Long-Term Care - Illinois General Assembly

• Low-interest renovation loans through the Health Finance Authority can help transform last
century’s infrastructure into modern, efficient, people-friendly living environments. Illinois
Council on Long Term Care (ICLTC)
• Illinois needs to stabilize Medicaid payments and restore the 5.9% Medicaid rate cut made
in July 2002.
• To further stabilize payments for providers, at no cost to the state, a Medicaid receivable
bond program could be authorized through the Illinois Development Finance Authority. The
cost of the bond financing program is borne by the providers, although at an interest rate
below commercial markets. Illinois Council on Long Term Care (ICLTC)
• Illinois Department of Public Health should immediately implement the quality improvement
grants program passed by the 92 nd General Assembly. Monies for the program come from
the fines and penalties paid by facilities for non-compliance. The federal government has
already indicated that programs of fines and penalties may be used in creative ways, and
this program could be structured to meet the federal requirements. Regulators, advocates,
and providers should work together to develop such a program to improve the lives of
individuals living in Illinois’ nursing homes. The lessons learned through the implementation
of these quality initiatives may be transferable to other homes as well. Illinois Health Care
Association
• Increase the personal needs allowance. Nursing home residents on Medicaid are allowed
to keep $30/month of their own income; everything else goes to the nursing home. This has
only been increased $5 in thirty years. If the personal needs allowance had kept pace with
inflation, it would be over $90/month. What this means is that every Social Security
cost-of-living increase residents should be receiving, goes to supplement the Medicaid
budget. Residents are left unable to buy shoes, buy a winter coat or underwear, a
newspaper, stationery. They cannot afford public transportation, go to McDonald's, or go to
a movie. Illinois Citizens for Better Care (ICBC)
HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES
• The state’s public policy should be to integrate the disparate home and community-based
services into a well-managed continuum of care, from home-care all the way to sub-acute
care and rehabilitation services. Illinois Council on Long Term Care (ICLTC)
• Build the capacity of our community-based service providers to serve older persons.
Increase state grant assistance to the Area Agencies on Aging for community-based
services, not just for the information assistance and the home-delivered meals that you're
familiar with, but for emergent needs such as medication management. Area Agencies on Aging
• Improve community based access to home and community based long term care services
through the Illinois Department on Aging, Area Agencies on Aging, their regional service
networks, and culturally competent organizations. Include information on the quality and
affordability of long term care facilities, housing, and home and community based services;
provide information on pre-admission alternatives; utilize the most recent technology for
service inventories, benefits eligibility, telephone transfers and internet availability; and
increase the visibility of the access system, and the connections between all long term care
service providers. Area Agencies on Aging
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