Gov. JB Pritzker Celebrates Major Expansion To Illinois Medicaid Coverage
Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) celebrated the approval of new measures to expand Medicaid Coverage.
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NewsTranscript
00:00.
00:20Good afternoon everyone. Welcome
00:23to the greater Chicago food
00:25depository I'm a little boy I'm
00:26vice president of programs and
00:28I'm so excited to be able to
00:31bring all of our colleagues in
00:33a room together I'm so excited
00:35for today celebrating this
00:37opportunity that is an
00:39important one for our state and
00:41our neighbors. Thank you all
00:44for being here. The food
00:46depository is honored and hooked
00:48and proud to host this
00:50celebration today. We are
00:52extremely grateful for governor
00:54Pritzker's leadership in
00:56advocating for approval from the
00:57governor's office for the
00:59Illinois food policy
01:01transformation eleven fifteen
01:04waiver. This policy chain
01:06represent change represents a
01:08pivotal moment in the way our
01:10state addresses health
01:12disparities and health related
01:14social needs. So let me start
01:16by saying thank you governor.
01:18For your commitment to
01:19improving the health outcomes
01:21of Illinois residents. We are
01:23so proud that our state has a
01:26community that is committed to
01:28addressing social determinants
01:30of health. The greater Chicago
01:33food depository believes that a
01:35healthy community starts with
01:37food. For many years now food
01:39banks have been at working at
01:41the intersection of hunger and
01:43health. Driven by the
01:45understanding that food
01:47insecurity chronic disease and
01:49costly health outcomes are
01:52intrinsically linked. For many
01:54families across Illinois the
01:56stress of food insecurity is
01:58coupled with the impacts of
02:00diabetes hypertension obesity
02:03and chronic disease. Many more
02:06and more households are
02:08experiencing food insecurity and
02:10having to make difficult
02:12decisions between buying food or
02:14buying medicine or medical care.
02:17It's an impossible decision that
02:19no one should have to make. To
02:23address health related social
02:25needs. Many families are also
02:28increased of experiencing
02:30housing instability housing
02:32violence and behavioral health
02:34issues. That's why we are so
02:36excited about this opportunity
02:38to think differently about how
02:40we address health related social
02:42needs. This waiver represents a
02:44significant acknowledgement
02:45that social needs such as food
02:47and housing are important
02:49aspects of improving health
02:51and well being. We are excited
02:53about the impact that this
02:55waiver will bring for Illinois
02:57residents. And how it will
02:59impact the work that the food
03:01depository and other community
03:03groups have been doing for
03:05years. The opportunity to
03:07create a sustainable
03:09infrastructure and new
03:11partnership for this work is
03:13upon us. The food depository
03:15stands ready to support the
03:17governor. Our state leaders and
03:19partners are committed to
03:21working together to address
03:23these issues and addressing the
03:25disparities and inequities that
03:27prevent our neighbors from
03:29reaching their full potential.
03:31We are grateful for our many
03:33partnerships with you the state
03:35of Illinois and other leaders in
03:37this room to make sure that
03:39Illinois is the best place to
03:41live and work. And now I am
03:43honored to introduce governor
03:46John. Well good afternoon
03:55everyone. Oh no we're here with
03:57Tony practical we don't say
03:59good afternoon at a low tone
04:01good afternoon. Love to hear
04:03that thank you all for joining
04:05us and helping us lift up
04:07another important victory in
04:09health and equity here in the
04:11state of Illinois. I first want
04:13to say thank you to the
04:15governor for- your kind
04:17introduction thank you for the
04:19staff that you brought together
04:21here at the greater Chicago food
04:23depository- this really is. An
04:25important day and I can't think
04:27of a better place to celebrate
04:29that than a place that is
04:31consistently helping people
04:33across the city across the
04:35state and setting an example for
04:37the nation- the past few years
04:39exposed many of the painful
04:41and persistent weaknesses in
04:43our public health infrastructure
04:45requiring us to rethink what a
04:47smart and equitable health care
04:49system should look like. Central
04:51to that rethinking has been
04:53understanding the forces
04:55driving health disparities and
04:57investing the necessary
04:59resources to address them. That
05:01work has led to the development
05:03and deployment of comprehensive
05:05forward thinking public health
05:07strategies designed to
05:09confront head on social and
05:11structural determinants of
05:13health. We're here today to
05:15announce something truly truly
05:17exciting I mean. Illinois is on
05:20the forefront. And this is an
05:22important day I know it sounds
05:24like that the headline when we
05:26say things like an eleven
05:28fifteen waiver. It doesn't sound
05:30all that exciting but let me
05:32tell you how exciting it really
05:34is. We are leading the nation
05:36in this work. Because there was
05:38an effort to reach out and make
05:40it so with the sent center for
05:42Medicare and Medicaid services
05:44which is now approved an
05:46extension of our eleven fifteen
05:48demonstration waiver. Giving us
05:50new authority and flexibility.
05:52To develop innovative ways to
05:54advance access quality and
05:56equity in health care and
05:58reducing the burden of
06:00discrimination on health care
06:02workers. We are also
06:04working with the federal
06:06government to advance equity in
06:08health care and reducing the
06:10burden on Illinois taxpayers for
06:12this important work. Here in
06:14Illinois the eleven fifteen
06:16waiver is the cornerstone of our
06:18broader strategy to address
06:20health related social needs.
