Rock Island Today

In the midst of his Rock Island County board re-election campaign in the 18th District, Rod Simmer is still making the time to stand up for the things he believes are a top priority to the community.

Simmer, a chiropractor by trade, was recently among a coalition of county board members banding together to approve the write-off of nearly $2.7 million in unpaid debt owed to Hope Creek Care Center. The resolution further stipulates that Medicare accounts with unpaid balances of more than a year and Illinois Medicaid accounts with balances of more than 180 days old shall be written off on an ongoing basis.

At the height of the debate, Simmer, a Rock Island Republican, took great pains in articulating to board members the reasons for the push and some of the fundamental distinctions between the government's two medical assistance programs.

“Medicaid and Medicare are two different animals,” he told the Dispatch-Argus. “Medicaid is the state, and Medicare is federal. Unfortunately with Medicaid, it’s a 180-day window. Sometimes the person entering it into the system makes mistakes and it gets kicked out and you don’t hear about it for another month or two. Medicaid doesn’t go back. Once you’re done, you’re done. You can’t go back.”

Approval of the resolution came despite stiff pushback from critics, including dissenting board members Cecelia O’Brien (D-Moline), Dewayne Cremeens (R-Port Byron), Mike Steffen (R-Moline), Robert Reagan (R-Moline), Ron Oelke (R-Andalusia) and Richard Morthland (R-Cordova).

Simmer, who sits on such committees as Budget, Finance and Personnel and the Forest Preserve Commission, is slated to serve out a term that runs through late November.