Illinois Late in Medicaid Payments

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Illinois is nearly $1.5 billion behind on payments to doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other medical providers, causing experts to wonder how the state can launch a major new insurance program for children when it can't even pay current bills.

In recent weeks, doctors have begun complaining loudly about Medicaid payments that are past due, in many cases, by as many as four months. As a result, some physicians are limiting the number of poor patients they'll see.

They and other medical providers argue that Illinois is balancing its budget on their backs, using unpaid bills as short-term loans to help keep the state financially afloat.

"If you're not paying your bills, it's easy to make it look like your books are balanced," said Todd Evers, who owns four Illinois pharmacies and is waiting for more than $500,000 in Medicaid payments.

Just think this is the health care model many left-wingers like Robert Kuttner think is the model of efficiency compared to the private sector.