Prairie State Wire

Jeanne Ives, Founder of Breakthrough Ideas, said that Illinois' poor nursing home ranking reflects a lack of budgetary priority for elderly and disabled care by state leaders. The statement was made on the social media platform X.

"Another bottom ranking for Illinois," said Jeanne M Ives. "You don't want to end up in a nursing home here. And they can stop blaming Medicaid rates. Pritzker and his Democrats could prioritize care for elderly and disabled citizens in their budget, but they don't."

Recent nursing home rankings indicate that Illinois is underperforming, with U.S. News & World Report revealing in 2024 that only 16% of the state's nursing homes received top marks. Factors such as staff shortages, low Medicaid reimbursement rates, and a high number of safety deficiencies were cited as major reasons for the state's low scores.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as of 2024, approximately 15% of Illinois nursing homes have a 5-star quality rating. The state reported over 2,600 serious incidents, including abuse, neglect, and infections in the past year, which exceeds the national average.

A report from LeadingAge Illinois in 2023 found that Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes in Illinois average about $170 per day. This is lower than neighboring Midwest states like Minnesota and Wisconsin where rates exceed $220, contributing to poorer staffing and outcomes in Illinois facilities.

Ballotpedia notes that Ives is a former Illinois State Representative, West Point graduate, and Republican gubernatorial candidate with a history of advocating for government accountability and elder care reforms in state policy.