Crespo Effort to Protect ‘Medically Fragile’ Children Heads to Governor’s Desk

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is fighting to protect medical care for Illinois’ most at-risk children, including two in the northwest suburbs, who are defined as “medically fragile.” Crespo’s legislation will ensure that children like Michelle Kish of Bartlett and Guilianna Soristo continue to be covered by Medicaid, and not moved into programs with decreased care and high denial rates.

“I took on this fight for two of the strongest people I’ve met, Michelle Kish and Guilianna Soristo Anderson, who live right here in our community and are both medically fragile,” Crespo said. “Children like Michelle and Guilianna deserve access to quality health care and the Managed Care Program is not providing them the care they need.”

Crespo’s House Bill 4736, would exempt children who are Medically Fragile, Technology Dependent (MFTD), and Children requiring Nursing Personal Care Services (NPCS) from the state’s Medicaid Managed Care Program (MCO). Additionally, Crespo’s legislation would allow children with severe medical conditions currently enrolled in the MCO program to unenroll, and receive Medicaid services through the current fee-for-service plan.

There are roughly 1,000 medically fragile children in Illinois, which the Rauner Administration moved into the Medicaid Managed Care program. In almost every other state, children who are medically fragile have been excluded from managed care. The few states that have attempted managed care have seen detrimental consequences. For example, in Texas, a child who could not breathe on his own, had his ventilator denied, and Iowa saw several cases of people dying due to homecare being reduced by the MCO. Crespo’s measure now heads to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.

“Without this legislation, the biggest fear we have as parents is that we’ll lose the ability to take care of our children at home,” said Mary Kish, mother of Michelle Kish. “As a fellow parent, I urge Governor Rauner to protect our children’s health care and ensure families are able to stay together and support one another.”