SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) introduced legislation that would require the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a Medicaid Technical Assistance Center.

“Billing and insurance isn’t always a simple process, but it should be,” Hunter said. “The state could benefit from a more established system, so that Medicaid and other managed care organizations are billing properly.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is mourning the death of Rev. Otis Anderson of the Cathedral Missionary Baptist Church, who passed away late last month at the age of 87.

“Rev. Anderson was a strong tower of God and a blessing to all who knew him,” Hunter said. “He always had a strong, abiding faith in God, and that faith was demonstrated in the way he seized each day and lived life to its fullest. He loved his church and church community more than life itself. Even during times of physical difficulty, Rev. Anderson kept his focus and did not complain.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) issued the following statement in response to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State address:

“I am pleased that the governor’s plan has not cut Medicaid and other health service areas, while even increasing spending on some human services. After the hard year we’ve endured, it is vital that our health care and human services are properly funded. January was the deadliest month in the entire pandemic, with disproportionate deaths in Black communities.

“One reason Black people are more susceptible to COVID-19 is because many of our communities lack access to quality, affordable care. Communities still need proper transportation and better care that the working class and underprivileged can afford.

“The quality of health care you receive should not be determined by your race, income or region. Quality, affordable health care should be recognized as a right for all. We need to continue to rethink and reshape the leadership of our state’s health care, leading with diversity, inclusion, and justice at the center.”

CHICAGO – The 2021 Department of Children and Family Services Scholarship Program is now open, and State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is encouraging youth in care to apply.

“I worked hard to expand this scholarship program, and the program can help dozens of youth after an extremely difficult year,” Hunter said. “This scholarship allows students to focus on their studies, rather than carry the burden of paying for their education.”