IL Senate sends governor bill extending help for hospitals with many Medicaid patients

The Illinois Senate has sent Gov. Rod Blagojevich legislation that would extend a program to help hospitals serving a large number of Medicaid patients. The five-year plan would provide $640 million annually for hospitals that care for patients covered by Medicare, and would provide an additional $130 million a year for general healthcare spending. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jeff Schoenberg , said that without the legislation, many hospitals serving large numbers of Medicaid and low-income patients would be threatened with either closing or severely reducing their services.