In Illinois healthcare news, a bill designed to discourage monopolies in the medical supply industry has been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly.

House Bill 5930 is meant to address concerns about this year’s reimbursement cuts of 10 percent to 50 percent to companies that supply medical equipment for Medicaid patients.

Rep. David McSweeney, who introduced the legislation, fears that the funding cuts could potentially lead to monopoly. If passed, the bill would require “minimum quality standards” for medical supplies and equipment companies.

In addition, MCOs are prohibited from signing “sole-source” contracts with providers of durable medical goods and from paying them less than 10 percent below Medicaid “fee-for-service” rates. This way, medical suppliers would continue doing business with the state’s affiliated programs.

These funding cuts are a part of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s restructuring of Medicaid managed care.

The new Medicaid Managed Care Program, named “HealthChoice Illinois,” took effect on January 1 and was expanded to all 102 Illinois counties.

The program is expected to lead to annual savings of $200 million to $300 million, according to Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services estimations.

However there is little evidence that the reboot is saving money in the the long term. A report from the Illinois Auditor General shows that the Rauner administration failed to track down over $7 billion of taxpayer dollars in payments made to and by MCOs.

In 2016, durable medical equipment accounted for about $101 million, or one-half of 1 percent, of Illinois’ $20 billion-plus Medicaid program. Medical devices such as portable oxygen, feeding tubes and ventilators can make the difference between life and death, especially for ‘medically fragile’ children.  

“While some believe the state should have no role in assisting businesses, it’s different when we are talking about life saving equipment for young children,” said Sen. David Koehler of Peoria.

Last year, Koehler made a legislative proposal similar to McSweeney’s, but his bill failed to advance in the General Assembly. Medical equipment and the legislation surrounding it is such a hot topic largely because technology is what fuels innovation in healthcare.

Overall, the health tech industry is booming and healthcare startups are turning a new leaf in attracting new funds in 2018. According to Healthcare Weekly, the top ten healthcare technology startups have received a staggering $1.7 billion dollars in funding over the last year.

Are you interested in healthcare online reputation management for doctors and medical practices? Check out this ultimate guide.

In Illinois healthcare news,  Governor Bruce Rauner has signed into law a bill that expands the state’s medical marijuana program in an effort to deal with the opioid epidemic,.

Rauner, who has been opposed to expanding the program, said his approval of the new law was “not about personal opinions about cannabis. It’s about giving people more control over their own health care and pain-relief options.”

Rauner signed the bill into law at the Chicago Recovery Alliance, a nonprofit group that provides addiction services–including needle exchange programs and the distribution of naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

With the new law, patients who currently receive subscriptions for opioids can instead opt for medical marijuana.

The new law waives the need for patients to undergo criminal background checks and have their fingerprints taken in order to qualify for the new medical marijuana program.

The Alternative to Opioid Act provides a list of 41 debilitating conditions, including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis, with which a patient must be afflicted to qualify for the program.

The opioid epidemic is a concern for Illinois, where 1,946 were killed in 2016. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) says this is an 82 percent increase from 2013.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that deaths related to opioid abuse had gone up by 13 percent from 2016 to 2017.

The number of deaths increased by 13 percent from 2016 to 2017.

A total of 72,000 people died from opioid misuse across U.S. in 2017.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said much of the overdose deaths could be attributed to an increase in the use of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

“Synthetic opioids are fast acting and can be hundreds to thousands of times more toxic than heroin. Heroin and other street drugs are often mixed with fentanyl to increase their effects, which can quickly become a lethal combination. Between 2013 and 2016, overdose deaths in Illinois attributable to synthetic opioids increased tenfold,” the department said on its website.

Overall, the health tech industry is booming and healthcare startups are turning a new leaf in attracting new funds in 2018. According to Healthcare Weekly, the top ten healthcare technology startups have received a staggering $1.7 billion dollars in funding over the last year. Check out these startups and how some of them are tackling the opioid crisis.

Are you interested in healthcare online reputation management for doctors and medical practices? Check out this ultimate guide.