06:22We're using it to direct
06:24Medicaid resources toward
06:26initiatives that address the
06:28root causes. Of health
06:30inequalities such as housing
06:32and food insecurity,
06:34substance abuse prevention,
06:36reentry from prison settings,
06:38substance use treatment and so
06:40much more. When these basic
06:42needs like housing and nutrition
06:44go unmet. Individuals are two
06:46and a half times more likely to
06:48have poor physical health. Five
06:50times more likely to have mental
06:52health challenges and twice as
06:54likely to report higher health
06:56care utilization. You've heard
06:58the expression an ounce of
07:00health is worth a pound of
07:02cure. Well that's what this
07:04waiver means for Illinoisans
07:06all across our state. With this
07:08extension we can build on the
07:10demonstrated success of programs
07:12that meet these needs. Housing
07:14support, food and nutrition
07:16services, employment assistance,
07:18community reintegration. While
07:20developing and piloting new
07:22solutions to ensure that we're
07:24meeting the needs of all
07:26Illinoisans. Success in this
07:28effort has required a
07:30collaborative effort from state
07:32and federal agency staff.
07:34Legislators, community
07:36organizations, health experts
07:38and more. Many of whom are
07:40here with us today and I just
07:42want to say from the bottom of
07:44my heart because I know all of
07:46you have worked together to help
07:48make this happen. Thank you.
07:50Thank you on behalf of the 13
07:52million people of the state of
07:54Illinois.
08:04So there are lots and lots of
08:06thank yous. I'm not going to get
08:08to everybody I have to admit but
08:10let me start by thanking my
08:12cabinet members and staff from
08:14agencies across state government
08:16who worked to make this happen.
08:18I'd be up here all day if I
08:20tried to list even just all of
08:22those people. But I want to make
08:24a special mention of Lizzy
08:26Whitehorn and her incredible
08:28team. So let's give her a big
08:30round of applause.
08:38And it would be
08:40remiss on my part. I would be
08:42remiss if I didn't recognize my
08:44deputy governor for health and
08:46human services who I get to
08:48work with every day in the
08:50office and who Lizzy Whitehorn
08:52and her team work with every
08:54day. And of course our great
08:56deputy governor Grace Ho.
09:04Now this is where the list
09:06would get long and I'm going to
09:08offend some people by not
09:10mentioning their names. But I
09:12want to just say our partners
09:14in the General Assembly have
09:16been unyielding in their
09:18commitment to the health and
09:20safety of the people of Illinois.
09:22And I want to thank our
09:24senators and house members,
09:26people who every day think
09:28about the health and safety of
09:30the people of Illinois. And I'm
09:32just so fortunate to be able to
09:34have these kinds of partners to
09:36work with. So thank you to the
09:38General Assembly for making all
09:40of this happen.
09:46And then here representing the
09:48Illinois Department of Health and
09:50Human Services, our home
09:52Illinois guy at the U.S.
09:54Department of Health and Human
09:56Services. Thank you. He's
09:58regional director now, but I
10:00guarantee you he is moving on up
10:02and going to run the entire
10:04government at some point. So
10:06thank you very much.
10:10And lastly, those in the
10:12community whose firsthand
10:14expertise and experiences shape
10:16the future of the Illinois
10:18Department of Health and Human
10:20Services and the Illinois
10:22Justice Project, as well as
10:24Chad Williams. Chad, thank you.
10:26I know that you have a story
10:28that you're going to share with
10:30us, your own story. Thank you
10:32for sharing your experiences
10:34and helping to uplift others.
10:36Thanks to the tireless efforts
10:38of all of these folks and
10:40innumerable others, vulnerable
10:42residents across the state of
10:44Illinois, we have been able to
10:46continue to grow as a nation
10:48and as a human being and
10:50provide a foundation to thrive
10:52well beyond that. Illinois
10:54is leading the way in this
10:56work. I want to repeat that
10:58because I feel like for so
11:00many years, we never heard
11:02those things at a podium in
11:04Illinois, but we're leading the
11:06way in the nation in this
11:08work, and we're once again
11:10setting a national standard for
11:12what Illinois should look like.
11:14Today is a day that all
11:16Illinoisans should take great
11:18pride in. So with that, I
11:20am very proud to hand this
11:22podium over to a champion
11:24for quality health care and
11:26prevention, a friend to
11:28all people in the county of
11:30Cook, but also across the state
11:32of Illinois because she is a
11:34pioneer in her own right,
11:36President Toni Preckwinkle.
11:42Good afternoon, everybody.
11:44I'm grateful
11:46to be here to celebrate the
11:48approval of the 1115 waiver.
11:50While they could not be here
11:52today, I want to acknowledge and
11:54thank Senator Durbin, Senator
11:56Duckworth, and all of our
11:58congressional delegation, and
12:00thank who is here with us,
12:02former
12:04county official, Mike
12:06Perry, now regional director,
12:08HHS director, and all
12:10of our federal partners for their help.
12:12I want to express my special
12:14appreciation to Governor Pritzker and
12:16Director Whitehorn for their leadership.
12:18Thank you. This
12:20comprehensive waiver addresses many
12:22of the risk factors that impact
12:24the health of our communities,
12:26and I appreciate the state's partnership.
