IHA Statement on Passage of Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Package

SPRINGFIELD -- The following statement can be attributed to A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), in response to the passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget package.

“I would like to thank Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch for their steadfast commitment to presenting a balanced budget that prioritizes healthcare services and advances much-needed, long-term financial assistance for hospitals.

IHA and the Illinois hospital community applaud the passage of the FY 2024 budget package, which includes a General Revenue Funded (GRF) across-the-board increase to hospital Medicaid base rates. This state investment secures critical, ongoing relief in response to the financial challenges and workforce pressures Illinois hospitals are navigating in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you to the members of the Illinois General Assembly. This legislative action will help preserve access to care for all Illinois residents—particularly our most vulnerable populations—and protect the long-term viability of Illinois hospitals.”

About IHA
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association, with offices in Naperville, Springfield, Washington, D.C., and Chicago advocates for Illinois’ more than 200 hospitals and nearly 40 health systems as they serve their patients and communities. IHA members provide a broad range of services—not just within their walls, but across the continuum of healthcare and in their communities. Reflecting the diversity of the state, IHA members consist of nonprofit, investor-owned and public hospitals in the following categories: community, safety net, rural, critical access, specialty and teaching hospitals, including academic medical centers. For more information, see www.team-iha.org. Like IHA on Facebook. Follow IHA on Twitter.