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interoior-header-Illinois

Legislative report

NAIFA Illinois Legislative Update 

By: Evan Manning, Lobbyist - September 6, 2024

 

IL Enhances Protections  for Annuity Consumers

Evan Manning

 

Meeting with Director Gillespie:

On Tuesday of this week, Phil Lackman, Brett Gerger, and myself met with Acting Director Ann Gillespie and her Chief of Staff KC Stralka. In short, we had a great meeting with both of them. We discussed marketplace reports, the Economic Impact Study, past legislative successes as well as those we have collaborated with the DOI on.

The purpose of the meeting was to get to know Director Gillespie better on a personal and professional level. We wanted to understand what some of her goals are while also trying to be a lifeline for her and the Department. We have always had a great relationship with the Department and its Directors, this was our first step in strengthening that relationship with the new Director. The meeting left me feeling excited about where things can go from here.

103rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

The Illinois General Assembly remains adjourned until the two-week November Veto Session.

The House Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee will hold a subject matter hearing on September 11 at 10 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss pharmacy benefit managers and specialty medications.

Note the House State Government Administration Committee CANCELLED the hearing for September 18 at 11 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss HB 4418.

The House Appropriations-Higher Education Committee will hold a hearing on September 23 at 10:00 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss Illinois’ universities and colleges.

GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:

Medicaid Provider Enrollment: Providers actively enrolled in the Illinois Medicaid program will need to revalidate their enrollment status to continue providing services to Medicaid customers and to bill Medicaid. This federal requirement was temporarily discontinued during the COVID-19 federal public health emergency. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services resumed the practice effective September 3rd.

Providers will receive revalidation notifications 90 days before their due date. Once providers receive the email notification about the revalidation cycle starting, it is their responsibility to verify that all information contained in HFS’ IMPACT system is accurate and up to date. Providers will receive another reminder email 30 days before their revalidation deadline.

A failure to revalidate before their due date will result in a provider being terminated from the Medicaid program, which means all payments will cease for any services provided beginning the day after the revalidation due date.

Read more here. The HFS provider notice is here.

Department of Labor Issues Labor Day Report: The Illinois Department of Labor issued its traditional Labor Day Report which offers a glimpse of the Agency’s work over the past year. Read the IDOL Labor Day Report 2024 here.

Disaster Proclamation: Governor JB Pritzker issued a Disaster Proclamation following the severe weather and flooding that affected Cook County, Henry County, Fulton County, St. Clair County, Washington County, Winnebago County, and Will County on July 13 through July 16.

The proclamation allows local entities to access additional state resources and emergency personnel who can assist in their continued response and recovery efforts. Governor Pritzker also requested a federal Major Disaster Declaration from the President of the United States through FEMA. If approved, this declaration would enable impacted communities to access individual assistance from FEMA and disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Disaster Proclamation goes into effect immediately.

OTHER NEWS:

Concealed Carry: A federal judge in Rockford ruled unconstitutional a portion of Illinois’ concealed carry law that prohibits Illinoisans with concealed carry permits from carrying guns on public transportation.

The decision was a result of a 2022 lawsuit filed by four people who alleged the section of Illinois’ concealed carry law which prohibits concealed carry on public transportation violated their Second Amendment right to self-defense under the U.S. Constitution. The ruling applies only to the plaintiffs in the case. The opinion is here. Read more here and here.

COGFA Report: The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability issued its August Report which includes, among other items, information on August revenue. Describing the month’s receipts as “lackluster”, the Commission noted that August revenue rose only $50 million or 1.5% over the same month last year. Personal Income Tax receipts fell $54 million ($46 million net) while Corporate Income Tax rose $8 million ($6 million net). Sales tax receipts were $31 million ($12 million net) or 3.1% below last August’s levels.