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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Access to healthcare is a fundamental human
3right, critical to the well-being, dignity, and prosperity of
4all individuals; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Illinois ensures equitable access to healthcare
6services for all its residents through its Medical Assistance
7Program (Medicaid), recognizing that diversity and inclusion
8in procurement processes enrich and strengthen the healthcare
9ecosystem; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Ensuring equitable access to healthcare and
11inclusive providers increases positive healthcare outcomes and
12quality of care; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Congruence with provider-patient race is
14correlated with a reduction in patient mortality, increased
15utilization of preventative services, improved connections
16between patients and their primary care providers, and
17reductions in returns to emergency departments after being
18discharged; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform
20Act of 2021 created the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight
21Commission within the Illinois Department of Healthcare and

 

 

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1Family Services (HFS) to evaluate the effectiveness of
2Illinois' managed care program and to address inadequate
3levels of care coordination and care planning under MCOs; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Illinois HealthCare and Human Services Reform
5Act of 2021 created the Managed Care Oversight Fund as a
6special fund in the State treasury to be used by HFS to support
7contracting with women and minority-owned businesses as a part
8of HFS's Business Enterprise Program requirements; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois HealthCare and Human Services Reform
10Act of 2021 created the Medicaid Business Opportunity
11Commission within the HFS to develop a program to support and
12grow minority, women, and persons with disability-owned
13businesses; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The involvement of Business Enterprise Program
15(BEP) companies, encompassing women, minority, and
16disabled-owned businesses is essential in reflecting the
17diverse composition of Illinois and in promoting economic
18equality and opportunity; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is
22urged to include the following measures in the upcoming

 

 

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1Medicaid Managed Care Organization Request for Proposal (RFP)
2to ensure a robust, equitable, and inclusive procurement
3process:
4        (1) RFP Criteria Adjustment: The current RFP criteria
5    distributes BEP participation across women (8%),
6    minorities (11%), and disabled individuals (1%); to better
7    reflect the demographic composition of the State and to
8    promote greater equity, the new RFP criteria should be
9    adjusted to require participation from qualifying BEP
10    entities that are, at minimum, reflective of the State's
11    population; this change is a step towards contracts being
12    more representative of the State's minority population and
13    in keeping with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus'
14    Healthcare Pillar;
15        (2) Review and Accountability Mechanism: To ensure
16    ongoing commitment to these principles, a biennial review
17    of contract awardees should be conducted; should a
18    selected bidder not fairly represent BEP spend among the
19    minority population, the next qualified bidder will be
20    selected; this mechanism promotes accountability and
21    continuous improvement in achieving Illinois' diversity
22    and inclusion goals;
23        (3) Reporting and Oversight: The Department should, on
24    a monthly basis, provide a report to each member of the
25    General Assembly detailing adherence to the Healthcare
26    Pillar mandates previously enacted; this report should

 

 

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1    include, but is not limited to, analysis of the total
2    spending and percentage of spending paid to BEP vendors by
3    awarded Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), broken down by
4    the vendors' race, gender, and status as either a
5    healthcare provider or non-healthcare provider; this
6    transparency is crucial for oversight and strategic
7    planning;
8        (4) Quarterly Recommendations by Black Caucus Leaders:
9    The three leaders of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus
10    should, on a quarterly basis, provide recommendations to
11    the Governor's Office regarding which MCOs should receive
12    an altered auto-assignment rate, taking into account BEP
13    spend alongside quality, innovation, and price; this
14    recommendation process ensures that MCOs are incentivized
15    to adhere to BEP spending goals, reflecting fairness and
16    equity in the BEP program;
17        (5) Total BEP Spend: Quarterly, the Commission on
18    Equity and Inclusion, in conjunction with HFS, should
19    compile and publicly report the total amount of BEP
20    expenditures across all MCOs participating in the Illinois
21    Medicaid Program, as compared to those MCO's total
22    spending on all Illinois Medicaid expenditures; this
23    report should include detailed delineation by race and
24    ethnicity of the contracted business owners, specifically
25    categorizing the expenditures among African American,
26    Asian, Latino, and White women-owned businesses;

 

 

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1    furthermore, the report should clearly specify the
2    percentages and dollar amounts allocated to these BEP
3    companies, ensuring a clear and accessible breakdown that
4    highlights the State's dedication to equitable and
5    inclusive business practices; and
6        (6) In addition to demographic and financial details,
7    the report should distinguish between funds allocated to
8    providers versus non-providers, offering a nuanced view of
9    how BEP expenditures contribute to the Illinois Medicaid
10    Program; each MCO, as part of their contractual
11    obligations with the State, should provide detailed and
12    accurate data on their BEP spending; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That this initiative aims to foster an
14environment of accountability, where progress towards more
15equitable and diverse procurement practices can be measured,
16assessed, and adjusted as necessary to meet Illinois' goals;
17and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That by instituting these reporting
19requirements, the State of Illinois reaffirms its commitment
20to not only achieving diversity in its procurement practices
21but also to fostering an environment of transparency where the
22impact of these practices can be openly evaluated and
23celebrated and underscores the importance of intentional,
24actionable measures in promoting equity, diversity, and

 

 

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1inclusion within the healthcare sector and beyond, ensuring
2that our policies reflect our values and commitment to all
3citizens of Illinois; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That these measures represent the State of
5Illinois's commitment to fostering a healthcare system that is
6equitable, diverse, and inclusive, recognizing the intrinsic
7value of every individual and the strength that diversity
8brings to our collective efforts to improve healthcare access
9and outcomes.