CHICAGO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Illinois's Governor Pat Quinn signed a measure into law on Friday to capture additional money from the U.S. federal government to pay down the state's massive backlog of health care bills.

    The legislation is one piece of a larger package that the state hopes ultimately will bring in an additional 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in the next two years. The money comes from a temporary increase in how much the federal government will give to states for Medicaid as part of the Obama administration's stimulus package.

    Until the end of next year, Illinois will receive 62 cents on every dollar it spends providing health care for the poor, up from50 cents on the dollar, state authorities said.

    "Whenever there is the opportunity for new federal funding from Washington, we have to seize it by the throat because other states are all too happy to take those dollars for themselves," said Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-Evanston, who sponsored the measure.

    The measure calls for the state to pay hospitals and doctors more quickly. The state has lagged behind payments for years, setting up a situation where health care providers are loaning the state money due to the long delays.

    Quinn said the plan, which lawmakers passed during last month's fall session, shows that government can work for the common good when political differences are put aside. The state expects to start seeing the extra money early next year.