Working for Illinois Caucus

Healthcare was topic one, two and three at a Monday legislative luncheon featuring Republican State Senator Sue Rezin and Democratic State Representative Lance Yednock. The event was coordinated by the Illinois Valley Area Chamber. And, the anxious business people in the audience first wanted to know what’s going on with the endangered St. Margaret’s Health. Rezin made it clear what she and Yednock are trying to do.

Rezin noted that the Peru hospital is the very first facility in the nation to be granted status as a Rural Emergency Hospital, which allows it to be reimbursed by Medicaid at a higher rate. She also pointed out that state law at first didn’t allow two hospitals to operate under one license across county lines, as in the case of the Spring Valley and Peru facilities. Together, Rezin and Yednock got that corrected. But emergency funding has to come from a new state budget, which doesn’t exist yet. Yednock says he’s been focused hard on this issue non-stop since the two lawmakers first learned of the mess a few months ago.

Yednock made clear he doesn’t want to promise something that he may not be able to deliver, but he said he believes we’ll have a healthcare system up and running here – quote – “soon enough.” He and Rezin both cautioned, though, that we may be in for a tough couple of months.

Aside from healthcare, the lawmakers said other big issues on their plates are better access to affordable child care, as well as good, clean, reliable energy. They say all these issues, especially healthcare and child care, are top-of-mind when businesses consider moving to an area.