SPRINGFIELD – Yesterday Governor Pritzker delivered his sixth annual State of the State and Budget Address to the Illinois General Assembly and the people of the State of Illinois. We were pleased to hear the Governor reiterate his commitment to strengthening Illinois’ healthcare system and addressing health related social needs.
We are thankful that the annualized community health center Medicaid rate increase, as well as funding for the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act (ERHCA), was included in the Governor’s proposed budget. Both measures make necessary investments in community health centers to strengthen service capacity and the ability to attract and retain healthcare professionals in underserved communities.
We share in the Administration’s commitment to health equity. As the association representing the state’s largest network of primary care providers in medically underserved areas, we stand ready to support the effort to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce racial disparities. Further, we echo Governor Pritzker’s praise for community-based models of care as a vital part of the solution to eliminating racial inequities in birth outcomes and pregnancy-related mortality. In particular, we uplift his recognition of IPHCA member organization, PCC Wellness, whose birthing center was among the first in the nation to offer birthing options at a community health center.
We also applaud the Governor for his leadership on reducing barriers to accessing care such as introducing utilization management reforms and accountability measures for network adequacy requirements. Additionally, we are excited to hear about plans for enhancing food access as well as increased investment in housing and early childhood development which are important social determinants of health.
Lastly, as funds begin to flow to ramp up efforts to transition migrants to more permanent housing, health centers will continue to be instrumental in easing the transition. From helping our new neighbors connect to a medical home, to accessing care, and to beginning to build roots in the community, health centers have played a key role in providing health screenings, immunizations, prenatal care, and medications among other services and would benefit from increased investment to sustain their efforts as well.
In recent years, the Association has proudly partnered with the Administration and the legislature to advance value-based care, improve health equity, and respond to public health and humanitarian crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and migrant arrivals. IPHCA looks forward to continuing to work together with the Governor, his administration, and the General Assembly to ensure that all Illinoisans have access to high-quality, integrated care so that they are equipped to live well and thrive.
ABOUT IL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION
IPHCA is a nonprofit trade association that serves as the voice of and champion for Illinois’ 54 community health centers, which serve more than 1.5 million patients annually across more than 430 service sites in medically underserved rural, urban, and suburban areas.