ADVOCACY ALERT: Urge U.S. Senators, Representatives to REJECT Severe Medicaid Cuts
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on legislation that would make severe cuts to the Medicaid program— including reductions to the federal Medicaid match, and harsh restrictions on provider taxes—and would have devastating consequences for Illinois hospitals and the patients and communities they serve. These proposed cuts represent a direct threat to the 3.4 million Illinoisans who depend on Medicaid, and to the hospitals that care for them every day.  

It is imperative that you contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives TODAY and urge them to reject these harmful funding cuts to Medicaid. Explain the real-world impact these significant Medicaid cuts will have on patient care and the communities you serve and ask them to contact Senate Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson to voice their concerns with the legislation.

Please click here to access a pre-populated action alert that you can use and share with your colleagues as soon as possible.

If you have contacts in any neighboring states that have Republican Senators, such as Ohio, Indiana, Missouri or Iowa, please urge them to contact their Senators today. U.S. Senator’s contact information can be accessed by clicking here. A draft email that can be used to send a message to Senate lawmakers can be found here.

Staff contact: Jennifer Koehler

Wilhelmi: Medicaid Cuts Threaten Care, Access and Jobs in Illinois
With the U.S. Senate poised to vote later this week on legislation that would make devastating cuts to the Medicaid program of at least $800 billion over the next decade, in a June 24 op-ed published in Crain’s Chicago Business, A.J. Wilhelmi, IHA President and CEO, underscored the devastating impact the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would have on Illinois hospitals and the state’s healthcare safety net. 

Emphasizing that by 2034 more than 440,000 Illinoisans could be disenrolled from Medicaid, with nearly 54,000 in rural communities alone, Wilhelmi wrote, “The consequences of reductions at the level being considered in Washington would ripple across our entire healthcare system, striking hardest in areas already operating on the margins.”

With a projected financial impact in Illinois of at least $2 billion in Medicaid funding annually, Wilhelmi stressed the projected economic harm would be “staggering.” 

“The American Hospital Association estimates that each $1 billion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years would cost Illinois $2 billion in lost economic activity and more than $71 million in lost tax revenue. Multiply that by the projected $2 billion in annual cuts over 10 years, and the consequences become even more alarming,” Wilhelmi wrote. 

“Nearly 3,000 healthcare jobs could be lost in Illinois each year—totaling nearly 30,000 over a decade. When broader economic effects are included, the loss exceeds 300,000 jobs statewide over 10 years. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet—they represent real people in real communities: nurses, doctors, social workers, and frontline staff who provide vital care every day.”

Wilhelmi emphasized that, “Slashing its funding would not only harm patients but also decimate local economies and push hospitals closer to collapse,” before calling on Congress to “reject any proposal that dismantles this essential program.”

Click here to read the full op-ed on the IHA website. 

IHA Leadership Summit Sept. 25-26 – What You Should Know
From policy shifts to emerging technologies, healthcare is undergoing rapid transformation. The 2025 IHA Leadership Summit will put hospital and health system leaders in the driver's seat by focusing on the opportunities amid the disruption. Here's what you should know about this year's Summit, “Unity Amid Uncertainty," IHA's one-and-a-half-day signature event:

• The conference will be held at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center. IHA's hotel discount is available through Aug. 23.
• The Summit will be from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 25, with a Corporate Sponsor reception immediately following. Friday, Sept. 26 sessions will start at 8:30 a.m. CT and wrap up at noon.
• Registration discounts are available through Sept. 11.

The Summit will kick off with a no-holds-barred conversation about the future of Illinois healthcare with hospital and health system leaders. Other sessions with impact will look at:

• Trust building among your workforce;
• The impact of political forces on financial viability;
• The promise and reality of artificial intelligence in healthcare; and
• A strategic playbook to align short-term realities with long-term aspirations.

By attending, your leadership team will gain essential insights and approaches to help shape the future of your organization. Unity among our hospital community is key to addressing growing uncertainty and the unparalleled opportunities that come with it. Together, we can chart a powerful course forward for Illinois healthcare.

See our program webpage for the complete Summit agenda, speaker bios and more. Register today. 

Staff contact: David Strickland

ACTION NEEDED: Medicaid IMPACT Revalidations Due for June Cohort
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is currently conducting IMPACT Medicaid provider revalidations. Providers in the June cohort must complete IMPACT revalidations by June 30, 2025. IHA urges all providers to check their revalidation cycle due date, as well as servicing providers affiliated with their hospital, and submit necessary information to complete their revalidation. To check your revalidation due date, search the basic information page of your IMPACT enrollment. HFS has provided IHA with step-by-step instructions to check the status and due date of servicing providers that you can access here.

If you are in this revalidation cycle and do not submit your revalidation information by June 30 you will be disenrolled from the IMPACT system and cannot receive retroactive enrollment. If you are disenrolled from IMPACT, providers can no longer bill for services provided to Illinois Medicaid enrollees, including those enrolled in managed care organizations. Completing this information is necessary to continue receiving Medicaid reimbursement. The IMPACT Provider Revalidation website includes step-by-step instructions, a frequently asked questions document and a townhall webinar recording. 

IDPH Announces First Human Case of West Nile Virus in Illinois
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) announced yesterday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed Illinois’ first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) of 2025 in an individual from Southern Illinois who was hospitalized due to complications of the infection. The case marks the earliest onset of illness observed in Illinois since 2016, and underscores the risk posed by mosquito bites, especially to those who are over 65 or immunocompromised.

So far in 2025, WNV has been confirmed in 19 counties. The first WNV-positive mosquito batch of this year was found May 9 in Rockford. In 2024, there were 69 confirmed human cases of WNV including 13 deaths, the highest number since 17 WNV-related human deaths recorded in 2018.

About one in 150 people who contract the disease caused by a bite from an infected mosquito develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves and even cause paralysis.