Illinois State Senator Gary Forby spearheads the effort to keep funds for health care facilities in Southern Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Gary Forby (D–Benton) today led an effort in the Senate to pass legislation that would increase funding for struggling health care facilities in the Southern Illinois area and addresses inequalities in trauma funding throughout the state.

In Illinois, a $5 surcharge for every moving violation and $100 in additional fines imposed for DUI convictions or supervision orders are collected to be put into the state’s Trauma Center Fund. As a result of the fund’s current structure, nearly all the Fund’s monies were being distributed unequally, which benefitted mostly upstate districts – mainly in the Chicago area.

“This is about getting our fair share in Southern Illinois and protecting the people in my district,” Senator Forby said. “We pay into this fund, but almost all of the money goes to Chicago. This leaves residents in my area with none of the benefits. This bill allows money generated by our local residents to stay in our region, so it can be distributed to local hospitals.”

House Bill 1391 allows monies from the Trauma Center Fund to be distributed to health care facilities within an EMS region, instead of solely trauma centers. Currently, virtually no designated Illinois trauma centers are located south of Springfield.

“The legislation will increase funding for our area’s struggling health care facilities. The Fund wasn’t meant for just Chicago to benefit from. We want to keep our money in our area,” Forby added.

The bill also provides safeguards to ensure that fund monies continue to be used for its original purpose of assisting emergency health services in EMS regions, rather than for other medical health services.

After already passing the House, the measure will now be sent to the governor before it can be signed into law.