Illinois audit commission members worried about ‘ghost’ health care networks

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Concerns about ghost medical insurance networks and zombie state boards and commissions were raised during a review of a recent audit for Illinois Central Management Services.

The bipartisan Legislative Audit Commission met Tuesday in Springfield to review audits for the Illinois Environmental Agency, Governors State University and CMS. The commission meets monthly.

State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, took the opportunity to address ghost networks for state employee health plans.

“If I recall correctly, our esteemed governor had an entire point in his budget address last year about ghost networks, and yet ghost networks popped up in both the Delta dental offerings in my world and also, quite frankly, popped up again in the primary health care insurance,” Rose said.

One audit finding was the number of boards and commissions that aren’t fully constituted. Officials with the agency said they don’t control board appointments. State Rep. Amy Elik recognized the conundrum.

“OK, so again, you’re sort of getting dinged on something that you don’t have any control,” Elik said.

Auditors said they also note others responsible for appointing board and commission members get audit findings for vacancies. The agency manages the website for boards and commissions, which show 371 bodies, many of which have vacancies.

Another audit finding for CMS highlighted employee performance evaluations, which were not conducted in a timely fashion, a repeated finding. Raven DeVaughn is director of CMS.

“The loud part unsaid is they’re not tied to anything,” DeVaughn told the commission. “So there’s not a different mechanism or motivation. Besides, yet another thing we have to do.”

Elik said she appreciated DeVaughn’s candor.

“I greatly appreciate your brutal honesty with that. Thank you very much,” Elik said. “I’ve always felt that you were very, very forthcoming and honest on those realities of how a state government is done.”

The two year audit through 2023 has 10 findings, with eight being repeated findings and two new.