WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) issued a letter to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to call upon the agency to approve Illinois’s application for a Section 115 Demonstration Waiver. The letter was signed by every Democratic member of Illinois’s House delegation.
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The waiver would enable Illinois to utilize the Medicaid program to address a broad spectrum of public health challenges, including preventing gun violence and maternal mortality, which Congresswoman Kelly has championed during her 11 years in Congress.
Additionally, the waiver would expand access to food is medicine interventions, such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, and assistance accessing benefits and nutritious food options for at-risk populations to help prevent, manage, and treat diet-related diseases. The waiver would also provide resources to address homelessness, opioid addiction, chronic disease, and other wraparound support needs.
“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. 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 healthcare 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,” the lawmakers wrote.
Read the full letter here.
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