12:28Thanks, of course, to the Greater
12:30Chicago Food Depository for hosting us,
12:32and I want to thank our state
12:34legislators. We've been joined
12:36by leaders in the Senate,
12:38Leader Mattie Hunter,
12:40Leader Omar Aquino, Senator Sarah
12:42Feigenholz. In the House,
12:44Leader Camille Lilly,
12:46Leader Robin Gable,
12:48Representative Dagmara
12:50Avalar, Representative
12:52Selina Villanueva, Representative
12:54Anne Moeller. Thank you
12:56very much, state legislators, for joining us.
12:58The Illinois
13:00Healthcare Transformation
13:02will allow Medicaid to cover
13:04a new set of health-related social
13:06needs that are often present
13:08among Cook County residents.
13:10This is especially true for those
13:12who rely on the Medicaid program.
13:14The majority of insured patients
13:16at Cook County Health rely
13:18on Medicaid as their primary
13:20payer. As a result,
13:22the Illinois Healthcare Transformation
13:24is a primary payer.
13:26The Illinois Healthcare Transformation
13:28is a welcome opportunity to
13:30holistically address the needs of
13:32our CCH patients with
13:34Medicaid coverage and our
13:36county care members.
13:38New services such as housing and housing
13:40supports, food and nutrition
13:42services, violence intervention
13:44and prevention services will now
13:46be reimbursed by Illinois
13:48Medicaid. This will provide
13:50new opportunities to expand access
13:52to these critical services.
13:54I'm proud of the work Cook County Health
13:56has initiated to pilot some of these critical
13:58services, relying on
14:00access to limited grant dollars.
14:02Some examples include
14:04establishing a medical respite center
14:06with Housing Forward,
14:08which is a not-for-profit
14:10organization that works around
14:12homelessness in Evanston,
14:14partnering with the Greater Chicago Food Depository
14:16to address food insecurity
14:18among patients, and
14:20engaging in critical work with trauma
14:22victims and their families around violence
14:24prevention. Additionally,
14:26I'm pleased that the Illinois Waiver
14:28will support re-entry services
14:30for individuals leaving Cook County
14:32Jail and other correctional
14:34facilities around the state.
14:36Cook County Health's CIRMAC Health
14:38Services has long provided
14:40comprehensive physical and behavioral
14:42health services to detainees
14:44at Cook County Jail. We look forward
14:46to building on the high-quality services
14:48already in place to
14:50improve community integration and
14:52reduce recidivism.
14:54Cook County looks forward
14:56to operationalizing
14:58the waiver with our state
15:00to implement these new benefits.
15:02Through this work, we will improve
15:04the health and lives of
15:06Cook County residents
15:08and residents throughout the state
15:10of Illinois. Thank you very
15:12much, and now it's my pleasure to
15:14bring to the podium Director
15:16Whitehorn. Thank you.
15:18Thank you so much.
15:24Thank you,
15:26President Preckwinkle. Good
15:28afternoon.
15:30I'm so excited
15:32to be here with you today to talk about
15:34the recent federal approval of
15:36Illinois' Healthcare Transformation
15:381115 Demonstration
15:40Waiver. Thank you,
15:42Governor Pritzker, for your leadership
15:44and for allowing us to do work
15:46today in service of what you have
15:48said since the beginning of this
15:50administration. In Illinois,
15:52healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
15:54A big thank you to our
15:56federal partners, especially the
15:58U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
16:00Region 5 Director,
16:02Mike Kubnargy, who is with
16:04us today. The Medicaid program
16:06is truly a federal-state
16:08partnership, and we could not be
16:10as innovative as we are in Illinois
16:12without their support.
16:14I want to thank Kate Mayer, who
16:16couldn't be here today, and my friend
16:18Amy LaBoi and the Greater Chicago
16:20Food Depository for hosting us.
16:22Thank you to the legislators who are
16:24here today, including
16:26Leader Lilly and Leader Gable,
16:28Senator Aquino, Senator
16:30Hunter, Senator Villanueva,
16:32Senator Feigenholz,
16:34Representative Avalar, and
16:36Representative Moeller, all of whom
16:38are wonderful leaders in the
16:40healthcare space working with us.
16:42I also want to thank our MCO partners
16:44and representatives from community
16:46organizations on the ground serving
16:48our customers. I also
16:50have to give an enormous
16:52thank you to the HFS staff
16:54for your tireless work on
16:56this waiver application. This was
16:58an enormous team effort that
17:00will have real impact on people's
17:02lives. The federal
17:04approval of HFS's
17:061115 waiver earlier this month
17:08touches off what will be nation-leading
17:10work in the Illinois Medicaid program
17:12to meaningfully address health-related
17:14social needs and the root causes
17:16of health disparities.
17:181115 waivers are designed to allow
17:20state Medicaid programs to test
17:22the impact of innovations that are
17:24not traditional medical services
17:26and therefore have not been covered
17:28by Medicaid. This is
17:30transformational because it gives
17:32us the ability to better address the root
17:34causes of health disparities where they
17:36stem from to prevent them from
17:38becoming adverse health outcomes
17:40down the road. For many
17:42years, researchers have known that if
17:44someone is not housed or can't
17:46access food, their health outcomes
17:48will be worse. Studies have
17:50repeatedly proven that social
17:52determinants of health factor heavily
17:54into an individual's health outcomes.
