Under pressure, Illinois pays overdue Medicaid bills

AP/Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2009

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is speeding up payment of overdue bills so the state can qualify for more federal money. Illinois has fallen far behind in paying its bills, particularly to the hospitals, nursing homes, and pharmacies that care for the poor. They sometimes have to wait 150 days to be paid. The federal government is providing economic stimulus money to help cover Medicaid costs, but only if states reduce their payment cycle to 30 days or less by June 1.