SPRINGFIELD – Fed up with delayed and denied state payments that are compromising quality health care for the most vulnerable, state legislators joined safety-net hospitals today to call for landmark reform of managed care companies under Illinois’ Medicaid program.

Senate Bill 1807 and House Bill 2814, also known as the Safety Net Hospital MCO Reform Act, provide a path to rein in repeated abuses by managed care organizations (MCOs) in their oversight of hundreds of millions of dollars of care each year provided by hospitals who treat Medicaid low-income patients. Advocates and lawmakers called for immediate reform Tuesday at a Statehouse news conference.

The bills, backed by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and Rep. Camille Lilly, would require MCOs to:

• Treat hospitals as expedited providers who regularly need quicker payments, similar to the state’s fee-for-service system
• Discharge patients more quickly upon a doctor’s release, or pay for keeping the patient hospitalized
• Update health care provider rosters weekly and to reimburse providers who have contracts with MCO for medically necessary services regardless if the provider is on the updated MCO roster
• Provide reasonable time to fix errors on non-electronic health care claims

The Illinois Hospitality and Video Gaming Industry is holding a job fair on Friday, March 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Best Western Plus at 4400 Frontage Road, Hillside, IL.

SPRINGFIELD – Students across Illinois could soon have consent taught as a part of their sex education curriculum. Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined colleagues and advocates at a press conference on Thursday in support of House Bill 3550, currently being led through the House by Representative Ann Williams (D-Chicago).

“Some victims of sexual assault have remained silent for decades because they were afraid or blamed themselves,” Lightford said. “We are here to say enough to a society that polices women more for what they wear than men for how they behave, and that starts with education.”

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus responded to Gov. JB Pritzker’s first budget address on Wednesday.

Leaders of the Black Caucus discussed some of the main issues facing Black communities, ranging from criminal justice reform to higher education.

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford, Chairman of the ILBC-

“The governor’s budget plan is a great start to tackle some of the key challenges we are facing including ensuring a living wage for working families and that students around the state receive a quality education.

“His speech was very realistic about the hole that we are in and how we can climb out of it over time, while continuing to support crucial services like mental health support and violence prevention programs.

“We look forward to working with our colleagues and the governor’s administration to guarantee that the issues facing the black community are prioritized in the next state budget.”