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IL provides $140 million to Medicaid providers combatting COVID-19

Nearly $60 million directed to providers serving IL communities disproportionately affected by virus

Information provided by the Governor’s Office

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (September 25, 2020) – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) announced the distribution of $140 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act payments to Medicaid providers to offset the costs of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. This first round of funding will help Medicaid providers cover COVID-19 related costs, such as hazard pay for direct care workers, personal protective equipment purchases, and other previously unbudgeted expenditures incurred.

$58.8 million of the first wave of funding was specifically set aside for providers serving communities across the state that have had disproportionately higher cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Many Medicaid providers, like safety net hospitals and federally qualified health centers, will receive first-round CARES payments automatically. In the first round of funding, $68 million in payments went to long-term care facilities, $50 million to federally qualified health centers, and $23.5 million was distributed to safety net hospitals.

HFS has established appropriate funding methods for different provider types while accounting for evolving federal guidance on the use of CARES Act funds. These CARES payments from HFS come in addition to federal CARES Act funding that the Illinois Department of Human Services already distributed to many Medicaid provider partners. In addition, some partners have received funding directly from federal sources.

Future rounds of funding will require providers to complete an online application. Next week, HFS will launch an online portal that providers can utilize to apply for additional funding. For all recipients, the department will use newly established reporting measures to ensure all funds are accounted for and used to cover appropriate expenses under federal law.

Hundreds of federally qualified health centers across the state are providing critical services and care to communities of color, which have experienced higher case rates than other demographics. COVID-19 testing is available free of charge of all Illinois residents, regardless of insurance coverage or immigration status. Treatment for the virus is also available free of charge for uninsured and low-income Illinois residents. To find a testing site near you, go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/testing-sites.

The Lansing Journal
The Lansing Journalhttps://thelansingjournal.com
The Lansing Journal publishes news releases from state, county, and local officials who provide information that impacts local community life. The particular contributor of each post is indicated in the byline.