Attorneys representing Medicaid patients had asked the judge to require Illinois to give priority to the $2 billion in unpaid Medicaid payments over other state funding responsibilities like debt service on bonds.
Judge Joan Lefkow ruled the state comptroller did not provide a lawful basis for the unpaid Medicaid claims and ordered Illinois to be compliant with the federal consent decrees by June 20.
“Although the court means no disrespect to the comptroller, who faces an unenviable situation, it finds that minimally funding the obligations of the decrees while fully funding other obligations fails to comply not only with the consent decrees, but also with this court’s previous orders,” the judge’s latest order stated, according to the Reuters report.
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