17:56The U.S. Department of Health
17:58and Human Services last fall
18:00issued a call to action to
18:02address health-related social needs
18:04in communities across the nation,
18:06citing research that shows
18:08social determinants of health account
18:10for about half of the
18:12variation in health outcomes in the
18:14nation. The newly approved
18:16benefits fall under four categories
18:18of work. The first addresses
18:20a specific set of health-related
18:22social needs, including housing
18:24support for individuals who may be
18:26transitioning out of a long-term care
18:28facility, out of foster care,
18:30or after a period of experiencing
18:32homelessness. The supports include
18:34short-term post-transition housing
18:36or rental assistance, medically
18:38necessary home remediations,
18:40and medical respite.
18:42We will also be able to provide
18:44food and nutrition services not
18:46previously covered by Medicaid, including
18:48nutrition counseling, home delivered
18:50and medically tailored meals, and
18:52nutrition prescriptions targeting
18:54health risks. Second,
18:56along with these services, we will be
18:58able to cover transportation to and
19:00from health-related social needs
19:02through Medicaid services.
19:04We are one of only a few states
19:06approved for this type of transportation
19:08to be covered under an 1115 waiver.
19:10Next, Illinois is
19:12the first state approved to address
19:14community violence under an
19:161115 waiver, allowing
19:18for screening and needs assessment,
19:20trauma therapy, and other services
19:22for Medicaid beneficiaries
19:24who have survived violence or are
19:26currently experiencing or at risk of
19:28experiencing violence.
19:30We will support and complement the state's
19:32ongoing initiatives under the
19:34Reimagine Public Safety Act and
19:36will be coordinated closely with the Office
19:38of Firearm Violence Prevention.
19:40Finally, Illinois is
19:42among one of the first cohorts of states
19:44to provide reentry services
19:46for individuals being released from
19:48a carceral setting, including
19:50coverage of pre-release services
19:52that can begin up to 90 days
19:54before release.
19:56By moving toward Medicaid coverage
19:58and services that have otherwise been
20:00provided in siloed state agencies
20:02and from different levels of government,
20:04we can propel the groundbreaking
20:06work of this administration to
20:08prevent and end homelessness,
20:10to prevent firearm violence, and
20:12to better support reentry.
20:14To that end, there are many state and
20:16local leaders here today. I want
20:18to recognize in particular leaders
20:20from the Lieutenant Governor's Office,
20:22the Department of Human Services,
20:24the Department of Corrections,
20:26the Department of Juvenile Justice,
20:28the Department of Public Health,
20:30the Illinois Housing Development Authority,
20:32and the Illinois Criminal Justice
20:34Information Authority, as well
20:36as our partners at Cook County.
20:38We will be working with all of them
20:40to implement this transformational work
20:42over the coming years.
20:44This is just the beginning. With this
20:46approval, we enter into an implementation
20:48planning phase. We will be
20:50working in close collaboration,
20:52not only with our sister agencies,
20:54but our community partners,
20:56MCOs, health care providers,
20:58customers, and federal
21:00CMS to stand up these
21:02services in a thoughtful and responsible
21:04way. We at HFS
21:06look forward to continuing to work in
21:08partnership with everyone here today
21:10to implement coverage for new services
21:12that will impact so many
21:14Illinoisans in the years ahead.
21:16Thank you, and now I'm pleased
21:18to turn it over to Mike Clabonargy.
21:20Hi, good afternoon. I'm Mike
21:22Clabonargy.
21:24I think I'd be used
21:26to that by now.
21:28I'm Mike
21:30Clabonargy. I'm the Regional Director for the
21:32U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
21:34for the Midwest region, so that's
21:36Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana,
21:38Wisconsin, Minnesota, and then our
21:4034 sovereign tribes.
21:42I'm pleased to be here today to
21:44introduce Mike Clabonargy,
21:46who is the Regional Director for
21:48the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
21:50for the Midwest region, so that's
21:52Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and then our
21:5434 sovereign tribes.
21:5611 in Minnesota, 12 in
21:58Michigan, and 11 in Wisconsin.
22:00I want to thank the Governor for his
22:02kind words and President Perkwinkle.
22:04This is an exciting moment. The
22:06Biden-Harris Administration is
22:08working to ensure every American has
22:10access to high-quality, affordable
22:12health care, and creative leadership
22:14like Illinois's strengthens health
22:16care.
22:18As a simple truth, health care
22:20can and should mean care for the
22:22whole person.
22:24We applaud Governor Pritzker, the Illinois
22:26General Assembly, and the extraordinary
22:28team in Illinois government for using
22:30every tool available to improve
22:32quality and access, reduce health
22:34disparities, and improve health
22:36equity for those who need it most.
22:38At HHS, we look forward to
22:40more states following Illinois's
22:42example.
22:44As a nation's largest insurer, CMS
22:46is proud to approve the Medicaid
22:48Medicaid Act, which is a
22:50comprehensive package of
22:52Medicaid-assisted efforts to build
22:54a health care system that benefits
22:56all Americans. The Centers for
22:58Medicare and Medicaid Services, or
23:00CMS, approved Illinois's amendments
23:02to the Medicaid system to bundle
23:04a series of actions to advance
23:06health equity and allow Illinois
23:08to make large investments in
23:10wide-ranging Medicaid initiatives,
23:12as well.
