To answer questions from the provider community about the Affordable Care Act requiring a provider rate increase, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) provided the statement below. Illinois Health Connect encourages all providers to sign up to receive email notification of HFS Provider Releases. HFS will issue a Provider Release that informs providers of all the relevant details regarding the Affordable Care Act rate increase.
"Effective January 1, 2013, HFS is required to reimburse providers at Medicare rates for certain codes as defined in the Affordable Care Act. The Department is currently working on the programming necessary to implement these rate changes. If the programming is not in place until after January 1, 2013, the rate changes, when implemented, will be retroactive to the effective date."
