Federal News
Trump Administration Finalizes Rule Requiring Health Insurers to Disclose Price and Cost-Sharing Information [HHS.gov, 10/29/20]
“Under this final rule, more than 200 million Americans with private-sector insurance (both individual-market and employer-based) will have access to a list of real-time price information, including cost-sharing, enabling them to know how much care will cost them before going in for treatment.”
Bipartisan, bicameral group unveils $908 billion coronavirus proposal [The Hill, 12/1/20]
“The bill’s price tag is about double the $500 billion being pushed for by McConnell and roughly half of the $2.2 trillion viewed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) as the starting point for negotiations.”
House Approves Decriminalizing Marijuana; Bill To Stall In Senate [NPR, 12/4/20]
“Branded as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, the bill removes cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances and facilitates canceling low-level federal convictions and arrests related to marijuana.”
State News
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and state House Assistant Majority Leader Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, have filed bills in the House and Senate requiring that Managed Care Organizations return unused funds to the state for redistribution (SB4207 and HB5867.) Koehler and Crespo state that this need for a redistribution of funds is in response to lower use of elective and outpatient services and an increase in COVID-19 related expenses. Read a Capital Fax posting with an MCO response.
Update on the Graduated Income Tax Failure and the Illinois Budget
Illinois Budget Forecast (Peoria Journal Star Nov 16)
Commentary from Ralph Martire at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (Dec 8th)
Opinion article by Samuel D. Brunson (Nov 10th)