IIFS Blog Archive: March 2010

03.30.10

Medicaid Expansion Under Healthcare Reform to be Funded Mostly by Feds

  Federal healthcare reform could increase the State of Illinois’ Medicaid enrollment by 400,000 to 600,000 recipients beginning in 2014, but the federal government is expected to pay nearly all the additional cost for newly eligible recipients. The new law would extend Medicaid coverage...

03.23.10

Governor Proposes Borrowing Instead of Doubling Unpaid Bills

Governor Pat Quinn’s recommended FY2011 budget, issued on March 10, 2010, proposes borrowing $4.7 billion to cover FY2011’s projected operating deficit. No details about the Governor’s borrowing plan have yet been made available.

03.17.10

Despite Operating Deficit Capital Spending Still Growing

Although the proposed FY2011operating budget for the State of Illinois, which includes a $4.7 billion annual deficit and carrying forward $6 billion in unpaid bills, has garnered the most attention since being released on March 10, 2010, Governor Pat Quinn also proposed an expansion of the...

03.11.10

Residents of Illinois Fed Up with State’s Fiscal Irresponsibility

The Civic Federation has received an overwhelming response from the residents of Illinois to our recently-released “Fiscal Rehabilitation Plan for the State of Illinois,” including scores of emails and telephone calls. The Civic Federation has taken into consideration your comments,...

03.09.10

Lawmakers Want to Slow or Restrict Governor’s Medicaid HMO Plan

Governor Pat Quinn’s administration is promoting a plan for Medicaid health maintenance organizations (HMOs) as a major reform initiative, but several legislators have introduced bills in the General Assembly that would slow or restrict the plan.

03.04.10

Debt is Not a Remedy for State Budget Woes

As part of an agreement with legislative leaders to push back the Governor’s annual budget address from February 17, 2010 until March 10, 2010, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget posted preliminary FY2011 budget information to a new state website last week. In an...