State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) visits the Chicago Veterans Home to speak about the progress of a planned $20.5 million renovation project. Courtesy of John Mulroe.

State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) released the following statement on news that funding will be released for a $20.5 million renovation project at the Chicago Veterans Home.

“Caring for the men and women who fight for our freedom is a sacred duty, and we have seen what happens when we neglect it,” Mulroe said. “The improvements and equipment replacement planned as part of this $20.5 million project will ensure the Chicago Veterans Home can continue serving the people who so selflessly served their country.”

Mulroe recently visited the veterans home to speak with the crew about the project’s status. The planned project will encompass exterior and interior renovations, including carpentry, electrical and plumbing work, with an estimated completion date of December 2019.

In light of several pieces of legislation he sponsored this year to improve health care for seniors and disabled persons, the Illinois Health Care Association awarded State Senator John Mulroe its Voice of Senior Care Award this month.

“I am honored to be recognized by the IHCA, and glad that these important measures have become law,” Mulroe said. “It’s never been more crucial that we help seniors in need of lifesaving long-term care to access, afford and understand their options.”

Senate Bill 2913, signed into law Aug. 2, provides for the passive renewal of Medicaid eligibility for seniors and disabled persons residing in nursing homes and creates an expedited process for collecting data for processing applications for eligibility.

Senate Bill 2385, signed into law Aug. 2, helps seniors and disabled persons navigate the financial red tape required to demonstrate their need for long-term care assistance. In the past, financial institutions have been reluctant to provide nursing homes with financial documents when the nursing home is trying to assist the patient with filling out a long term care Medicaid application. The new law creates a form signed by a senior or disabled person and delivered to the financial institution that speeds up that process and ensures the financial records get to the state departments responsible for approving their Medicaid eligibility.

To ensure that fines and court fees paid by those going through the justice system in Illinois remain fair and consistent, a new measure by State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) was signed into law Monday.

“Court-related fines and fees support the justice system’s operations, but we can never lose sight of the fact that they should always be consistent and never seem arbitrary or unfair,” said Mulroe, the legislation’s sponsor in the Illinois Senate. “This broad realignment of the fine and fee structure came about based on the findings of an intensive study by the Statutory Court Fee Task Force, and I’m pleased to see it become law.”

The law will expand the ability of those assessed with fees to receive waivers as well. The legislation also clarifies to which agencies fines and fees are to be given and in some cases how they are to be used: It specifies that in misdemeanor traffic, conservation, and ordinance offenses, the arresting agency keeps the fine, and for other offenses the fine goes to the county to defray costs of prosecution. In addition, fees collected by the Illinois State Police would be marked specifically for the funding of cadet training.

House Bill 4594 takes effect July 1, 2019 and will sunset Jan. 1, 2021, giving the General Assembly the opportunity to reassess how well the new fee structure has worked.

State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) plans to file a motion to override the governor’s veto of legislation that would have helped Medicaid patients in long-term care facilities whose applications take an excessive time to process.

“The governor’s veto of this legislation will hurt patients and long-term care facilities,” Mulroe said. “Without this measure, facilities will continue to not be paid while their patients are waiting for their determination. The governor’s veto will burden patients and providers with the negative effects of a slow, bureaucratic determination process.”

Under current federal law, determinations for long-term care Medicaid applicants must be made within 45 days. House Bill 4771 requires the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide provisional eligibility and coverage for applicants who have waited more than 45 days until their eligibility is determined.

“The fact that some long-term care facilities have closed because of delayed Medicaid eligibility processing is unacceptable,” Mulroe said. “These facilities need to be paid for the services they provide within a timely manner. I plan to file the necessary paperwork to override the governor’s short-sighted veto.”

Currently, there are more than 8,000 applications pending more than 90 days due to state delay.

Mulroe plans to push a motion forward to override the governor’s veto during the fall legislative session.