the conversations,” Bellock said. “That’s why I think it was so successful since we worked together as a legislative working group ... focused on the problem and brought a solution.”