While Governor JB Pritzker emphasized healthcare in his State of the State speech and proposed budget, some healthcare providers want more investment in health.
Amber Kirchoff, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the Illinois Primary Healthcare Association, said the organization was glad the proposed budget doesn’t include cuts to healthcare and human services.
There are still areas for improvement, she says, in addressing healthcare workforce shortages, and releasing previously approved capital funds to community health centers.
Kirchoff said the group would also like flexibility around telehealth preserved even when the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
“It’s just been so convenient, both for providers and for patients, and something that IPHA has advocated for for a really long time, so COVID really gave us a chance to do a test drive of some of those flexibilities we’ve been asking for and now that we’ve had a chance to do that they’ve proved indispensable,” she said.
The organization also wants increased investment in human services to address health disparities.