23:14As a nation's largest insurer, CMS
23:16is proud to approve Illinois's
23:18critical demonstration amendment,
23:20which gets to the heart of Medicaid's
23:22role as an innovator. The
23:241115 Demonstration Program allows
23:26CMS to approve innovative projects
23:28that promote the objectives of Medicaid
23:30to provide health coverage to millions
23:32of low-income adults, children, pregnant
23:34people, and people with disabilities.
23:36Illinois's demonstration initiatives
23:38will provide this broad range of
23:40benefits to people with disabilities
23:42and their families, as well as
23:44improve the quality of life.
23:46Across these and other efforts, CMS
23:48in the state of Illinois will monitor
23:50progress through rigorous, independent
23:52evaluations to determine the outcomes
23:54and the impacts.
23:56For people in the justice system in
23:58particular, ensuring a successful
24:00transition back into the community
24:02includes having the health care
24:04supports and the services that they
24:06need. There is significant health
24:08coverage for people with
24:10disproportionately high rates of
24:12substance use disorder, opioid
24:14overdose, serious mental illness, and
24:16chronic physical conditions.
24:18Opportunities like Medicaid reentry
24:20demonstration projects have a track
24:22record for improving health and
24:24human care transitions.
24:26Now, for the first time, thousands
24:28of incarcerated people in Illinois
24:30will have critical supports during
24:32their transition out of a carceral
24:34setting, thanks to this important
24:36initiative.
24:38I am pleased to be commended for
24:40acknowledging the connection between
24:42the social determinants of health
24:44and health care, and taking this
24:46essential step for advancing health
24:48equity in the Midwest.
24:50Now, it's my pleasure to introduce
24:52the Majority Leader of the Illinois
24:54House of Representatives, State
24:56Representative Robin Gable. Leader
24:58Gable is also the co-chair of the
25:00Medicaid Working Group. Leader
25:02Gable?
25:04Thank you, Mike. Can you hear me, or
25:06do I have to move this? Okay, great.
25:08Thank you so much.
25:10Again, my name is Robin Gable,
25:12State Representative and
25:14Majority Leader in the House.
25:16I did run the Medicaid
25:18Working Group this year, and it
25:20was an exciting
25:22experience. We had,
25:24oh, I don't know, maybe 50 bills
25:26we had to go through and decide which
25:28ones that we were going to
25:30pass this year.
25:32The 1115
25:34waiver will make that work
25:36so much easier.
25:38I really want to thank Governor
25:40Pritzker, who I learned this morning
25:42wants to make Illinois the best
25:44state in the union for families.
25:46Yay!
25:52Illinois is taking a
25:54truly transformative step in
25:56addressing the root causes
25:58of health disparities.
26:00Our health is not
26:02only our medical care, but
26:04it is the sum of all
26:06of our experiences, our
26:08jobs, our homes. So,
26:10in caring for some of the most vulnerable
26:12populations, we need to
26:14account for issues from
26:16housing to food insecurity
26:18to transition from incarceration.
26:20Under
26:22Governor Pritzker's leadership, Illinois
26:24is recognizing that a
26:26comprehensive approach
26:28to health care must be
26:30rooted in compassion
26:32and must treat the whole person.
26:34We've taken
26:36many important steps together to
26:38expand critical health services
26:40covered under Medicaid,
26:42from increasing access to
26:44specialists to expanding coverage
26:46for mental health. This is another
26:48critical step. I'm
26:50proud to stand here today and
26:52applaud another important step in
26:54this direction and look forward
26:56to working to continue moving
26:58Illinois forward.
27:00As was said by Lizzie,
27:02on to implementation!
27:10It is
27:12my pleasure to introduce a friend,
27:14a colleague, who
27:16has been working with
27:18me in the House. We came in about the same
27:20time and we've seen
27:22a lot of change and we've made a lot of changes.
27:24So please welcome
27:26Leader Camille Lilly.
27:36We have to lean on
27:38each other to get
27:40things done here in the state of
27:42Illinois. I would
27:44just like to start again, I'm State
27:46Representative Camille Lilly here in the state
27:48of Illinois and I have to say,
27:50we are all excited
27:52that our governor sees
27:54how important
27:56our needs are here in the state of Illinois
27:58and he has come forth
28:00to celebrate the
28:02approval of the 1115
28:04waivers. Can we give him another round of
28:06applause?
28:12I too want to thank
28:14the federal
28:16government for having the waiver program.
28:18Thank you for allowing us to
28:20have the vision to address the needs
28:22of the people of Illinois.
28:24And yes, HFS,
28:26you are some hard working team.
28:28We couldn't do this without you.
28:30Thank you for all the work that you do
28:32on behalf of Illinoisans.
28:38And as Robin
28:40mentioned, we came in together
28:42but there are so many people here before
28:44us who work on the Medicaid
28:46work group that has come
28:48to do the work
28:50of the people and work alongside
28:52the staff and the
28:54governor to bring this
28:56program forth. Can we give the Medicaid work group
28:58a round of applause?
29:04Now, this measure
29:06will give the most
29:08vulnerable population hope
29:10as they navigate
29:12the health disparities that shows
29:14up in social influencers,
29:16which I like to call them, but many of you
29:18call them social determinants of health.
29:20It goes without saying
29:22those at risk, when
29:24they don't receive the resources in
29:26a timely manner, they become
29:28the most vulnerable population
29:30having
29:32the ability and having the inability
29:34to address some of the biggest problems that
29:36are in their lives. But this
29:38program, this waiver,
29:40will allow them to address
29:42homelessness, addiction
29:44and the disparities.
