A federal judge has ruled that Illinois does not have to pay it’s nearly $2 billion dollar backlog of Medicaid bills in full.

Instead putting the state on a type of installment plan, instructing the state and Medicaid recipients to negotiate a sufficient enough payment to ensure that medical care isn’t jeopardized.

In yesterday’s ruling the judge criticized state officials for not having lived up to their agreements. While adding that comptroller Suzanna Mendoza faces an unenviable situation.