CHICAGO – The Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS) is pleased that Senate Bill 760 has passed the Senate (49-0) and House (89-25). This bill will allow offenders who had Medicaid benefits when they entered prison to have those benefits reinstated immediately upon release. The IPS has been working with legislators on this issue for the past two years.

“This bill is essential to persons living with mental illness and other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, who have been incarcerated,” said Dr. Lisa Rone, President of IPS. “Thanks to this bill approximately 18,000 individuals will immediately have their Medicaid benefits and access to needed medical care upon discharge, which will keep them healthy and will help limit recidivism.”

IPS worked with the bill’s chief sponsor, Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-13), to introduce it during the 2008-2009 Legislative Session as SB231. In April 2009 with the support of Sen. Raoul and Rep. Connie Howard (D-34), the bill passed the Senate (58-0) and House (83-33). In July 2009, Gov. Pat Quinn recommended changes to the bill with an amendatory veto. Recently, Sen. Raoul entered Gov. Quinn’s veto language as SB760, which passed the Senate and House.

“The issue of getting Medicaid benefits reinstated quickly after an offender’s release is something that I have been working on for at least seven years,” said Sen. Raoul. “I appreciate the Illinois Psychiatric Society’s persistence in helping this bill come to fruition.”

Now, this bill allows for benefits to be suspended rather than terminated making it easier to reinstate benefits. Currently in Illinois, Medicaid benefits are terminated upon entry to prison. As a person is preparing to leave jail, determination of Medicaid eligibility can take as long as 90 days, during which former prisoners go without medications and therapy. The Cook County Public Defender’s Office and the Union League Club also supported this bill.

“This bill brought everyone together to proactively solve an important public health issue,” said Rep. Howard. “Effective re-entry policies save money and make better use of limited resources by establishing a more coordinated continuum of care and supervision.

About Illinois Psychiatric Society
The Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS) is a professional organization representing approximately 1,100 physician members trained in the treatment of mental illness. As a District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the Illinois Psychiatric Society has served as the voice of psychiatry in Illinois for more than 70 years. For more information, please visit www.illinoispsychiatricsociety.org or call 312-224-2600.