Illinois has incurred about $2.8 billion worth of unpaid claims in its state employee group insurance program, according to a News-Gazette report.
Here are four things to know about the issue.
1. The news comes as the state approaches a 10th month without a budget.
2. Meredith Krantz of Illinois Central Management Services, told the News-Gazette payment delays to health insurers and providers currently average 15 months, due to the current budget impasse, as well as years of under-funding in the group insurance program that resulted in regular payment delays of eight months or longer.
3. Roughly half of the state's unpaid claims are for the state's self-insured plans, while the rest is for fully funded plans such as HMOs and Medicare Advantage plans, according to Ms. Krantz. The self-insured plans include Coventry Health Care Open Access Plan, Health Link OAP, Cigna (Quality Care) and Delta Dental.
4. Ms. Krantz told the News-Gazette CMS and health plan administrators have been working with healthcare providers in Illinois to help avoid billing impacts and service interruptions for state group insurance members.
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