29:46As the chair of the
29:48health and human services, I am
29:50glad to be a part of
29:52this program. Again,
29:54all the services that have been mentioned,
29:56they're flexible to our targeted
29:58population. All the services
30:00that have been mentioned brings additional
30:02service in a demonstration
30:04that allows us to address
30:06the quality of life. Again,
30:08all the service that many of you provide
30:10bring the quality, the access
30:12and equity in healthcare.
30:14I just want to say
30:16this program allows
30:18us to address life expectancy,
30:20improve
30:22health outcomes
30:24and I along with many
30:26of the colleagues in the general assembly who
30:28voted for this legislation
30:30because we knew it was important,
30:32we see and it is our obligation
30:34to work with each and every one of you.
30:36With that, it is
30:38our honor to say thank you
30:40again to Governor
30:42Pritzker for understanding
30:44the importance of quality of life for all Illinoisans
30:46here in the state of Illinois.
30:52With that,
30:54I'd like to bring forth the leader
30:56in the Senate, one of them
30:58who I work with so
31:00diligently, Senator
31:02Aquino, Leader Aquino.
31:10Thank you. Good afternoon.
31:12We've got to be a little bit more
31:14cheerful this afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone.
31:16Let's clap it up
31:18because this is a celebration here.
31:20We are celebrating
31:22a transformative
31:24waiver, the 1115 waiver
31:26that gets to really address
31:28social determinants. What is that?
31:30What is for folks that
31:32don't work on healthcare?
31:34That is there are
31:36non-healthcare
31:38issues that
31:40really have a great impact
31:42on your health and on
31:44community health. Data shows that
31:46sometimes those social determinants have a greater
31:48impact than
31:50your personal choices
31:52and even your healthcare
31:54access at times.
31:56Being able to address
31:58housing, food
32:00security,
32:02or providing services for those
32:04re-entering into our communities
32:06is going to address not only individual
32:08health, but also the health of
32:10our greater community. This is
32:12going to impact generational
32:14health for our communities
32:16that have been healthy for many years.
32:18COVID just highlighted
32:20and exacerbated what
32:22we have seen for many, many years,
32:24which is if you do not
32:26have access to affordable
32:28housing and don't know if you're going to
32:30have a roof on your head, you cannot address
32:32your own health.
32:34If you don't have access
32:36to affordable and quality
32:38food, you cannot be healthy.
32:40This waiver allows
32:42for us to rethink
32:44how we can address people's health
32:46here in the state of Illinois.
32:48I want to thank the leadership of
32:50our governor of HFS. HFS
32:52actually, I want to give them a shout out, they go
32:54into community. We just came from
32:56a meeting where the chief of staff was
32:58in community at Humboldt Park
33:00Health talking about different ways
33:02of, again, trying to address
33:04the healthcare of
33:06our most vulnerable folks, especially those
33:08that are receiving Medicaid. I just want to
33:10again clap it up because
33:12this is a celebration, you all. We got some
33:14somber faces out there. We need to celebrate
33:16this win for the state of
33:18Illinois. I'm looking forward to
33:20continuing that work in the
33:22Medicaid work group. With that,
33:24the next speaker is
33:26Director Amadou Drame.
33:28Apologies if I did not get
33:30your name correct.
33:38Okay.
33:40Well, good afternoon.
33:42My name is Amadou Drame.
33:44You got it right. I serve
33:46as the director of the Illinois Justice Project.
33:48We advocate for policies
33:50and practices that make the
33:52criminal legal system more just,
33:54communities safer,
33:56and we also convene the Illinois Reentry
33:58Council, which is a 200-member
34:00group of like-minded people
34:02working to create an effective reentry
34:04process and system throughout Illinois.
34:06I would like to first
34:08thank Governor Pritzker and his team,
34:10including my good friend and
34:12LGC classmate, Director Lizzie
34:14Whitehorn of HFS,
34:16the good folks at DHS,
34:18the teams there, and the
34:20countless others who made this equitable
34:22and innovative piece of public
34:24policy a reality.
34:26And thank you especially to the Illinois
34:28Department of Health Care and Family Services for
34:30applying for an expansion
34:32on behalf of Illinois
34:34and for recognizing that people
34:36who are incarcerated in this
34:38application are just as deserving
34:40as anybody else for access to care.
34:42And thank you, of course,
34:44to the U.S. Department of Health
34:46and Human Services and Senator Durbin,
34:48who's not here with us today, but certainly
34:50with us in spirit, for the work
34:52to secure this application's approval.
34:54There were countless others who were part of the Illinois
34:56delegation. Today,
34:58there are
35:00nearly one-third of the Illinois
35:02adult working age population has an
35:04arrest or conviction record.
35:06In Illinois alone, there are 4.1
35:08million people who have an arrest or conviction
35:10record. If all
35:12arrested Americans were
35:14a nation, they would be the world's 18th
35:16largest, larger than
35:18Canada, larger than France,
35:20and more than three times the size of Australia.
35:22Roughly
35:2430,000 people are incarcerated
35:26in Illinois prisons,
35:28and nine out of every ten of them
35:30will eventually return to our communities.
35:32They face barriers to
35:34employment and legitimate economic
35:36opportunities, housing, and
35:38healthcare, among countless other
35:40barriers, barriers that increase
35:42the likelihood of them returning
35:44to prison despite their
35:46best efforts not to.
