MEDICAID-HOSP ACCESS PAYMENTS

Amends the Hospital Provider Funding Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions requiring the Department to establish the fixed pool directed payment amounts for specific classes of hospitals listed in the Code, provides that, beginning January 1, 2027, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall remove from the list the following hospital classes: (i) hospital inpatient services for public hospitals and (ii) hospital outpatient services for public hospitals. Requires the Department to instead, subject to any necessary federal approval, enter into intergovernmental agreements with the respective governing bodies to ensure continued access for those services in rural areas of the State. Provides that the Department shall reinstate the described hospital classes if federal approval is not received. Effective January 1, 2027.