The Chicago Tribune reports:

Comptroller Dan Hynes and several lawmakers used a stinging new audit to blast Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration for trying to expand state-subsidized health care when the current state Medicaid program is racking up huge deficits and is sometimes taking months to pay doctors who care for the poor and elderly.

Auditor General William Holland's examination provided the first hard evidence of how the administration has camouflaged the state's budget problems by rolling over about $1.5 billion in Medicaid bills each year. Moreover, the report said, it is taking the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services an average of 77 days to pay doctors and pharmacists who are not associated with large hospitals.

But, of course, the governor wants to continue with expansion plans even though the state cannot afford the current size of the program. At least he is meeting some resistance from the legislature. In many states, such as Ohio, the desire to expand these expensive programs sails through without much opposition. It will be interesting to see how this fight in Illinois plays out.