Gov. Pritzker Announces Medicaid Reimbursement Increases and Expanded Title X Funds for Reproductive Health Care Providers

Gov. Pritzker Announces Medicaid Reimbursement Increases and Expanded Title X Funds for Reproductive Health Care Providers

CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker has announced an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortion services and a new expansion of Title X funding through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for family planning and reproductive health service providers across the state. The 20% Medicaid reimbursement
rate increase will give additional resources to providers facing new
burdens in the wake of increased restrictions on reproductive care in
surrounding states. The Governor also eliminated a requirement for
providers to receive a Medicare denial before requesting Medicaid
payment, expanding provider options for patients receiving both
Medicare and Medicaid.

“Illinois abortion providers have been working overtime since
the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “They need support as they take on this new burden on the
frontlines of this fight. Supporting them with reimbursement increases
allows them to focus on their important work without worrying about rising costs of supplies and services.”

The rate increase, which goes into effect September 1, allow
abortion providers to recoup more costs and enable providers
and clinics to provide more care without financial strain. The 20%
increase in reimbursement will cost around $3 million annually. The
elimination of the Medicare denial requirement will allow those who
qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, many of whom are people with disabilities, to access these services without going through a layered,
time-consuming denial process.

Medicaid covers abortion services in Illinois, one of only16 states to do so, and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services requires Managed Care Organizations to include information about abortion service coverage in Medicaid member handbooks and to be able to answer questions about abortion service coverage.

There are currently 98 family planning clinics across the state
offering Title X supported services, serving over 150,000 patients in
the last two years. The new $2 million investment announced today
by the Governor will expand the number of providers offering Title
X-funded services to the client base of these clinics, 80% of whom
are below the federal poverty line. Providers can apply for grant
funding to expand the statewide network of clinics providing Title
X funded reproductive health care including HIV testing, breast and
cervical cancer screening, STD and pregnancy testing, infertility counseling, and other family planning services and counseling.

Title X was established in 1970 to provide federal support for family planning services for low-income populations. The $2 million in funds would be in addition to $5.4 million in federal HHS funding and an existing $5.8 million in state funds, for a total budget of $13.2 million.

The state rejoined the federal Title X program earlier in 2022 after
a repeal of a Trump administration law banning recipients of Title
X funds from referring patients to abortion providers or counseling
patients on abortion services. Title X funds cannot be used for providing abortion care. During the three years the state declined to participate, the gap in funding was filled using the state’s General Revenue Fund.

“This summer’s decision by an extremist Supreme Court underscores the need for Illinois to be the Midwest’s leader on the issue of reproductive health,” said State Representative Sonya Harper
(D-Chicago). “We have to be proactive in directing resources
to those who need help the most right now. By working to expand
our state’s provider network, we’re going to be able to reach more residents and will save lives.”

“Now that there is no longer a federal guarantee of reproductive
freedom, state-level policy is more important than ever,” said
State Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago). “That’s why the steps being taken today by Governor Pritzker and the Department of
Public Health are so great. More Medicaid funds for reproductive
healthcare, elimination of red tape, and additional funding to increase
the number of providers statewide are all in keeping with our post-Roe
commitment to ensuring that every person who may become pregnant
has access to reproductive healthcare and family planning services.”

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