St. Louis, MO (KPLR) Illinois Governor Pat Quinn mapped out his overhaul plan for the state’s medicaid system. He warned if the changes are “not” made, the state’s health care system will collapse. The governor said the state must find almost 3-billion dollars in savings. Some of the proposed changes would include slashing rates for hospitals and other health care providers as well as eliminating a discount program for seniors and cracking down on cheaters. He also plans to raise taxes on cigarettes by a dollar pack, which would not only generate another 600 million in revenue, but serve as a deterrent to smoking. One of the most important ways to do that is to deal with the issue of tobacco-related disease. This is something that is a very large cost-driver in our medicaid system, and has been for some time. The governor said by raising the additional revenue from cigarettes, the state would receive matching federal funds to the tune of another $300 million.
