Get the Highlights from the Governor’s Budget Address Pertaining to Medicine
February 17, 2023
Earlier this week Governor Pritzker’s delivered his budget address – the first time to a full joint session of the General Assembly since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the governor’s address was mostly focused on education, here are some of the key proposals for the $49.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2024 related to medicine and medical practices:
- $100 million for increases in reimbursement rates for healthcare professionals in the Medicaid program
- $8 million for a Ready to Renew Campaign to help Medicaid customers maintain their coverage or transition to other health insurance
- $18 million to support reproductive health initiatives, including $10 million for a public facing navigation hotline to centralize and streamline appointment making and $5 million designated for training to address the shortage of reproductive healthcare workers
- $2 billion for services for people with developmental disabilities
- $450 million over several years to preserve and grow the healthcare workforce, focusing on Medicaid providers and those in rural areas and other underserved areas of the state
- $25 million on the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH) Workforce Program by way of community colleges due to the workforce shortages
- $3 million for the Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce loan repayment and scholarship programs
- Significant investments in behavioral health for children, which includes funds the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation with $10 million for Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services
The fiscal year for 2024 starts July 1, 2023.
If you have questions, please contact ISMS Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs Erin O'Brien by email.