Delays in Medicaid payments putting squeeze on hospitals

URBANA – A mountain of unpaid Medicaid claims is piling more financial stress on Illinois hospitals at a time they can least afford it.

As the nation's economy has worsened, hospitals have seen their supply costs rise, borrowing options narrow and a growing number of patients unable to pay their bills.

And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's been months – since August, in fact – that these hospitals were paid for the care they provided for patients on Medicaid, a state-administered health plan for the poor, Illinois Hospital Association spokesman Danny Chun said.

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