Rep. Robin Kelly joined with fellow Illinois Democrats to ask the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to enable Illinois to utilize the Medicaid program to address a broad spectrum of public health challenges.
The change would allow Illinois to include preventing gun violence and maternal mortality for CMS care, as well as resources to address homelessness, opioid addiction, chronic disease, access to food is medicine interventions, such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, and other wraparound support needs.
Kelly, who represents Homewood and Flossmoor in Congress, issued a letter on Tuesday, March 5, to CMS Director Chiquita Brooks-LaSure calling upon the agency to approve Illinois’ application for a Section 115 Demonstration Waiver.
The letter was signed by every Illinois Democratic member of the House of Representatives.
The waiver would make changes in health care that Kelly has been championing the past 13 years she’s served in Congress.
“Throughout Illinois, an estimated 400,000 of our constituents would benefit from the package of authorities and services that are proposed in the State of Illinois’ Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver,” she wrote in the letter. “Through our collective efforts, Illinois has made significant progress in addressing the confluence of social determinants of health that fuel racial and ethnic health disparities that contribute to rising health care costs.
“To propel these efforts forward and unlock transformative, community driven solutions by incorporating stakeholders outside of the traditional health care system, CMS can help Medicaid beneficiaries across Illinois by approving the 1115 Demonstration Waiver,” Kelly said.
Read the full letter here.