Medicaid cuts, property tax battle a stress test for IL hospitals

A confluence of proposed cuts to the state's Medicaid program and the specter that some hospitals may be forced to start paying millions each year in property taxes has Illinois hospitals on their heels. Already stressed by declining government payments for Medicare, some hospital executives fear the latest threats to their balance sheets could prove a knockout blow. And as the issues inch closer, they're increasingly sounding the alarm, trying to galvanize support from legislators, advocates and others to help make their case.