By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois News Network

CHICAGO – “Blood from a stone” was the term an attorney for the state of Illinois used Wednesday in defending against a lawsuit demanding that social service providers be paid the billions of dollars that they’re owed by a cash-strapped Illinois government.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow told the state that they must give her a counter-proposal to paying down all of its Medicaid bills before she makes a decision Friday.

Lefkow asked a question that likely had representatives from the state concerned. She asked if Illinois’ “core priorities” are in check, then why are bond services and state employees receiving 100 percent funding when some of the state’s neediest are being shortchanged.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Brent Stratton told the judge that there are no Medicaid recipients that have been denied service, the primary order in the consent decree. He added the state has paid more than $13 billion to providers since June of last year.

Stratton said that the requested payment in full by the providers would be too much, especially since the months of August, October and November are typically low-revenue months for the Comptroller’s office. He requested a longer period of time to make good on the backlog of bills.

Plaintiff’s attorney David Chizewer told the judge that the state hasn’t made them a reasonable offer since the judge ordered them to substantially comply with the demands of the providers.

Lefkow said that any ruling not based on a compromise between the two would likely be appealed, so she wanted to ensure both sides were in agreement with a potential settlement.