Illinois State Senator Gary Forby pushes for Southern Illinois’ rural hospitals

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) today advanced a measure through the State Senate that is intended to keep Critical Access Hospitals financially viable and operating in the midst of the state’s budget woes.

The measure requires Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) to be reimbursed for outpatient Medicaid services and seeks to obtain matching federal funds for a portion of the reimbursement payments. The proposal will have a large impact particularly for the smaller, rural hospitals in Southern Illinois where many Critical Access Hospitals are located several miles from the nearest medical facility and serve large sections of the state.