35:48Incarcerated people
35:50and formerly incarcerated people are
35:52often overlooked or dismissed as not worthy
35:54of the same support and opportunities that
35:56anyone else in this country expects.
35:58But the truth is, being
36:00sentenced to prison should not be
36:02a sentence to sickness or disease.
36:04It should not erase
36:06your eligibility to a healthcare program
36:08that can prevent that, and after
36:10paying their debt to society,
36:12returning residents should be entitled to
36:14the supports that help them successfully
36:16navigate reentry.
36:18That process
36:20after prison and jail.
36:22For generations historically,
36:24the federal government, and this is
36:26not a dig on anybody here, but it just has
36:28been the case historically, had designed
36:30and operated the Medicaid program
36:32in ways that brought inequities
36:34and harm and great
36:36division to families and communities of color.
36:38However,
36:40this Illinois version of the program
36:42and this new expansion expands coverage
36:44to include those people and communities
36:46that this government policy
36:48and program had once harmed.
36:50The expanded healthcare
36:52transformation program lays the foundation
36:54for Illinois to provide new
36:56and more robust services for people
36:58leaving carceral settings,
37:00and that is significant.
37:02People who are incarcerated
37:04can begin receiving Medicaid covered services
37:0690 days prior to their release from prison.
37:08These services include physical
37:10and behavioral health clinical
37:12consultation services, laboratory
37:14and radiology services, medications
37:16and medication
37:18assisted treatment. Under
37:20this program, people can now leave
37:22prison with a minimum of 30 days
37:24supply of prescribed medications
37:26over the counter medication
37:28and durable medical
37:30equipment. People can also
37:32receive Medicaid covered
37:34reentry navigate supports
37:36under this waiver. Offering
37:38such support is essential to people
37:40who are returning home,
37:42often after years of separation
37:44from all support systems and loved ones.
37:46They have essentially nothing
37:48and yet we expect
37:50them to find a job and a home
37:52and become a contributing member of society.
37:54This is hard enough when you are
37:56healthy. Imagine
37:58when you are ill and have no way to get
38:00medical advice or help.
38:02So ensuring effective reentry in Illinois
38:04is complicated and much
38:06work remains if we are to have
38:08sustained and equitable policies and practices
38:10but today, I'd like to celebrate
38:12and thank all those who worked
38:14to ensure that this piece of the puzzle is in
38:16place, offering much needed support
38:18to the incarcerated people in our society
38:20and our state. The Illinois Justice
38:22Project and Illinois Reentry Council
38:24also stand ready to work on
38:26implementation and to support that.
38:28And again, I thank you very much.
38:30And now I will pass it to Chad Williams
38:32who is, I believe, a former
38:34consumer with Housing Forward but
38:36now a volunteer with them.
38:38Applause
38:40Applause
38:42Applause
38:44Applause
38:46Well, good afternoon.
38:48Good afternoon.
38:50Thank you for being here today.
38:52My name is Chad Williams.
38:54In the winter of 2017,
38:56I was
38:58being discharged from West Suburban
39:00Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois
39:02after being treated for
39:04congestive heart failure.
39:06Afterwards, I found myself
39:08with nowhere to go.
39:10I had spent quite some time
39:12living on the streets of Chicago
39:14and then my health failed me.
39:16I hadn't had a plan or a place
39:18to stay. So I wound
39:20up in West Suburban Hospital
39:22needing treatment for congestive heart failure.
39:24I found Housing Forward
39:26afterwards through a doctor
39:28at West Suburban and
39:30for two years from 2017
39:32to 2019,
39:34I stayed at Housing Forward's
39:36overnight shelter. I received
39:38warm meals, a safe
39:40place to sleep, and eventually
39:42it came to be like home.
39:44When Housing
39:46Forward opened Sojourner's House
39:48in 2019, I was one of
39:50the first residents to move in.
39:52Being at Sojourner's
39:54allowed me to temporarily
39:56enjoy the human experience
39:58once more as being
40:00without a home can take away from you.
40:02Sojourner's
40:04House provided me with a
40:06safe place to recuperate,
40:08time to think, and a better social
40:10structure. Today
40:12I'm doing well.
40:14I've been in my apartment for four years
40:16and have access to quality,
40:18affordable healthcare.
40:20This has made a big difference in
40:22reaffirming my trust in people
40:24and having consistent
40:26healthcare has literally meant
40:28a difference for me
40:30between life and death.
40:32The kind
40:34of healthcare I have now
40:36is unparalleled for me.
40:38I feel like somebody
40:40cares now.
40:42I hope that this expansion of services
40:44will mean more people like myself
40:46will be able to receive the medical
40:48and housing support that they need
40:50and a greater chance to address their
40:52health problems. Thank you for your
40:54time and your willingness to hear my story.
40:56At this time I'd like to invite
40:58Governor Pritzker back to the podium.
41:00Applause
41:02Applause
41:04Applause
41:06Applause
41:08Applause
41:10Applause
41:12Applause
41:14Applause
41:16Applause
41:18Applause
41:20Applause
41:24Happy to take any questions from members of the media.
41:26Yes
41:38It is. As a matter of fact I think
41:40one of the things that we've learned is that
41:42the earlier we can get people
41:44access to housing
41:46to healthcare
41:48to nutritious
41:50meal to ultimately
41:52to a job, the
41:54better off we all are
41:56and most importantly
41:58the better off that person is.
