Springfield, IL - Legislation recently passed by both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives will provide funding to hospitals across the State. The Illinois Hospital Assessment Plan will in total make payments of $3.6 billion over three years to qualified hospitals.

"Keeping our public hospitals sufficiently funded enables them to provide the needed services for their patients and the communities they serve," said Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Gifford). "Smaller hospitals often times face funding concerns which can jeopardize the facility's ability to run at full capacity; the Illinois Hospital Assessment Plan is designed to improve and expand the services of the hospitals."

Over $11 million will go to facilities in Vermilion and Champaign County, with the largest amount going to United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville. United Samaritans will receive $5,566,892 from this appropriation. United Samaritans Medical Center has served the Danville area since 1882 and offers a full range of impatient and outpatient medical services.

The passage of the Hospital Assessment Plan will bring the State a total of $1.8 billion in matching federal Medicaid funds, of which a majority will go to hospitals serving large percentages of Medicaid patients. The funds will also be used for Developmental Disability and Mental Health initiatives around the state.

This legislation will bring funding to four hospitals in Frerichs' 52nd District and will now move to the Governor's desk for final approval.