On Thursday the Senate voted to concur with the House amendments to SB1313 that changes the bill into the retiree healthcare proposal from the legislative leaders.  The amendments repeal a state law that gives state retirees with 20 years of service free health insurance premiums.  The Department of Central Management Services will negotiate the premium rates with labor groups which will then also be used ...

 The General Assembly is expected to adjourn just 27 days from now, but before lawmakers can put another legislative session on the books, they must first find a way to carve $2.7 billion out of the Medicaid program.  Failure to meet the $2.7 billion reduction could result in a prolonged legislative session, deeper cuts to other budget areas like education and public safety, and another downgrade in the sta ...

In response to Governor Quinn’s proposed budget for FY 2013, which called for a $2.7 billion cut to the state’s Medicaid program, the Illinois Chamber’s Healthcare Council assembled and convened a Medicaid Reform Working Group.  The goal of the working group was to craft a set of common principles and recommendations that could prove constructive to legislative efforts around crafting a solution to what is ...

While we've been lobbying on behalf of the business community at the Statehouse, we've also started to produce issue videos for our members. Each video will cover a current issue that employers should be aware of and what steps you can take to get involved. Our first video focuses on the Affordable Care Act and what you can expect in the coming months. Executive Director of the Healthcare Council Laura Minz ...

 Conference to Spotlight Hot-Button Healthcare Issues for Employers  The Affordable Care Act is currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Medicaid and other hot-button healthcare issues are due to be addressed by the Illinois General Assembly this legislative session. Given all that is happening, it is more important now than ever for employers to stay current on the healthcare issues affecting thei ...

 Many hospitals in Illinois and, I suspect, nationally, are on edge because of an Illinois Supreme Court ruling nearly two years ago in the case Provena Covenant Medical Center v. The Illinois Department of Revenue. The case certainly brought immediate, severe financial implications for one hospital, and it laid the foundation for a legislative and regulatory battle that continues to this day. The fight ove ...

 Yesterday the Illinois Chamber joined with 14 other state chambers and business organizations to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the applicability of the Anti-Injunction Act in the case U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et all v. the State of Florida, et al.  The brief relies on two main arguments: 1) the Anti-Injunction Act does not prohibit the Supreme Court from ...

Deals are popping up across the nation. In New York, a full medical checkup  sold for $69 in December on Groupon; below the regular price of $200. In Seattle, a flu shot was offered on AmazonLocal for $17, down from $35. In Chicago, LivingSocial sold a dental exam, cleaning, X-rays and teeth whitening trays for $99, a savings of $142. About 9 percent of all offers on daily deal websites in November were for ...