42:00And I think over
42:02the years one of the things that has
42:04been overlooked is the importance
42:06we talk about social determinants but
42:08the importance of these things in someone's
42:10life. It's not
42:12just that they're being released from prison
42:14and you know great there's
42:16all kinds of places to go and things to do.
42:18No. As a matter of fact
42:20being able to have the comfort of
42:22knowing there's a place for you to live
42:24that there's healthcare available
42:26for you immediately. I want to
42:28just tell you one example
42:30of
42:32what's needed and how long
42:34it's taken to get there and
42:36now what we have the opportunity to do.
42:38My wife has been very involved
42:40in focused on
42:42incarcerated women in
42:44Illinois. It
42:46turns out that when we came into office
42:48and she really dove in to this
42:50and she had been involved with it before
42:52we came into office.
42:54But she found out that
42:56men who are released from prison
42:58actually were being offered Medicaid
43:00immediately.
43:02Because the Safer Foundation
43:04works with a lot of the incarcerated men
43:06and so they had
43:08made sure that it was available and
43:10it was
43:12and they had the forms and they were helped to
43:14fill them out and so on.
43:16No one was doing that for women.
43:18So women were being released without
43:20access to Medicaid. Not all women
43:22but many.
43:24In Illinois now as a result
43:26of the work she did
43:28women are in fact getting Medicaid
43:30nearly immediately. You know what the difference is
43:32for these women? It's that
43:34there is a security
43:36when they're leaving
43:38incarceration knowing
43:40that there are people who will care for them
43:42and especially because there are many
43:44issues that somehow
43:46go untreated when they're
43:48in prison and now with access
43:50to Medicaid they can actually get access
43:52to that treatment. So I tell you that just as
43:54one small example
43:56of what was being done before this 1115
43:58waiver came along
44:00and how we
44:02addressed it but again incarcerated
44:04women are a very small population
44:06of the total number that
44:08are incarcerated. We have 30,000
44:10who are incarcerated in
44:12the state of Illinois. Women make up
44:14less than 5% of that.
44:22Indeed. Behavioral
44:24health is part of the
44:26service that gets provided.
44:28I mean think about it. Food, clothing,
44:30shelter, health care.
44:32Those are the things that we all need in order
44:34to survive and live and so yeah it isn't
44:36just about people who are being
44:38released from prison, those who are returning to
44:40their communities but it
44:42is in fact also about those
44:44folks.
44:46Yes ma'am. Hi Olivia.
44:48Are you the only member of the press
44:50other than this gentleman?
44:52I think so. You all came to our earlier
44:54press conference where by the way we announced our
44:56birth equity initiative and signing of the bill.
45:04It's health care day today.
45:06Olivia.
45:12On whether or not
45:14it's going to be closed,
45:16what's the update
45:18you're looking for?
45:20First of all
45:22there's no immediate
45:24timeline, there's no immediate
45:26endeavor to close
45:28Stateville. I know that
45:30or let me say it a different way.
45:32We know that we will be
45:34closing Stateville but we will be
45:36replacing it.
45:38We know that we will be
45:40replacing it
45:42with a new facility, a new
45:44facility that has health care, that
45:46has mental health
45:48treatment in it, that
45:50has the ability to provide classes
45:52so that people can actually
45:54earn their degrees. This is something
45:56that as you know we have some of our facilities
45:58that are 100 years old.
46:00In fact one of them is almost 150
46:02years old.
46:04Can you imagine? Those were not
46:06built for people to be able
46:08to rehabilitate.
46:10They were just for punishment
46:12alone. So we want to
46:14replace those old facilities with
46:16new ones and Stateville is a primary
46:18one of those.
46:20The timeline is not set but
46:22as you know there have been hearings
46:24so that people can express themselves in the communities
46:26where there are concerns about this
46:28but importantly the
46:30faster we get to work building
46:32the new Stateville facility
46:34the better off those who
46:36are incarcerated will be and the better
46:38off by the way that the correctional officers
46:40will be.
46:46Is it still possible?
46:48I just can't hear you very well.
46:56Well we wouldn't be able to build the new facility
46:58in September, yes, but it is
47:00absolutely possible that that would be the timeline.
47:02Again some of this is
47:04we've got to do engineering and planning
47:06and there's a whole lot ahead
47:08of us before we'll actually be able to build the new
47:10facility but importantly
47:12it is possible
47:14whenever we're able to start that
47:16process that people
47:18that facility would be shut down
47:20and those who are incarcerated there
47:22would go to other facilities
47:24on a temporary basis.
47:34So on Thursday
47:36you said that you had not
47:38talked to the Vice President about
47:40meeting her
47:52I'll correct your timeline
47:54I think I said no on Tuesday
47:56morning
47:58that I had not received vetting documents
48:00and then subsequently
48:02I was asked the question
48:04just so you can go back and look at your records
48:06and what I've said repeatedly since then
48:08is that
48:10I'm not going to talk about the conversations
48:12that I've had with the Vice President
48:14or with her campaign
48:16other than to say that I have
48:18committed myself to Kamala
48:20Harris that I will go out and work my
48:22heart out for her to win this election
48:24because we must, because we cannot
48:26have Donald Trump as President of the United States.