IHA Daily Briefing: May 18

EMS Week 2026: Honoring and Thanking Our EMS Professionals

This National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week is the perfect time to recognize the vital partnership between Illinois Resource hospitals and EMS professionals statewide. Resource Hospitals serve as the backbone of our EMS systems-providing medical oversight, education, coordination, and steadfast support to the agencies and providers who deliver lifesaving prehospital care in our communities. From maintaining high quality training and protocols to ensuring seamless communication during critical moments, Resource Hospitals play a crucial role in advancing patient care and improving outcomes. IHA thanks Illinois' EMS medical directors, EMS coordinators, EMS educators, and hospital partners who dedicate countless hours to strengthening prehospital care across the state.

Click here for resources to help you support your community's EMS professionals as we applaud the value and accomplishments of the EMS providers who rise to the challenge every day to care for those in need. Click here to view an Illinois Dept. of Public Health infographic celebrating EMS Week and the dedication, contributions and sacrifice of Illinois' EMS professionals who serve on the frontlines of our healthcare system.

State Legislative Update, Revised Revenue Projections

The House and the Senate return to Springfield this week as the General Assembly enters its final two weeks of the spring session, working to finish legislative business by the scheduled May 31 adjournment deadline. The Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m. CT today, and House lawmakers will return for scheduled session tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19 at noon CT. A list of Senate Committee hearings for this week can be found here, and House hearings can be found here. Friday, May 22, is the Third Reading deadline in both the House and Senate for substantive bills in the opposite chamber.

Last week both chambers spent the week considering legislation at the committee level. The Senate also passed roughly 30 bills and approved several gubernatorial appointments. The House considered a handful of resolutions but otherwise took no substantive floor action last week.

Also last week, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) and the legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) released updated revenue projections for the current and upcoming fiscal years. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, GOMB increased its revenue forecast by $445 million to $55.673 billion, while COGFA decreased its prediction by $75 million to $55.908 billion, reflecting a difference of $235 million.

Looking ahead to FY 2027, GOMB projects revenues of $55.883 billion, which is $173 million lower than previous estimates, while COGFA is projecting $55.335 billion, which is $190 million below its prior forecast. Deputy Governor Andy Manar emphasized the importance of fiscal discipline amid economic uncertainties and stated that budget negotiations over the next two weeks will focus on fiscal responsibility while addressing the impact of federal cuts to core services. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

CMS Releases Details to Download Upcoming CAH Payment Patterns Report

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released information on downloading its upcoming fiscal year 2025 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for critical access hospitals. The report is scheduled to be released this month and will summarize provider-specific Medicare data statistics for areas often associated with improper Medicare payments due to billing, diagnosis-related group coding and/or admission necessity issues. CMS indicated the report would be available through its PEPPER Portal to authorized officials, access managers, and users with the staff end-user business function in the CMS Identity and Access Management System. A guide and FAQs on accessing the report are also available for users.

REMINDER: SNAP Changes for ABAWDs Took Effect May 1

Federal updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) took effect May 1, impacting Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs). As a result, individuals may lose benefits if they:

The federal government has expanded the population considered ABAWDs to include adults ages 55-64, with only children age 13 and younger now considered dependents. Individuals who lose benefits may regain eligibility by meeting work requirements for 30 days or qualifying for an exemption.

Hospitals can help inform this population of these changes by using the Illinois Dept. of Human Services communications toolkit, which includes flyers, social media content and other resources to support outreach. Providers are encouraged to engage individuals impacted by these changes to check their ABAWD status, exemptions and work requirement compliance using the online screener. More information on how to meet requirements through work, volunteering or training programs can be found here.