HR0033enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0033 Enrolled LRB096 03178 DRJ 14682 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION 33

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services ("Department") administers the medical assistance ("Medicaid") program under the Illinois Public Aid Code; and

WHEREAS, The Medicaid program provides coverage of nursing home and other healthcare expenses for low-income persons; and

WHEREAS, Under the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Department has the authority, in certain circumstances, to file claims against the estates of deceased Medicaid recipients for amounts expended on a recipient's behalf under the Medicaid program; and

WHEREAS, If the deceased recipient was a nursing home resident for a substantial period of time or receiving medical services for a substantial period of time, a claim may amount to many thousands of dollars, which can be quite a shock to the recipient's heirs, executor, and/or administrator; and

WHEREAS, Because of the passage of time, there may be no way to verify the correctness of some items comprising the claim and the Medicaid recipient, executor, or administrator may have legitimate concerns about his or her liability for approving such items; and

WHEREAS, The aforementioned circumstances and procedures can create the possibility of error or misuse or abuse of the system; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services examine the methods by which a recipient, or his or her designee, while still living, can be provided with timely notice of each item of goods or services provided to the recipient under the medical assistance program, including in the notice at least the following: (i) a description of the item; (ii) the date the item was provided; (iii) the name and address of the vendor providing the item; and (iv) the cost of the item; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department of Healthcare and Family Services report its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor and the Director of Healthcare and Family Services.